AMC Institute, a trade association representing the Association Management Company (AMC) industry, recently rolled out an online, Outsourced Services Request for Proposal tool at www.AMCInstitute.org.
The new RFP function allows association executives and volunteer leaders to request specialized management support services – strategic planning and leadership development, meetings, membership development, marketing and communications, financial management, and more – on a recurring or one-time project basis, soliciting proposals from more than 160 qualified AMCs at the click of a button.
AMC Institute has been connecting associations and AMCs online since 2004.
To date, the Institute has successfully matched more than 200 associations with AMCs for full-service management or consulting work, via its website. The addition of a specific Outsourced Services RFP tool speaks to the growing market demand for customized management services.
“In the tight economy, associations and non-profit organizations are increasingly turning to AMCs to improve results and enhance operational resources and flexibility,” said John Dee, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Bostrom, and AMC Institute Board President.
“In the past 12 to 18 months in particular, we’ve seen a significant increase in project-based work. The timely launch of AMC Institute’s online Outsourced Services RFP tool addresses that growth area, and makes the AMC model all the more accessible to association leaders.”
Structured similarly to AMC Institute’s existing online RFP tool geared toward full-service management, the new Outsourced Services RFP process provides step-by-step instructions to guide association leaders through a four-part application. First, users are asked to indicate requested services from the following menu:
- Advisory Services – consulting, leadership development, strategic planning, etc.
- Financial Management
- Certification/ Accreditation Management
- Conferences/ Meetings Management
- Government Relations
- International Expansion
- Marketing/ Communications
- Membership/ Database Services
- Order Fulfillment
- Public Relations
- Survey Services - needs assessment, salary survey, etc.
- Web Site Development and/or Management
Step two asks for background information and an organizational overview, while step three hones in on selection criteria, including specific industry expertise and credentialing.
And in step four, associations are prompted to upload their own RFP, where they have the chance to elaborate on specific service requirements and expectations, their evaluation process and any budgetary parameters.
To maximize results, AMC Institute offers guidelines for crafting an effective RFP, as well as sample RFPs.
Association leaders can solicit proposals from the full AMC Institute membership, spanning more than 160 qualified AMCs, or narrow their search by management specialization, geographic location, size, Accreditation status, or client type. Recipient AMCs can also be hand-selected using AMC Institute’s Online Member Directory.
