Writing an Effective Association Management RFP
Includes Template

Meeting Expectations
3525 Piedmont Road
Building 5, Suite 300
1 404.240.0999

Writing an Effective Association Management RFP – Set Yourself Up for Success!

Do you need outside assistance in managing your association, but don’t know exactly what you need? Outsourcing some or all of your association management needs can gain you specialized expertise, increased efficiency and a fresh perspective – freeing you to consider the big picture and the future direction and goals of your association.

Preparing a thorough RFP for association management services is imperative to successfully selecting a strong partner to work with you on your association management needs. You should look for a firm that will work as an extension of your team and represent your association to your members with the same respect and professionalism that you would – a true partner.
Meeting Expectations would like to share the following suggestions for approaching the RFP process, gleaned from years of experience responding to RFPs from associations of varying scope and size:

Time Management
Provide a realistic timeline for the overall process of selecting an association management firm, including a date for the final decision and notification.

Be Judicious
Ask for only for the information you will use, otherwise you can get overwhelmed and buried in unnecessary information that will hinder your decision-making.

Set the Stage
Provide a detailed overview of the association’s needs so that we gain a solid understanding of the business. This will also help reduce the number of questions we may have.

Define Your Scope
Draw clear lines around what your team will be responsible for versus the outside firm.

Be Open
Provide contact information for the person responsible for facilitating the RFP process, but beyond that, share how you would like to be approached with follow-up questions or requests for clarification. It’s vital to make yourself available to questions from those that are bidding on your business. This provides everyone an opportunity to clarify topics that may not be completely clear to them. It also helps you get to know your potential partners aside from simply reading a proposal. How thorough are they? Do they grasp the general concept of what you’re trying to accomplish? How well do they internalize your needs and address them in relation to their experience and expertise?

We have prepared a sample RFP outline to guide you. In it, we include many questions to assist you in envisioning the scope of the services that you would like to outsource, the many possibilities that are open to you and the various areas in which Meeting Expectations can support you.

We hope you find this information useful as you seek out a true partner in managing your association. If we can answer any questions, please email us at .

  1. Association Overview and Description
  2. History
    [Provide a brief history of the association, the association’s goals and describe its current membership numbers and demographics. Furthermore, please detail membership trends, current and historical event attendance rates, and sponsorship/exhibit sales at ongoing conferences and events.]
  3. Programs
    [Briefly describe the association’s programs and conferences,current and historical event attendance rates, sponsorship/exhibit sales at ongoing conferences and events, and expand upon how these programs are presently managed.]
  4. Roles

[Detail which roles are currently performed by volunteers and which roles you would like to outsource to an association management firm.]

  1. Revenue/Expenses

[Please provide a breakdown of your latest revenue and expense budgets (i.e. dues, meeting registration; management, office operations, meeting expenses, etc.) If you require that a non-disclosure agreementbe signed, please make sure to send that document to companies who will be bidding.]

  1. Selection Process
  2. Please provide dates for the following:
  3. Receipt of proposal
  4. Review by committee/board
  5. Initial telephone or in-person interviews
  6. Selection and notification date
  7. Date contract will begin
  8. Explain how long the contract will last and whether there will be provisions for renewal.
  9. Please provide the names, telephone numbers and email addresses of people to whom association management firms may direct questions. Specify if your association prefers to answer questions via email, and provide a contact email address instead.
  10. Services to be Outsourced

Please describe which services you would like to outsource, expand upon each where appropriate and specify any new initiatives that you would like to undertake.

  1. Membership Services

[Handle telephone requests and correspondence from current and prospective members; Assist in the production and distribution of newsletters; Help to create and supervise membership events; Serve as the communications center for your association’s programs; Administer annual rewards programs]

  1. Chapter/General Management

[Maintain membership records, including the receipt and processing of membership applications and renewals; Assist the board or council with their duties, such as the preparation of agendas and financial reports and generating time lines for annual meetings]

  1. Meeting and Event Management

[Review and recommend potential sites for your meeting or event; Conduct contract negotiations for meeting sites; Manage air and ground transportation negotiations and arrangements; Make appropriate food and beverage arrangements; Assist with program development and marketing; Oversee and manage event registration, both on-site and offsite, and produce all registration items, including badges; Negotiate and execute entertainment contracts; etc.]

  1. Accounting and Financial Management

[Receive, deposit, disburse and report on your association’s funds; Prepare and update budget and financial reports; Assist volunteers with conference and seminar budgets; Prepare, produce and distribute invoices; Complete and file your association’s annual tax returns; Reconcile bank accounts; Offer long-term solutions for revenue growth and diversification]

  1. Education and Programs

[Manage continuing education programs; Develop and supervise eLearning programs as well as real-time and archived event presentations online; Help to identify emerging needs and trends in your association and suggest opportunities and programs to address them; Manage training sessions for members and volunteers]

  1. Information Technology

[Conduct an organizational technology audit; Operate and update an existing database and website or integrated Association Management System (AMS); Develop, design and manage a new association website; Work with the association technology committee to evaluate and source a new AMS; Process electronic ballots for resolutions, elections, referenda and other official tallying; Develop and manage client extranets to serve as a repository for documents and other artifacts; Create and supervise discussion forums for the promotion of ideas exchange and networking among and between your members; Establish and run online credit card processing; Implement online surveys; Develop and oversee online job boards; Help to produce multi-media marketing opportunities; Create and direct web-casting to extend your association’s meetings and conferences]

  1. Headquarter Infrastructure

[Assess the association’s ability to provide the necessary administrative and infrastructure support services; Pinpoint association specific needs, such as hours of operation, telephone services, storage space, meeting rooms and parking]

  1. Marketing and Communications

[Develop and design publications for your association; Manage social media initiatives; Communicate with your association’s partners to maximize revenue and add value to their participation; Work with your team to develop an effective and lasting association and conference brand; Develop and implement various marketing campaigns and oversee their management and analysis; Provide innovative graphic design solutions; Oversee public relations and media management]

  1. Governance and Strategic Business Management

[Facilitate development of the association’s strategic plan, plan of work, or area marketing plans; Conduct board orientations and leadership development; Help to create benchmark studies; Facilitate board/council communications; Develop clear policy manuals and documentation and help to enforce these policies; Develop mechanisms to measure return on investment on multiple levels, including membership, sponsorship, events, programs and even the fees for your services;Manage master timelines for developing and assessment of your association’s goals; Help to set and manage expectations for your members and volunteers; Help to delegate duties and streamline the cohesion of the volunteers; Help to develop and review RFPs to ensure that you are receiving the best value for your investment]

  1. Specific Questions to be Answered

[Please provide information you require in all RFP responses in order to conduct an apples-to-apples comparison between bidders, include those here.]

  1. Proposal Guidelines, Requirements and Format

[Do you prefer a specific format for proposals? If so, please make your expectations known here.]

  1. Format of Proposal
  2. Required Information to Include
  3. Pricing
  4. Qualifications
  5. Company Facts and Statistics
  6. Industry Awards and Recognition
  7. References
  8. Case Studies
  1. Evaluation Criteria

[What will your decision be based upon? If there are certain elements that will factor in more heavily than others, note that here.]