Skip to Main Content

Best Association Management Software Options

5 min read
November 23, 2022
Neon One Staff
Choosing the right association management software can be critical for your organization and its members.

There’s a lot more to managing an organization than simply tracking member records and payments. Every interaction with a supporter builds a story about your organization’s impact on their life. Unfortunately, when you only track names, addresses, and membership status, that story falls a little flat. With association management software (AMS), you can manage the whole member story and improve your relationships.

What To Look for in Association Management Software

Your options in association management software will run the gamut from simple databases to complex, comprehensive solutions. While many may offer a lot of flashy features, there are four important features you should look for in a membership management solution. 

  • Cloud-Based: Cloud-based solutions allow you to work with others in real time while ensuring your membership information is secure and accessible. It’s also much easier to manage peer-to-peer fundraising and integration with other programs like Eventbrite or MailChimp. 
  • Customizable: Customizability is a critical tool in an AMS because it makes it possible to manage data based on organization-specific categories. It also makes personalized communication easier, as you can track small details that are unique to your members.  
  • Automation-Ready: A platform that is automation-ready has the above customization in place, plus a wide range of flexible templates and tools to support personalized communication. Tools will allow you to combine those two into automated workflows, campaigns, and communications.   
  • Scalable: As an organization grows, so does its database. A platform should support the organization as it grows, allowing it to scale up members, records, users, and other finite features as needed. The simplest solutions bill based on revenue, making the cost far more predictable. 

Those four components can come together to help you manage your members and automate important workflows. For example, say a new member joins your association. Their information transfers to your cloud-based membership database and triggers a series of events, starting with sending a welcome letter and adding them to a particular email list based on their membership package. It can also prompt tasks for follow-up if the new member meets certain criteria. All of this happens automatically once the organization sets up the workflow. 

There are a few options in association management software that offer that level of sophistication, while others are more focused on database management for specific association types. 

Comparing the Best Association Management Platforms

Association management software is available from a wide range of providers, though not all offer the above features. Here are a few top options to consider.

Why Neon One’s Association CRM Stands Out 

The ability to automate workflows and personalize communications can help associations make a greater impact on members and supporters. Choosing the right association management software will determine whether you’re tracking member details, versus really understanding their stories.  

Neon CRM for Associations helps you do more than simply track your members’ information and membership levels. It also includes the tools you need to create beautiful membership enrollment and renewal forms, automate workflows, create a storefront, and send personalized emails—all within a single platform. You can also track all of your members’ interactions with you, too, including donations, event attendance, and more. 

Looking for an association management tool that helps you build and sustain a thriving base of members? Reach out to us to get started

Join the discussion in our Slack channel on connected fundraising

Looking to become a more connected nonprofit leader?

Join 73,000+ of your peers getting industry news, tips, and resources straight to their inbox.