Association Ecosystem Diagnostic™

Assess your association’s health across five critical dimensions. Takes 5–10 minutes. Results scored out of 100.

Section 1 of 5

Member composition & ratio ⚠ Critical

The balance that defines your ecosystem’s health

At your most recent major event, what was your ratio of industry practitioners to vendors/sponsors?

4:1 or higher — 80%+ are industry practitioners 10 pts 3:1 to 3.9:1 — 75–80% are industry practitioners 8 pts 2:1 to 2.9:1 — 65–75% are industry practitioners 5 pts 1.5:1 to 1.9:1 — 60–65% are industry practitioners 2 pts Below 1.5:1 — vendors are approaching or outnumbering practitioners 0 pts

When your membership grows, where is that growth coming from?

Mostly industry practitioners — our core audience is growing 10 pts Mixed growth — both practitioners and vendors growing at similar rates 7 pts Mostly vendors — practitioner membership is flat or declining 3 pts Vendor membership is growing significantly faster than practitioners 0 pts

Compared to three years ago, the percentage of industry practitioners in your total membership has:

Increased or stayed stable 5 pts Declined slightly (1–3%) 3 pts Declined moderately (4–6%) 1 pt Declined significantly — vendors now make up a much larger share than before 0 pts

Member satisfaction & engagement

What members say — and whether they stay and participate

How often do members mention “too many vendors” or “feels like a sales pitch” in feedback?

Never — strong positive feedback about peer balance 5 pts Rarely — one or two comments per event 4 pts Sometimes — a noticeable pattern but not dominant 2 pts Often — it’s a recurring complaint 0 pts

How actively engaged are your industry practitioner members — not just renewing, but actually participating?

Highly engaged — committees, events, content, peer networking are all active 5 pts Moderately engaged — some participation but could be stronger 3 pts Passively renewing — members pay dues but rarely show up 1 pt Disengaged — silent membership, low attendance, hard to reach 0 pts

What is your overall member retention rate?

85% or higher and stable or improving 10 pts 80–84% and stable 8 pts 75–79% and/or declining slightly 5 pts 70–74% and/or declining noticeably 2 pts Below 70% or declining significantly 0 pts

Sponsor & exhibitor health

Are your sponsors getting ROI — and coming back?

What percentage of sponsors rate their ROI as “good” or “excellent”?

75% or more — sponsors are very satisfied 10 pts 60–74% 7 pts 45–59% 4 pts Below 45% 1 pt We don’t survey sponsors — we don’t actually know 0 pts

What is your sponsor/exhibitor renewal rate and are spending levels changing?

80%+ renewal, sponsors upgrading or spending more 10 pts 75–79% renewal, spend is stable 7 pts 65–74% renewal and/or spend declining 4 pts Below 65% renewal and/or sponsors downsizing packages 1 pt Below 60% renewal — sponsors are quietly leaving 0 pts

Revenue & financial health

Diversification and trend direction

What is your single largest revenue source as a percentage of total revenue?

No single source exceeds 50% — well diversified 10 pts One source is 50–60% of revenue 7 pts One source is 60–70% — concerning concentration 4 pts One source is over 70% — dangerous dependency 0 pts

Over the last 3 years, your overall revenue and practitioner membership trends look like:

Both revenue and practitioner membership are growing 10 pts Mixed — some growth, no major red flags 7 pts Some decline — one warning sign present 4 pts Practitioner membership flat or declining while vendor membership grows 1 pt Both practitioner membership and revenue declining simultaneously 0 pts

Value delivery

Are members actually getting a return on their membership?

What percentage of attendees rated your last major event’s educational content and peer networking as “good” or “excellent”?

80% or more — consistently strong feedback 10 pts 65–79% 7 pts 50–64% 4 pts Below 50% 1 pt We don’t collect member feedback — we don’t actually know 0 pts

Visibility & reputation

Does anyone outside your current membership know you exist?

How visible is your association outside your existing membership — press coverage, social reach, industry recognition?

Strong — we are recognized as THE resource in our industry beyond our membership 5 pts Moderate — known within the industry but not broadly visible outside it 3 pts Low — even people in our industry aren’t always aware of us 1 pt Minimal — we have almost no presence or recognition outside current members 0 pts

Does your association have an active, consistent presence that attracts NEW potential members — content, press, social media, speaking, or community involvement?

Yes — we consistently create content and visibility that attracts new prospects 5 pts Somewhat — occasional activity but nothing consistent or strategic 3 pts Rarely — most of our communication goes to existing members only 1 pt No — we have no outward-facing visibility strategy at all 0 pts

Your scores by section

Key insights for your situation

Resources matched to your results

One practical tool for each dimension of ecosystem health. Free to download, just start with whichever area scored lowest.

Section 1 — Worksheet

Member-Vendor Ratio Tracker

Track the composition of your membership and events to catch vendor creep before it becomes a crisis.

⬇ Download PDF ⬇ Spreadsheet

Section 2 — Checklist

Member Engagement Audit

Assess whether your members are truly engaged or just passively renewing and what to do about it.

⬇ Download PDF

Section 3 — Guide

Sponsorship Program Starter Guide

Build a sponsorship program with real depth: prospects, packages, pitch, and fulfillment.

⬇ Download PDF

Section 4 — Roadmap

Non-Dues Revenue Diversification Roadmap

Map your current revenue sources and identify the highest-potential streams to develop next.

⬇ Download PDF

Section 5 — Builder

Member Value Proposition Builder

Define and articulate the member value that makes people join, stay, and tell others.

⬇ Download PDF

Section 6 — Framework

Association Visibility Action Plan

Build the outward-facing presence that attracts the next generation of members and sponsors.

⬇ Download PDF

Ready for a deeper conversation?

Your results reveal exactly where your ecosystem needs attention. A complimentary 30-minute call with Jeanne can identify the highest-leverage fixes for your specific situation. No obligation, just clarity.

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Booking a call? Please save your results and email them to je@associationinbalance.com before we connect. It helps us come prepared and makes your 30 minutes much more productive.

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Is your association’s ecosystem in balance?

Association Ecosystem Diagnostic™

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