Partnering With Associations on Governance and Strategic Planning
Associations are one of the largest and most overlooked forces in the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit Nav’s association clients span industries, membership models, and team sizes, but they share one trait: they advocate for and build entire professional fields around the world. When these organizations get governance and strategy right, whole professions move forward.
The training went great, and the board seemed very engaged through it all, with good discussion. Our following days of strategic planning and budget discussion went well, which I think is a testament to the governance training the group has had over the past few months.
Addy Kujawa, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of AAOE
The Roadmap
Most of our association work falls into two areas: governance and strategic planning. They reinforce each other. A sound strategy gives a board something to govern toward, and a healthy governance culture is what carries that strategy past the planning retreat and into daily decisions.
On the governance side, we help boards move from managing the organization to leading it. That can mean clarifying the line between board and staff, building succession and onboarding practices that outlast any single term, modernizing bylaws and policies, or simply giving directors a shared language for the decisions in front of them. Associations carry a particular wrinkle here. Their boards are often volunteer leaders drawn from the very profession they serve, which makes clear roles and strong orientation essential rather than optional.
On the strategy side, we start with research, not assumptions. We talk to board members, staff, and the partners who see the organization from the outside, then test how well the current direction still fits the field it serves. The result is a plan the board can actually use: focused enough to guide real choices, ambitious enough to matter, and grounded enough to achieve.
The clients below show what that partnership looks like in practice.
The Journey
National Association of Dental Plans (NADP). NADP brought us in during 2025 to take stock of its strategic plan and governance culture. We interviewed board members, staff, and key partners to gauge whether the existing plan still fit the organization’s needs and where its governance practices had room to grow, then presented our findings and recommendations in person. That work opened the door to a deeper partnership: NADP has since engaged us to lead its next strategic planning process and to overhaul its policy compendium.
Law Enforcement Records Management Association (LERMA). After a round of leadership changes, LERMA was unsure of its next move. We led a research-driven strategic planning process that gave the organization a clear, achievable, and ambitious strategy to elevate its events and deepen member engagement.
American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE). AAOE first brought us in for a multi-part governance review and training. The relationship has since expanded to include a review of their succession planning process, board orientation in 2025, and a scheduled orientation for 2026. Watching this sharp, strategic board grow has been a genuine pleasure.
The Destination
Every one of these engagements outperformed expectations. At NADP, fresh insights produced a stronger strategy and more dynamic board conversations. At LERMA, a period of uncertainty became a period of growth. At AAOE, a one-time training need turned into an ongoing commitment to a governance mindset. Strong governance and sound strategic planning are what turn associations from steady institutions into sector leaders, and helping these organizations get there is work we’re proud to do.