Writing an Effective Association Management RFP
Includes Template
Meeting Expectations
3525 Piedmont Road
Building 5, Suite 300
1 404.240.0999
www.meetingexpectations.com
info@meetingexpectrations.com
Writing an Effective Association Management RFP – Set Yourself Up for Success!
Do you need outside assistance in managing your association, but don’t know exactly what you need?
Outsourcing some or all of your association management needs can gain you specialized expertise,
increased efficiency and a fresh perspective – freeing you to consider the big picture and the future
direction and goals of your association.
Preparing a thorough RFP for association management services is imperative to successfully selecting a
strong partner to work with you on your association management needs. You should look for a firm that
will work as an extension of your team and represent your association to your members with the same
respect and professionalism that you would – a true partner.
Meeting Expectations would like to share the following suggestions for approaching the RFP process,
gleaned from years of experience responding to RFPs from associations of varying scope and size:
Time Management
Provide a realistic timeline for the overall process of selecting an association management firm,
including a date for the final decision and notification.
Be Judicious
Ask for only for the information you will use, otherwise you can get overwhelmed and buried in
unnecessary information that will hinder your decision-making.
Set the Stage
Provide a detailed overview of the association’s needs so that we gain a solid understanding of the
business. This will also help reduce the number of questions we may have.
Define Your Scope
Draw clear lines around what your team will be responsible for versus the outside firm.
Be Open
Provide contact information for the person responsible for facilitating the RFP process, but beyond that,
share how you would like to be approached with follow-up questions or requests for clarification. It’s
vital to make yourself available to questions from those that are bidding on your business. This provides
everyone an opportunity to clarify topics that may not be completely clear to them. It also helps you get
to know your potential partners aside from simply reading a proposal. How thorough are they? Do they
grasp the general concept of what you’re trying to accomplish? How well do they internalize your needs
and address them in relation to their experience and expertise?
We have prepared a sample RFP outline to guide you. In it, we include many questions to assist you in
envisioning the scope of the services that you would like to outsource, the many possibilities that are
open to you and the various areas in which Meeting Expectations can support you.
We hope you find this information useful as you seek out a true partner in managing your association. If
we can answer any questions, please email us at info@meetingexpectations.com.
I.
Association Overview and Description
a. History
[Provide a brief history of the association, the association’s goals and describe its
current membership numbers and demographics. Furthermore, please detail
membership trends, current and historical event attendance rates, and
sponsorship/exhibit sales at ongoing conferences and events.]
b. Programs
[Briefly describe the association’s programs and conferences, current and historical
event attendance rates, sponsorship/exhibit sales at ongoing conferences and events,
and expand upon how these programs are presently managed.]
c. Roles
[Detail which roles are currently performed by volunteers and which roles you would
like to outsource to an association management firm.]
d. Revenue/Expenses
[Please provide a breakdown of your latest revenue and expense budgets (i.e. dues,
meeting registration; management, office operations, meeting expenses, etc.) If you
require that a non-disclosure agreement be signed, please make sure to send that
document to companies who will be bidding.]
II. Selection Process
a. Please provide dates for the following:
i. Receipt of proposal
ii. Review by committee/board
iii. Initial telephone or in-person interviews
iv. Selection and notification date
v. Date contract will begin
b. Explain how long the contract will last and whether there will be provisions for renewal.
c. Please provide the names, telephone numbers and email addresses of people to whom
association management firms may direct questions. Specify if your association prefers
to answer questions via email, and provide a contact email address instead.
III. Services to be Outsourced
Please describe which services you would like to outsource, expand upon each where
appropriate and specify any new initiatives that you would like to undertake.
a. Membership Services
[Handle telephone requests and correspondence from current and prospective
members; Assist in the production and distribution of newsletters; Help to create and
supervise membership events; Serve as the communications center for your
association’s programs; Administer annual rewards programs]
b. Chapter/General Management
[Maintain membership records, including the receipt and processing of membership
applications and renewals; Assist the board or council with their duties, such as the
preparation of agendas and financial reports and generating time lines for annual
meetings]
c. Meeting and Event Management
[Review and recommend potential sites for your meeting or event; Conduct contract
negotiations for meeting sites; Manage air and ground transportation negotiations and
arrangements; Make appropriate food and beverage arrangements; Assist with program
development and marketing; Oversee and manage event registration, both on-site and
offsite, and produce all registration items, including badges; Negotiate and execute
entertainment contracts; etc.]
d. Accounting and Financial Management
[Receive, deposit, disburse and report on your association’s funds; Prepare and update
budget and financial reports; Assist volunteers with conference and seminar budgets;
Prepare, produce and distribute invoices; Complete and file your association’s annual
tax returns; Reconcile bank accounts; Offer long-term solutions for revenue growth and
diversification]
e. Education and Programs
[Manage continuing education programs; Develop and supervise eLearning programs as
well as real-time and archived event presentations online; Help to identify emerging
needs and trends in your association and suggest opportunities and programs to
address them; Manage training sessions for members and volunteers]
f. Information Technology
[Conduct an organizational technology audit; Operate and update an existing database
and website or integrated Association Management System (AMS); Develop, design and
manage a new association website; Work with the association technology committee to
evaluate and source a new AMS; Process electronic ballots for resolutions, elections,
referenda and other official tallying; Develop and manage client extranets to serve as a
repository for documents and other artifacts; Create and supervise discussion forums
for the promotion of ideas exchange and networking among and between your
members; Establish and run online credit card processing; Implement online surveys;
Develop and oversee online job boards; Help to produce multi-media marketing
opportunities; Create and direct web-casting to extend your association’s meetings and
conferences]
g. Headquarter Infrastructure
[Assess the association’s ability to provide the necessary administrative and
infrastructure support services; Pinpoint association specific needs, such as hours of
operation, telephone services, storage space, meeting rooms and parking]
h. Marketing and Communications
[Develop and design publications for your association; Manage social media initiatives;
Communicate with your association’s partners to maximize revenue and add value to
i.
their participation; Work with your team to develop an effective and lasting association
and conference brand; Develop and implement various marketing campaigns and
oversee their management and analysis; Provide innovative graphic design solutions;
Oversee public relations and media management]
Governance and Strategic Business Management
[Facilitate development of the association’s strategic plan, plan of work, or area
marketing plans; Conduct board orientations and leadership development; Help to
create benchmark studies; Facilitate board/council communications; Develop clear
policy manuals and documentation and help to enforce these policies; Develop
mechanisms to measure return on investment on multiple levels, including membership,
sponsorship, events, programs and even the fees for your services; Manage master
timelines for developing and assessment of your association’s goals; Help to set and
manage expectations for your members and volunteers; Help to delegate duties and
streamline the cohesion of the volunteers; Help to develop and review RFPs to ensure
that you are receiving the best value for your investment ]
IV. Specific Questions to be Answered
[Please provide information you require in all RFP responses in order to conduct an apples-toapples comparison between bidders, include those here.]
V. Proposal Guidelines, Requirements and Format
[Do you prefer a specific format for proposals? If so, please make your expectations known
here.]
a. Format of Proposal
b. Required Information to Include
c. Pricing
d. Qualifications
e. Company Facts and Statistics
f. Industry Awards and Recognition
g. References
h. Case Studies
VI. Evaluation Criteria
[What will your decision be based upon? If there are certain elements that will factor in more
heavily than others, note that here.]