Resources

    The Bookshelf Every Association Leader Should Own

    Ten books on membership, relevance, and revenue — chosen for CEOs and executive directors who don't have time to read the wrong ones.

    The List

    Ten books, three themes

    We organized these by the question they answer: Why must associations change? How do you win members? And where does the money come from next?

    Why Associations Must Change

    Book cover of Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations (10th Anniversary Edition) by Harrison Coerver & Mary Byers

    Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations (10th Anniversary Edition)

    Harrison Coerver & Mary Byers

    The wake-up call that started the conversation. Five blunt changes associations must make to stay relevant — updated for a post-pandemic world. If your board reads one book, make it this one.

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    Book cover of Road to Relevance: 5 Strategies for Competitive Associations by Harrison Coerver & Mary Byers

    Road to Relevance: 5 Strategies for Competitive Associations

    Harrison Coerver & Mary Byers

    The sequel that answers "okay, but how?" Practical strategies for focusing resources on what members actually value — and cutting what they don't.

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    Book cover of Pivot Point: Reshaping Your Business When It Matters Most by Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE

    Pivot Point: Reshaping Your Business When It Matters Most

    Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE

    A field guide to changing your business model before decline forces your hand. Built on research and interviews with leaders who successfully pivoted. Directly relevant to any association still dependent on dues.

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    Book cover of The End of Membership as We Know It by Sarah L. Sladek

    The End of Membership as We Know It

    Sarah L. Sladek

    Why the next generation isn't joining the way the last one did — and what to build instead. A short, provocative read that reframes what "membership" even means.

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    How to Win and Keep Members

    Book cover of The Art of Membership: How to Attract, Retain and Cement Member Loyalty by Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE

    The Art of Membership: How to Attract, Retain and Cement Member Loyalty

    Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE

    The practical playbook on recruitment and retention, backed by research across hundreds of organizations. Full of tools you can use the same week you read it.

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    Book cover of Membership Essentials: Recruitment, Retention, Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources (2nd Edition) by ASAE (edited by Sheri Jacobs)

    Membership Essentials: Recruitment, Retention, Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources (2nd Edition)

    ASAE (edited by Sheri Jacobs)

    The industry's standard reference on the membership function — the book new membership directors are handed on day one. Keep it on the shelf; reach for it often.

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    Book cover of Membership Recruitment: How to Grow Recurring Revenue, Reach New Markets, and Advance Your Mission by Tony Rossell

    Membership Recruitment: How to Grow Recurring Revenue, Reach New Markets, and Advance Your Mission

    Tony Rossell

    A data-driven guide to growing membership from one of the most experienced membership marketers in the field. Strong on testing, math, and what actually moves the numbers.

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    Book cover of MemberShift: Why Members Leave Associations and the Strategies Proven to Bring Them Back by Sarah L. Sladek

    MemberShift: Why Members Leave Associations and the Strategies Proven to Bring Them Back

    Sarah L. Sladek

    Sladek's newer research on why members walk away — and the proven strategies that reverse the slide. Pairs well with her earlier book.

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    Where the Money Comes From Next

    Book cover of The Membership Economy: Find Your Superusers, Master the Forever Transaction, and Build Recurring Revenue by Robbie Kellman Baxter

    The Membership Economy: Find Your Superusers, Master the Forever Transaction, and Build Recurring Revenue

    Robbie Kellman Baxter

    The book that coined "the membership economy." Lessons from Netflix, Amazon, and the subscription world that associations can borrow — especially on recurring revenue beyond dues.

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    Book cover of The Forever Transaction: How to Build a Subscription Model So Compelling, Your Customers Will Never Want to Leave by Robbie Kellman Baxter

    The Forever Transaction: How to Build a Subscription Model So Compelling, Your Customers Will Never Want to Leave

    Robbie Kellman Baxter

    The follow-up, focused on execution: launching, scaling, and defending recurring-revenue programs. Read it when you're ready to build, not just think.

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    Books give you the ideas. We'll show you where YOUR revenue is hiding.

    The Beyond Dues Non-Dues Revenue Opportunity Scorecard analyzes your association and ranks your best opportunities — in minutes, not months.