Happy Friday! I hope everyone’s had a fantastic week and is looking forward to a fun or productive weekend (or perhaps both?)

As usual, there was some awesome content around the association world this week, and it’s all making me more and more excited for ASAE’s Annual Meeting and Expo in Los Angeles! If you’re going to be there, be sure to stop by Booth 332 to say hi to the team!

Now, without further ado, five of my favorite posts from this week…

1. Joe Flowers has been writing  a great series about his association’s Web redesign. With part three this week, he discussed how the organization went about narrowing the choice down between two vendors. It’s definitely worth taking a look at this series to see one example of how a small staff organization goes about redesigning one of the most important aspects of its presence: its website.

2. I loved Lisa Junker’s post at the Acronym blog about lessons to be learned from Pixar. Encourage unplanned collaboration, have reminders of the central purpose and see challenges as inspiration are all lessons Lisa gleaned from a documentary about the animation company. Rather than cutting corners, Lisa wrote, the Pixar team always saw challenges as inspirations to be better.

3. Jeff Hurt had a great post this week about organizational transparency, with a handy checklist for associations to learn from. For example, does your organization offer open board meetings? annual audits? financial disclosure statements? disclosed partnerships? Members — and those who donate to the organization — may want to have this information readily available. Transparency will never stop being important to associations.

4. We can do better, wrote Jamie Notter this week. Taking an example from Apple, who has to deal with many of its devices (which contain toxic components) end up in landfills, Jamie wrote about changing the culture of improvement to promote more value among everyone. Rather than just looking at benchmarks that improve the organization, how can your organization promote good in the culture at large?

5. One of my favorite posts at the new AssociationTECH blog this week was about the tip-a-day alerts program by association members from the American Evaluation Association. The benefits of the program — such as sharing ideas and expertise, engaging a variety of members and collaborating with other groups — are great, and so are the lessons learned. Definitely a great post for those looking to engage members.

From everyone at MemberClicks, have a fantastic weekend!

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Although I’ve been faithful Mac user for years (I’m currently using a white MacBook after the sad demise of my old-school PowerBook), I was a bit late to jump on the iPhone bandwagon. I knew I didn’t want a first-generation iPhone, and then the timing was never right for me to purchase subsequent ones. But when I saw the details of the snazzy new iPhone 4, I knew I had to ditch my poor, slow BlackBerry Curve and upgrade.

I’ve spent the last two days downloading apps, easily surfing the Web and getting used to the touchscreen (which, I must say, is extremely intuitive). The whole experience has reinforced my belief that associations have to consider how their websites look on the mobile web, and if an app may be right for them.

Right now, I only have a select few apps that I paid money for — among them, the AP Stylebook app. (Yes, I’m a huge nerd.) One app that I didn’t know existed was the one for This American Life, one of my favorite radio shows whose podcast got me through many a long commute back in the day.

What I love about the TAL app so far is that it has archives of every radio show back to 1995. It updates with new ones automatically, and there are also archived clips of the short-lived TAL television show. And all for just $2.99! (Sure, it’s a little annoying that I can’t listen to episodes underground on the subway unless I buy them from iTunes, but the app does give users an easy way to do that.)

OK, so what does this have to do with associations?

As mobile Web browsing continues to become more mainstream — and not just with the iPhone, but with other operating systems (such as Droid), as well — associations have to consider their mobile presence. An app can be an easy way to put all pertinent info in one handy place. Members could have the ability to access news, community features, advocacy information, event calendars and even multimedia — literally at their fingertips!

Yes, not everyone has a smart phone and right now, using a phone to browse the Web isn’t for everyone. But these phones are gaining huge market shares, and there’s continued pressure to always be connected and have information readily available. Even organizations with limited time, staff and other resources should begin considering how they can take advantage of mobile tools. As members of Generation Y continue to grow up and enter the workforce, memberships will (hopefully) begin to skew younger. As “digital natives,” Millennials prefer (and sometimes expect) to have information available wherever they prefer — and many of us are used to constantly being connected. It’s second nature to us.

Mobile does matter. Maybe not right now, to your organization, but it matter to the millions of iPhone, BlackBerry, Droid and Palm users out there who are getting more and more used to browsing the Web on smaller screens, and using apps to constantly have information. Don’t let your organization fall behind the mobile curve.

“Net neutrality is the First Amendment issue of our time,” Al Franken said at the Netroots Nation conference.

Whether you usually agree with Franken or not, this is one issue that associations — especially smaller ones — should be concerned about.

The First Amendment is near and dear to my heart, as I’ve written here before. And net neutrality is a huge issue that affects everyone who uses the Internet in the United States. (I’m thinking that would be most people.)

Shelly Alcorn gives the lowdown in this April post (which I certainly encourage everyone to read), but essentially, we all have been receiving Internet access from service providers. Your provider and connection level determine your speed, so you either have a fast Internet connection or a slow one. The speed at which websites load depends on your connection level.

However, big Telecom companies have been trying to deregulate and change this for years.

Why is this a problem?

Nonprofit organizations and associations rely on the Internet for grassroots advocacy. It’s an easy, cost-effective way to reach thousands (or millions) of people. But if corporate America gets its hands on Internet (de)regulation, Internet Service Providers will be able to discriminate among different types of content. Imagine a world where one particular website loads much more quickly than another, purely based on its content.

According to savetheinternet.com:

Net Neutrality is the reason the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation and free speech online. It protects the consumer’s right to use any equipment, content, application or service without interference from the network provider. With Net Neutrality, the network’s only job is to move data — not to choose which data to privilege with higher quality service.

This is a big deal for small nonprofits and trade organizations. The big cable companies want to be the gatekeepers to the Internet, and big companies will decide what sites load at which speeds. It should go without saying that competitors’ sites will load more slowly.

