Over the years, we’ve gotten thousands of questions from association leaders – from implementing growth strategies to increasing impact, from optimizing resources to how to best embrace change. At Kellen, we are fortunate to work with many associations – ranging from manufacturing to healthcare to food and nutrition, and more – and we want to share how associations deal with challenges just like you may face.
Welcome to the Kellen Question of the Week series.
We have heard there are cost-savings associated with working with an Association Management Company (AMC) as we don’t need to fully pay for overhead, benefits and salaries ourselves. How does that work?
Answer:
Many associations are exploring the benefits of partnering with an Association Management Company (AMC) like Kellen to achieve significant cost savings. By sharing resources, reducing overhead costs, and handling comprehensive benefits packages, AMCs provide a financially savvy alternative to managing all operational aspects internally.
Shared Resources:
One of the significant cost-saving benefits of working with an AMC like Kellen is resource sharing. Instead of hiring a full-time staff for every function, associations can leverage our pool of experts across various disciplines—such as marketing, event planning, finance, advocacy, and membership management. This means you only pay for the services you need when you need them.
For example, imagine you’re planning an annual conference. Instead of hiring a full-time event coordinator with a salary and benefits package, you can tap into Kellen’s seasoned event planners to oversee the entire process.
Reduced Overhead Costs:
Maintaining office space, utilities, and equipment can be a significant financial burden for any association. When you partner with an AMC, these overhead costs are minimized or even eliminated, as we absorb many of these expenses within our operational framework.
A mid-sized healthcare association was able to close its physical office and transition its office address to Kellen’s Washington DC headquarters, as an example. This move saved them tens of thousands of dollars annually in rent, utilities, and office maintenance.
Comprehensive Benefits Packages:
Providing comprehensive benefits packages to employees can be expensive. By collaborating with an AMC, you don’t have to worry about that, as the employees that work with your association are Kellen employees. We handle benefits and all HR related functions.
For example, a stand-alone, professional society in the engineering sector partnered with Kellen and by doing so, they could focus on their associations’ mission, vision and key results. They have now been able to grow their education portfolio, their international membership base, and certification program, free from the worries of employment management issues.
What do you think? What has worked (or didn’t work) for your association? Continue the discussion on LinkedIn.
If you’d like to discuss these strategies in more detail or explore other ways Kellen can support your association, let’s find a time to connect.
