Volume 66-February 2026

Association Technologies Newsletter, Volume 66, February 2026

Tech Tips

Security Tips

by Tyler Schenk

In light of some recent security incidents we wanted to send some helpful reminders:

Be cautious about replying to suspicious emails.
If you receive an email that seems unusual, avoid replying to ask whether it is legitimate. If the sender’s mailbox has been compromised, the attacker can respond and pretend everything is normal. The safest way to confirm authenticity is to call the sender using a trusted phone number you already know.

Treat unexpected urgency as a warning sign.
Messages that demand immediate action are often designed to push you into a mistake. If a request feels rushed, take a moment to pause and verify it through a separate communication channel. This simple step helps prevent fraud and unauthorized access.

Look closely at website addresses before signing in.
Phishing attacks often lead to sign‑in pages that closely mimic real ones. Before entering your username or password, check the website address to make sure it matches the official site. If something looks off, close the page and navigate to the correct site on your own.

Decline any multi‑factor authentication prompt you did not initiate.
If you receive a sign‑in approval notification on your device when you were not trying to log in, do not accept it. These prompts can indicate someone else is attempting to access your account. Deny the request and alert your IT team.

Avoid mixing personal and work email.
Using personal accounts for work‑related communication increases security risks. Personal email services may not have the same protections used by your organization. Keeping accounts separate helps reduce the chances that a compromised personal account could be used to access workplace systems.

Stay vigilant and reach out to us if you have any concerns.

Dashboards in iMIS EMS — The Most Powerful Feature You May Not Be Using Enough

by Cindy Meyers

Dashboards are one of the most valuable and most overlooked features in iMIS EMS. They deliver instant visibility into your data, help staff make informed decisions, and highlight trends that would otherwise stay buried in reports. Yet many organizations barely scratch the surface of what dashboards can do, and one of the biggest pitfalls is allowing dashboards to become outdated instead of keeping them fresh and relevant

Here’s why dashboards matter, why they’re often under‑utilized, and what cool things you can start doing with them today.

Why Dashboards Are Important

They give staff immediate, visual insight.
iMIS EMS includes a wide range of out‑of‑the‑box dashboards covering membership, engagement, communities, fundraising, events, finance, commerce, data integrity, and more. Each dashboard uses IQA queries to visualize key metrics so staff doesn’t need to run reports manually.

They support data‑driven decision‑making.
Dashboards provide real‑time or cached summaries of trends like engagement levels, new contacts, missing data, community activity, financial activity, and organizational performance—helping teams decide where to focus attention.

They highlight issues before they become problems.
For example, the Data Integrity Dashboard tracks missing mobile numbers, missing emails, and incomplete records so staff can correct issues proactively.

They support leadership visibility.
Managers can quickly view KPIs without running reports—making dashboards ideal for board updates, executive planning, and operational reviews. This is why iMIS EMS positions dashboards as critical tools for organizational insight.

Why Dashboards Are Under‑Utilized

Despite their power, dashboards often don’t get the use they deserve. Common reasons:

Staff doesn’t know they’re already there.
With so many out‑of‑the‑box dashboards available, many organizations never explore beyond the default views. Staff often overlook the full range of dashboards available in areas like engagement, commerce, communication, membership, finance, and more.

Customization is easier than expected—but rarely attempted.
Dashboards can be modified to match your organization’s data, KPIs, and workflows. However, teams are sometimes hesitant to customize because they assume it’s complex. In reality, iMIS encourages copying system queries and tailoring dashboards with IQAs, cached results, and custom filters.

People assume dashboards are only for reporting staff.

Dashboards can also be used for:

Engagement strategy
Member service
Event planning
Volunteer management
Process tracking
Workflow support
Finance oversight

…and even pushed out to non‑staff audiences with proper permissions.

Fear of “breaking something.”
iMIS warns not to edit system queries directly (they get overwritten on upgrade), which makes some staff avoid customizing dashboards at all. But the solution is simple: copy system queries first, then tailor safely.

Cool Things You Can Do with Dashboards (You May Not Know About!)

Tailor dashboards to display exactly what matters to your organization
You can modify any out‑of‑the‑box dashboard by:

Copying IQA queries
Adding custom filters
Enabling cached results for better performance
Adjusting charts, metrics, or lists

iMIS explicitly supports custom dashboards for engagement, data integrity, membership, chapters, events, finance, and more.

