March 2-4, 2021

Come to the Winter Summit to explore resiliency. You’ll gain practical tips to help you recharge your batteries, while connecting with colleagues from across the country. Register today!

Learn how to encourage resilience, productivity and leadership during these difficult times from opening keynote speaker and empowerment expert Hamza Khan.Then, discover beneficial strategies for improving your mental health, fostering emotional intelligence and strengthening resiliency from new keynote speaker Dr. Rumeet Billan.

The Winter Summit’s business-friendly schedule allows you to work in the mornings before joining your colleagues in the afternoons. Created by association executives for association executives, this three-day event offers an exciting speaker lineup so you can brush up on important topics such as online facilitating, non-dues revenue opportunities, the power of conversation and resiliency strategies.

What Keeps You Up At Night? 

Participate in a 90-minute, peer-based learning event unlike any other. Draw from the wisdom of the crowd, share your own successes and connect with association and business leaders from across the country. Hosted in Remo, you’ll hop from table to table, connecting with others in facilitated discussion. Learn more here.

Early bird registration extended to February 26! Register today for the Winter Summit. 

CSAE’s Awards & Recognition Program highlights the best and brightest stars in Canadian association management. Help celebrate excellence by nominating a peer. The submission deadline has been extended to February 26, 2021. 

Questions? Feel free to reach out to CSAE via info@csae.com.

A big round of applause to the following members for successfully achieving their Certified Association Executive^® (CAE^®) designation! Welcome, new CAE^®s!

Silva Chan                            Yowali Kabamba
Laura Korneluk                     Stephanie Lockhart
Theresa Maguire-Garber      Janel Matheson
Rhonda McIntyre                  Denyse Mehta
Betsy Nejat                           Aime O’Connor
Karin Sheldrick                     Heidi Theelen
Jaime Rose Tieu                  Justin Wah Kan

Interested in acquiring the CAE for yourself? The Spring term is now open for registration. Click here for details.

Are you under 35 and interested and/or experienced in creating initiatives for young professionals? As a member of CSAE’s Young Professionals Committee, you will join a vibrant network of young leaders looking to help their peers learn, connect and grow. Help the committee plan activities designed specifically for our sector’s next gen. Interested in learning more or applying for a position on the committee? Contact Janice Chong, CSAE Membership Coordinator. Applications are due by 5:00 pm ET on Friday, March 12, 2021.

Founder, Plant Based Partner Canada and New CAE^® Graduate

As a new not-for-profit leader, I was comfortable that my existing skills would meet the expectations of the association that I was working for, but I was not satisfied that I had the depth of skill to exceed member expectations or meet the strategic goals. When the CAE program was introduced to me in an e-mail, I reviewed the first module, CAE 100, which included strategy, governance and leadership. I knew immediately that I needed to learn more, as I was accountable to a board, members and many stakeholders. I decided to sign up. Not only did I learn over 12 weeks of questions to build new competencies, but I also shared experiences and learned from others. I also gained a baseline of where I stood in all competencies and there were gaps. I built and grew competencies in marketing, membership, operations support and products and services. I conducted benchmarking with almost 20 organizations. In many areas, I pushed to transform the organization and I built confidence and self-belief until I eventually completed the designation. Now, I am ready to take my career forward, to serve and support the not-for-profit industry. Thank you CSAE and all colleagues who supported the learning.

Email Denyse at denysemehta@gmail.com and connect with her on LinkedIn.

February 25-26, 2021

Is your board chair new this year? Forge a connection with them at this two-day session, where association CEOs and their board chairs attend together to cement their relationship and joint priorities for the year ahead. Expertly facilitated by Glenn Tecker and Donna French Dunn, CAE. Register here! 

Find out why this event is a must-attend, as we chat with a CSAE member who has attended with her board chairs for more than 10 years!

Event sponsors: 

February 26, 2021

CSAE Trillium is launching its own virtual café, which will take place on the last Friday of every month at 12:00 pm EST. The first session will be facilitated by Steven Van Alstine, Vice President, Education, The Canadian Payroll Association. Attendees are welcome to join in a discussion about hosting virtual tradeshows – what works and what doesn’t? Bring your lunch and have a chat with your colleagues in the association world! Register here.

