Survey Reports

Associations Forum regularly undertakes practical surveys which are used by the associations and charities sector as standard reference points and are free to members that participate. Our surveys include Associations Salary Survey, Board Survey, Membership and Services Survey, and Association Events Survey.

For more information or to purchase a copy of any of our survey reports please call 02 9904 8200 or email info@associations.net.au

Association Board Survey 2023

The Association Board Survey, conducted annually since 2008, examines a number of questions including Board composition and association governance. We have observed some interesting trends in association governance over the years relating to Board sizes and the duration Board members are serving.

Key Findings

The number of female Directors on Boards continues to increase
The majority of Boards (63.9%) are continuing to use a combination (hybrid) of face-to-face and online methods of meeting, but this is down from 2022 (68.5%), reflecting an increase in Boards that are meeting in-person only (25.7%, up from 20.2% in 2022).
62.6% of associations surveyed have reviewed their constitution within the last 2 years, up from 59.1% in 2022
Associations are increasingly allocating funds for directors' professional development

The 16-page Association Board Survey 2023 can be purchased for $200 (NFP organisations only).

Associations Salary Survey 2023

Wentworth Advantage and Associations Forum are proud to once again produce a dedicated salary resource for professionals and board members in the associations sector. Salary and remuneration data is currently more important than ever, with cost-of-living pressures bringing wages very much into focus in 2023.

Key Findings

The 2023 survey results indicate that, for the most part, remuneration has remained reasonably steady with a total average increase of 2.4% over the past 2 years. The average increase across positions which rose was 5.1%. Conversely, the average decrease across positions which fell was 3.2%.
Only two positions saw a material change in remuneration, this being the Administration/Office Manager position (14.1% increase) and the Events Manager position (10.7% increase).
While not overly material, it is worth noting that remuneration for the Operations Manager position dropped by 5.4%, making it the largest decrease across all positions in the 2023 Salary Survey.

The 76-page Associations Salary Survey 2023 can be purchased for $190 (Members) or $490 (Non-member NFP organisations).

Association Membership and Services Survey 2023

The Association Membership and Services Survey has been conducted by Associations Forum for 14 years to develop an understanding of the services that are offered by a broad range of associations and charities, in order to set a benchmark for the sector.

Key Findings

Professional associations and industry associations experienced smaller fluctuations in retention rates compared to charities. Charities experienced a significant decline in retention rates from 90.6% in 2021 to 71.9% in 2022, which is the largest decrease among the three organisation types.
Electronic newsletter continues to be the most common core benefit offered to members. Conferences are seen as the most popular service provided at an additional cost and is also considered the service most valued by members.
The majority of respondents (53.4%) have kept their membership fees at the same level as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Membership numbers fluctuated across all three types of organisations over the past four years (2019-2022). The highest percentage change was seen across industry associations followed by professional associations and charities, respectively.

The 12-page Association Membership and Services Survey 2023 can be purchased for $200 (NFP organisations only).

Association Events Survey 2020 - COVID-19 Special Edition

The Association Events Survey aims to explore the events that associations are running, how they are being produced, and the trends within the association events sector. As associations are considered to be the second largest sector of the events industry, this survey will be of interest to both associations and those working in the events sector. This special edition of the Associations Events Survey sheds light on the impact of COVID-19 on association events.

Key Findings

Almost half of the survey respondents reported a decrease in hours worked on events
A majority of the survey respondents utilised Zoom to run their virtual events
Over half of the survey respondents reported a shift to running events online. Other respondents stated they were running hybrid events, had canceled their face-to-face events, or had made plans to resume face-to-face events once restrictions had lifted.

The 10-page Association Events Survey Report 2020 can be purchased for $200 (NFP organisations only).