American Society of Association Executives

Professional development -- asae offers more than 75 learning experiences for Association professionals and business partners at all experience levels. These learning programs are held face-to-face in Washington, dc, and in locations around the country, as well as online. Signature programs include: annual meeting; great ideas conferences; invitational forum on leadership & management; business of meetings certificate program; associations at work conference; technology conference; and marketing, membership, and communications conference.

Learning center facility -- asae operates a learning facility in Washington, dc that is available for organizations to hold a variety of events. The facility is also used for asae's own educational programs. The facility is located at 1575 i street, nw and is a full-service meeting facility located a few blocks from the white house. The conference center also provides an excellent environment for educational seminars, presentations, board meetings, staff training and retreats, and other events.

Membership -- the American Society of Association Executives is a membership organization of more than 40,000 Association Executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the united states and in nearly 50 countries around the world. Asae is the premier source of learning and knowledge for the Association and nonprofit profession, and provides resources, education, ideas and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the Association and nonprofit community.

Public policy & advocacy: asae's power of a (pwra) fund is a key component of asae's public policy program. The pwra fund helps to elevate asae's profile in Washington and across the country. Through the power of a fund, asae advocates for associations in congress, regulatory agencies and the courts. Part of asae's advocacy role is also to grow awareness about the critical role associations play in the economy and in Society at large. Support for the power of a fund comes from asae's annual summit awards dinner. This fundraising event brings together Association professionals and business and industry leaders to celebrate associations that have created exemplary programs and initiatives to assist individuals in need or to advance their industries or professions. Asae created the power of a awards to showcase how associations leverage their unique resources to solve problems, advance industry/professional performance, kick start innovation and improve world conditions. Associations are involved in activities every day that make a substantial, positive impact on our lives.asae's five star weekend also supports the power of a fund, as well as the asae foundation. This event serves as an annual networking and professional development opportunity for Association professionals and industry partners.

Associations now and newsletters - 'associations now,' the award-winning quarterly magazine (circulation 21,000+), provides articles on current topics of interest to Association Executives. Authors are generally Association Executives who have particular expertise to share. Articles are a mix of "how to" articles with case studies and thought pieces. The Association also publishes 14 electronic newsletters (some monthly, some bimonthly, and some quarterly) meeting the special interests of members, as well as producing a variety of online-only and new-media content focused on issues of concern to Association leaders and Executives. There is also a new associations now daily news component, sent via email, consisting of quick-read stories and current headlines that impact associations. Topics include leadership, meetings, money & business, and technology.

Sections & allied societies - asae has 14 sections or professional interest groups, providing a community for nearly every sub-specialty within Association management. Each group is governed by a separate council that determines the products and services for its members. Typical offerings include monthly educational sessions, a newsletter, networking directory, development of special sessions at major meetings devoted to each group's interests, and other technical publications.

Information sales - asae publishes a wide variety of books on Association management topics, including marketing, communications, membership, finance, volunteer management, conventions, meetings, and education. Many surveys are also published, including the Association executive compensation study, policies & procedures, operating ratio report, and Association technology trends.

Research - asae's research advances knowledge in nonprofit management by providing resources that will help leaders focus on critical factors to enhance their organizations. Asae implements and facilitates the application of research findings by Executives and boards through rigorously designed secondary, qualitative and quantitative methods.asae collects and aggregates survey data to help its members increase their operational efficiency. Benchmarking publications include compensation, policies and procedures, operating ratios and more. Asae conducts an annual member needs assessment, learning program evaluations, and data mining to help asae serve each member. Asae helps nonprofit organizations by assisting them in gathering market intelligence of their own members, either by survey question sharing or data analysis projects.asae connects nonprofit organizations from around the world to allow organizations to benchmark against each other and facilitate research of Association's members. Asae has produced thought-provoking research on membership, volunteerism, fundraising and the economy.

Certified Association executive - the certified Association executive (cae) program, the only certification program for Association Executives, is designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and designate Association professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of Association management. Founded in 1960, the cae program stands as a mark of excellence and has evolved to reflect what it takes to manage an Association in today's challenging climate.earning and maintaining the cae is a three-part process. Candidates must first meet eligibility requirements and submit an application. The next step is to sit for and pass the cae exam. Once candidates have earned the credential, they must maintain it by fulfilling certification renewal requirements every three years.asae's certified Association executive (cae) program has been granted accreditation by the national commission for certifying agencies (ncca). Ncca accreditation provides independent validation that the cae program meets or exceeds twenty-one standards concerning various aspects of the certification program including its purpose, structure, governance, psychometric foundation, policies, and procedures. Accreditation validates the integrity of the program, and is a mark of quality. Earning accreditation is a public demonstration of asae and the cae commission's commitment to the cae credential as a true professional certification.

Diversity - in principle and in practice, asae values and seeks diverse and inclusive participation within the field of Association management. Asae promotes involvement and expanded access to leadership opportunity regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, appearance, geographic location, or professional level. The organization provides leadership and commits time and resources to accomplish this objective while serving as a model to other associations engaged in such endeavors.asae's long-term goal is to ensure that its membership, volunteer leadership, and staff represent a strong, vibrant, and evolving model of diversity and inclusion for the Association community. The organization is committed to creating and influencing a model of inclusive behaviors and for setting a tone and culture that embrace diversity.the diversity executive leadership program (delp) supports individuals from under-represented identity groups in the Association community to advance into the ranks of leadership in the Association profession. Delp scholars participate in an accelerated leadership program of education, mentoring, and volunteer service in the Association community.the goals of delp are:- to provide support, education, access and service opportunities to individuals from identity groups (i.e. People of color, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender, people with disabilities) who areunder-represented in the Association community - to provide scholars with a mentor, group coaching, and volunteer experiences to enhance their career development and expand their professional networks- to encourage more diverse candidates to assume leadership roles in Association management- to develop a more diverse leadership pool for the Association profession- to demonstrate the long-term benefit of the program to the scholars, asae and to the Association profession.asae also launched the Association inclusion index, the only online diagnostic tool of its kind for 501(c) 6 and 501(c) 3 membership organizations seeking to measure and improve the management of their current d+i philosophies, policies, and practices. Once the respondent (i.e. End user) completes the survey on behalf of the Association, a report will be automatically generated, providing the respondent with real-time feedback about the level of performance. Any Association can use the index. It will be most applicable to large and medium-sized membership organizations with at least one staff member who can offer an organizational view of d+i philosophies, policies, and practices; however small-sized associations can also gain insight from using the tool. Asae recognizes that individual attitudes and experiences toward d+i vary greatly worldwide; the index is intended to elicit an organizational view point and offers information accordingly.