March 11, 2021

This webinar is hosted by CSAE Partner Sage Intacct.

RPA. Machine Learning. Algorithms. Do you wonder what these terms have in common? They are all part of Artificial Intelligence, and they’re being used all around us, from the spam filter on your email to your digital assistant. But what does AI do for businesses, and what does it really mean for the finance function? Join us as we discuss AI and the impact it will have on how you manage your financials. Our expert panel will be discussing AI, the benefits for companies of all sizes, and how you can prepare today for the financial management of tomorrow.Register here.

March 19, 2021 at 11:00 am – 1:00 pm PST

Successfully navigating the government relations landscape is challenging at any time. During COVID-19, it may seem impossible to introduce a new government relations program or advance your existing strategy. Recognizing that this function is even more essential now, this session will provide association leaders with practical tips for navigating the government environment and influencing policy decisions at the provincial level during these challenging times. Learn more.

April 8, 2021

This year, you can bring your entire board and team leadership together – at a single price – for a productive session that will set you up for success in 2021. Dr. David S. Weiss will expertly lead you through this specially-designed, interactive workshop where you will:

• engage your board
• clarify accountabilities
• establish your key strategic priorities
• collaboratively determine how you’ll measure success 
• reach a clear understanding of what good governance means for your association in the year ahead

It’s like a leadership retreat with all the planning taken care of for you! Learn more and register here.

April 28, 2021

There’s no doubt technology makes your association tick! Seize the day  ̶  Technology Day  ̶  and learn to make technology work for you. All are welcome at this half-day event, featuring a keynote address from Ricardo Wagner of Microsoft Canada on prioritizing accessibility. Plus, we’ll have multiple technology-focused case studies and a panel on the “Technology of People.” Don’t miss this chance to brush up on the soft skills you’ll need to manage the interface of people and technology.  Learn more and register here.

Don’t miss these curated perspectives on a variety of association-focused issues:

Unite Your Board with the Right Technology
The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the importance of technology for remote work, underscored the need to collaborate effectively and forced associations and non-profits across Canada to re-evaluate technology at all levels, writes Laurence Leblanc of Dilitrust. Her blog offers actionable tips for identifying and implementing technology solutions that foster flexible and cohesive teamwork. 

7 Tips to Prepare Your Association for the Unexpected
There are many lessons for proactive association leaders to learn in our post-COVID world. Instead of scrambling to react appropriately to the next unexpected event, there are practical steps you can take now to prepare your association, non-profit, or social enterprise organization for the unexpected. Dr. David S. Weiss and Peter Primdahl outline the path forward.

Let’s Talk About Mental Health
More than ever, it’s important to speak openly and honestly about our collective mental health challenges as we navigate this global pandemic. Get some practical advice for association leaders from mental health experts across the country.

Click here to read more blog content targeted at the key competencies of governance, organizational direction, leading people, operations and value to membership.

Interested in finding the latest career opportunities in the association sector? Click here to find the most recent postings, such as:

Title: Chief Executive Officer / Directeur général ou directrice générale
Organization: National Association of Federal Retirees
Location: Ottawa, ON
Get More Details

Title: Member Experience & Communications Manager
Organization: Ontario Association of Social Workers
Location: Toronto, ON
Get More Details

Duties and Responsibilities of Directors of Not-for-Profit Organizations is CSAE's most popular publication and is now available in a digital format.This eBook provides a road map of the important duties and liabilities of the directors of not-for-profit corporations. It offers general practice points to help directors meet their obligations, reduce liability risk, and govern more effectively in an increasingly complex environment.

Visit the CSAE Bookstore for more information and to purchase.

Higher Logic is an industry leader in cloud-based engagement platforms. Our data-driven approach gives organizations an expanded suite of engagement capabilities, including online communities and marketing automation. From the initial web visit to renewal and ongoing engagement, we help you track and manage interactions along each stage of the digital customer experience. Organizations worldwide use Higher Logic to bring people together, by giving their community a home where they can interact, share ideas, answer questions, and stay connected. Everything we do – the tools and features in our software, our services, partnerships, best practices – drives our ultimate goal of making your organization successful. Visit our website for more information.