19 Building Inclusive Communities Clear Communication Throughout the process, ongoing communication is critical. While for some members the process may seem intuitive, newer members or those who have not previously engaged may not understand the timeline around the process. Reminders of deadlines and the decision timeline can remove doubt from the process. For members who are not initially selected for opportunities, follow-up on why they were not selected and potentially engaging them in other volunteer opportunities can help lessen the sting from not getting selected. They did after all offer to give you their time, so honoring that offer with follow up is critical. And don’t forget to engage them next time the application re-opens—targeted marketing to members who have previously voiced interest further ensures those members remain engaged and don’t feel marginalized by the process. Members often point to volunteering as one of the critical value adds provided by associations. We all spend a significant amount of our time and energy within our career, and the opportunity to give back is very satisfying—I personally feel the opportunity to serve as the Chair for the ASAE Technology Professionals Advisory Council has been one of the most fulfilling of my career. Ensuring your members have the opportunity to give back is critical both to your association’s success, but also in empowering your future association champions. Justin Burniske, MBA, is Principal Consultant and Co-Owner at Meta-Dao, where he helps associations align their technology with their mission-driven goals. Drawing from his extensive experience implementing technology solutions for purpose-driven organizations, Justin brings a unique perspective on creating inclusive digital environments that strengthen member engagement and organizational effectiveness. Members often point to volunteering as one of the critical value adds provided by associations. We all spend a significant amount of our time and energy within our career, and the opportunity to give back is very satisfying.
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