Association Management Companies
Association Management Companies (AMCs) have been a resource to non-profit associations for over 100 years; however, many board members and association executives today are unaware that this model of operating an association exists.
An AMC is a for-profit company that provides management and specialized administrative services to trade association and professional societies. Similar to associations that employ their own staff and maintain their own office headquarters (often called "stand-alones"), AMCs also have employees, but provide services to multiple associations rather than just one. Services typically include strategic planning, financial management, executive management, membership development, marketing and public relations, educational and professional development, meeting and event planning, among others.
AMCs manage associations of varying sizes and annual budgets. According to a report by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), "the AMC model is currently supporting organizations of all sizes, some with annual budgets of less than $500,000 and others with budgets as large as $10 million."
An AMC is an alternative method for management of a non-profit organization. Associations may contract with an AMC to manage day-to-day operations and provide executive leadership. The AMC is responsible for providing a designated scope of services to the non-profit organization for a negotiated fee. This can range from full service management to specific time limited projects.