• You can ask volunteers to do the work
• You can hire staff and offices and purchase systems
• You can out source to an association management company

Using volunteers will certainly be the least expensive option, but volunteers are complex to manage and keep motivated. Once an association grows beyond a certain size volunteer labour are normally no longer an option.

Hiring your own offices and staff are always an option if you have the funding. The range of skills required to administrate a complex association can be very broad and you may have to hire several persons to acquire the right skills mix. Of course staff will not work for you for ever and you will also have to consider how to ensure continuity when in-sourcing your secretariat. 

Out-sourcing your secretariat provides you with the best of both worlds. The association management company provides you with a national office and a range of critical back office services, while you can add directly employed staff to the mix, and still use volunteers where deep level industry insights are required.

• You do not need to hire offices and lock your organisation into leases or real estate.
• You do not have to accept employer risks for your organisation.
  
  

 We ensure:

• Long term continuity for your organisation
• Staff training and management
• Ongoing development of systems and processes on your behalf
• You share in our extensive association management experience
• Staff changes are our problem