Association members from across the USA are now more optimistic about the impact of the economy on their involvement in the association community, according to a new survey released by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership at its Annual Meeting & Exposition, August 13-15.

The results show that professionals who belong to associations believe their employment outlook will improve in the coming year.

ASAE & The Center has now conducted three surveys as part of its "Impact Study: Beliefs, Behaviors and Attitudes in Response to the Economy." (available for download here - Adobe PDF 442 KB)

This third installment is a follow up to the winter study of professionals who belong to at least one association to determine how their perspectives may have changed based on the shifting economic climate.

77 associations agreed to share their membership lists, culminating in more than 7,000 responses from highly educated people like lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, counselors, architects, accountants, scientists, engineers and meeting professionals, representing both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.

"The economy appears to be positioned for recovery and many members of associations across the country are much more optimistic than they were earlier this year," said ASAE & The Center President and CEO John H. Graham IV, CAE.

"Associations, however, are typically a late indicator of the economy and it may be another year before we see any improvements. Despite the predictions on the future of this economic downturn, it's important for our organizations to remain nimble and ready to adjust our offerings based on what our members need and expect."

The key findings indicate that:

- A substantially larger proportion of respondents say they feel their employment situation will improve in the coming year.
- As predicted in the winter study, employers are starting to hold back on payment of dues and members are more likely to report intention to drop their membership than they were last winter.
- There is virtually no impact on how far association members will travel in the coming year as compared to the winter study, which means nearly 40% of respondents will travel more miles in the next 12 months.
- Participation has increased in online meetings and social media:
- Participation in online media events jumped from 30 to nearly 36 percent;
- Participation in social media spiked from nearly 10 to 16 percent.

For more information, visit ASAE & The Center

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