As society emerges from the global pandemic, everything is changed. Among the changes that trade, industry and professional associations are grappling with are the new realities for themselves and their members. As we hurtle through the 21st century, the sectors and professions that built our global economy are encountering a chasm, requiring a leap of faith into the future. Global social and environmental tectonic forces are reshaping the risks and opportunities industries and professions face as the associations that represent them steward the success of their organizations and members. To foster sector and professional resilience and relevance for the turbulent times ahead, associations representing professionals and organizations must re-tool their toolboxes — or face irrelevance and potential demise.
Leading associations understand this and update their value propositions for the new reality. The future suggests that successful sectors and professions will rethink their inward-looking mandates to embrace a stronger role in creating value for not only their members, but for society and their stakeholders. While the primary task of associations will remain to serve their members — increasingly, serving their members will come to be redefined as “serving society.”
This research paper and its companion report shed light on this pivot. It sets out to answer the question:
What role can associations play to help their members accelerate a just and sustainable future?