Small organizations can’t compete with Big Telecom. Net Neutrality makes sure that small businesses and organizations don’t have giant hurdles to jump in order to succeed. In order to make sure the Internet continues to be a level playing field for all advocacy organizations, and that no Internet users are subjected to “pay for speed” business models, sign a virtual letter to the head of the Federal Communications Commission. Keep yourself informed about FCC Commissioner Julius Genachowski and his agenda. Keep yourself informed by visiting freepress.net.

Every organization, no matter how big or small, has the right to use the Internet for marketing, advocacy, communication and community. Smaller organizations, especially, depend on the Internet because it’s so cost-effective. Stay informed about Net Neutrality and why it’s so important.

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It’s been official for awhile, of course, but I’m excited to announce MemberClicks‘ involvement in ASAE’s 2010 Annual Meeting and Expo in Los Angeles. We look forward to the Annual Meeting every year, and the education, networking sessions and opportunities to meet with business solution providers are just a few of the reasons.

“ASAE’s Annual Meeting is an incredible way to engage with small staff association professionals. It continually gives us the opportunity to both learn from and share our experiences with them,” MemberClicks President Thomas Howard said.

We’re proud to have exhibited at ASAE’s Annual Meeting since 1999. We make it a point to meet specifically with small staff association executives, since it’s our mission to champion their needs every day.

In addition to exhibiting at the event’s tradeshow and participating in the numerous educational sessions, we’re proud to be the official host of the Small Staff Association Reception, which will take place on Monday, Aug. 23 at 5 p.m.

“This is a natural event for us to host, and likely the first of many to come,” MemberClicks Vice President of Sales and Business Development Mark Sedgley said. “We’re all about small staff associations and this is an excellent opportunity to interact with them outside of the tradeshow.”

Our team members will be available at Booth 332 during all expo time slots. The Association Solutions Marketplace will be open Sunday, Aug. 22 and Monday, Aug. 23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

If you get some free time in LA, be sure to check out Venice Beach, the Hollywood Sign, La Brea Tar Pits, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theater or Universal Studios.

For more information on the many ways you can engage with the MemberClicks team during ASAE’s Annual Meeting and Expo, visit www.memberclicks.com/asae.

There’s always something new going on in the world of social media, and this year, location-based applications were poised for big increases in use. They’ve gained a (relatively) small but loyal following, all right, but how useful are location-based apps for associations and nonprofits — especially small-staffs?

No matter which app your organization uses (or is thinking about using), there are several ways associations can take advantage of location check-ins.

1. Events and conferences: Thinking back to ASAE and The Center’s 2009 Annual Meeting and Expo, I think a Foursquare-type application would have been immensely useful. (The fact that the meeting was in Toronto made using our cell phones a little more difficult, but I digress.) The convention center was so huge and after-hours, people were spread out at tons of different restaurants and bars. Using location-based technology might have allowed us to meet even more people!

2. Volunteer incentives: How do you reward your frequent volunteers? Recognizing those who check in often to a particular venue to volunteer could receive perks, discounts or another form of recognition. Many Foursquare users see mayorship as a point of pride, and will frequent the same venue again and again to become its mayor. Recognize your frequent volunteers online.

3. Brand your event: Create a Foursquare badge people can earn when they check into several venues around your event. Badges are fun ways to reward Foursquare users who do interesting things. For example, checking into a gym 10 times in 30 days earns users the “Gym Rat” badge.

4. Team up with a for-profit for fundraising: Would it be possible for your organization to team up with a restaurant? When patrons check into a restaurant, could a percent of the profits go toward a cause your organization promotes? By teaming up with for-profits, your organization can spread the word about its cause.

Now, which of these applications is right for your organization?

- Foursquare: Originally popularized in big cities, Foursquare users don’t have to have a smart phone to check in to various venues. Users can text their check-ins to a specified number once their cell phone is tied to their account. Foursquare’s goal is to help users find new places to go in their cities, as well as to meet new people.

- Gowalla: Gowalla’s goals are basically the same as Foursquare (discover, capture and share places with your friends). The two seem to have a lot in common: smart phone apps plus an iPad app. It’s really about which one your members prefer, but of course, members and volunteers could be active among both.

- Loopt: The third in the “big three,” Loopt lets you discover places in your city, share directions and tips, save money with coupons and share where you are with your friends.

Retailers and restaurants often offer discounts and perks to people who frequently check-in to their venue. Foursquare users who frequent Starbucks can be eligible for discounts if they become the mayor of a certain location. (The “mayor” is the Foursquare user who checks in most often to a certain location.) Mayors of Ann Taylor receive 25 percent off their purchases, while shoppers who check in receive 15 percent off. Many tech-y locations offer deals to users who check in using Gowalla. Users can join Loopt through Facebook, and a program called Loopt Star offers retailers a loyalty card, which users can use to compete with friends and fellow users to receive perks and discounts from retailers.

If none of these appeals to your organization, take a look at DoubleDutch, which I first wrote about back in April. DoubleDutch lets users create their own location-based check-in for their conference or event. Exhibitors’ booths, session rooms and hotel bars will all be distinguishable using the application, so attendees, vendors and other participants can all check in at their exact locations and share it with other users. Checking in to different locations can help attendees find one another, meet new people and have a more fulfilling conference experience. Helping attendees keep in touch is what events are all about, and applications such as DoubleDutch only enhance the connections.

Location-based apps can be useful to associations of all sizes. They can help create more intimate communities among larger ones and help smaller membership bases discover new places. No matter how small your organization, there are still plenty of potential uses for one of these applications. They don’t require a lot of maintenance time, which is good news for smaller staffs!

Is your organization exploring location-based applications?

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