Rachael Spicer describes how a new online strategy improved member engagement and reduced administration time for the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand.
The Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) supports environmental practitioners in promoting and achieving sustainable, equitable environmental management. The institute is a key contributor in Australia and New Zealand in formulating effective and responsible environmental management policies.
The Institute was founded in 1987. Consequently, its administrative practices and systems were becoming outdated and inefficient. Additionally, while it had a website, the association’s online presence was adding little value to members.
FINDING A SOLUTION
The Institute embarked on a mission to create a website that:
* Engaged its members better
* Was interactive
* Improved administration
* Was easy to update
* Stored information in a database
The Institute evaluated several providers. Based on a positive recommendation from their South East Queensland Division, one of the solutions the Institute investigated was Association Online® by Internet Vision Technologies (IVT).
They found a company that not only offered a cost-effective solution, but that could talk to them in layman’s terms. Consequently, the Institute implemented Association Online. They found IVT really understood how associations worked, could offer advice on sector-specific online strategies, and provided a professional service.
RESULTS
Operations Manager Anne Young reports that improvements in turnaround times have been numerous. New memberships, events, marketing, news, professional development, surveys and more are now managed online, resulting in major savings in administrative time.
This has allowed the Institute to add real value to members. Young advises “the difference is astronomical in terms of members being able to get information on the environment. We’ve brought more information to members, and had a lot more interaction with them. The feedback from the members has been really positive.”
Rachael Spicer is a freelance writer for Internet Vision Technologies: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