Create Dashboards Based on the Logged‑In User
Imagine each chapter leader, committee chair, or director seeing only their own data—without needing a staff license. With dynamic IQA parameters (like @SelectedID), you can display user‑specific dashboards completely out‑of‑the‑box. Use cases:

Regional dashboards for Directors
Volunteer dashboards showing assigned tasks
Member-specific engagement or event dashboards

Visualize member engagement scores and trends
The Engagement Dashboards offer:

Recently and newly engaged contacts
At‑risk individuals or organizations
Score by category, month, and component
Top engaged members

Great for retention teams, marketing strategy, and identifying opportunities to re-engage members.

Improve data cleanliness with the Data Integrity Dashboard
See critical gaps instantly:

Missing email addresses
Missing mobile numbers
Recently added but incomplete records
Incorrect member type/category combinations
Locked out users

Teams can clean data weekly/monthly with clear visibility—no need to run multiple queries.

Build dashboards using the iMIS Report Writer

The iMIS Report Writer lets you build custom visualizations and embed them directly into dashboards using drag‑and‑drop tools. Perfect for:

Financial summaries
Custom event analytics
Personalized departmental dashboards

Enable staff to act quickly with actionable lists
Many dashboard tabs include actionable lists you can click to:

Open contact records
Update information
Export for batch cleanup
Launch workflows

This turns dashboards from passive visuals into active workspaces.

Use dashboards to support Board and leadership updates
Because dashboards are always‑on and data‑driven, many organizations use them for:

Monthly KPI reviews
Trends and forecasting
Engagement health checks
Membership growth tracking

This aligns perfectly with best practices for data-driven decision making.

Final Thoughts
Dashboards in iMIS EMS are powerful, flexible, and often under‑leveraged. With dozens of out‑of‑the‑box options and endless customization potential, dashboards can transform your organization's ability to monitor performance, engage members, and act on insights. If your team isn’t already exploring dashboards—or is only using them at the surface level—now is the perfect time to dive deeper.

Partner Spotlight

2026 Is Not Just Another Year. It’s a Momentum Year.

If you’ve been around the iMIS Users Group for a while, you know we don’t sit still.

And 2026? We are absolutely not sitting still.

Between new leadership, a unified national conference experience, and expanded regional learning opportunities, this is a year designed to help iMIS users stop surviving… and start strategically thriving.

New Board. Fresh Energy. Clear Direction.
At the end of 2025, our members voted in a new Board of Directors a group of committed, volunteer leaders who care deeply about this community and where it’s headed. And they didn’t just accept their roles and go back to business as usual. They recently spent several intensive days together in a Strategic Planning session, rolling up sleeves, challenging assumptions, asking hard questions, and mapping out where iUG needs to go next. The focus?

More value for members in every role
Smarter, more practical education
Stronger community connection
Sustainable growth that keeps iUG relevant and future-focused

In other words: thoughtful leadership with real intention. Their ideas and direction will shape everything you see in 2026 — from events to programs to how we continue evolving as a community.

EMERGENCE 2026: Big Vision. Bigger Opportunity
EMERGENCE 2026 (November 2–5, 2026) at the Crystal Gateway Marriott is where everything comes together. This is our newly unified experience that together with Advanced Solutions International we are bringing the iUG Annual Conference and iNNOVATIONS into one powerful ecosystem event. What does that mean for you? It means:

One place to learn strategy and technical execution
Direct access to product leaders, consultants, and partners
Real-world use cases (the good, the messy, and the brilliant)
A chance to see what’s next — before it becomes mainstream

EMERGENCE is for the IT strategist. The membership director. The events pro. The data nerd. The executive who wants smarter dashboards. It’s where innovation meets application, and where you leave not just inspired, but equipped with the knowledge and tools you need for success.

iUG On-the-Go: Because Not Everyone Can Hop on a Plane
Now let’s talk real life. Not every organization can send a team across the country for a multi-day conference. We get that. That’s why iUG On-the-Go exists. We are headed to Sacramento, Austin, DC, Chicago and New York City. These regional, half-day events bring focused, practical learning directly to you. No fluff. No overwhelm. No week away from the office. Just:

Actionable sessions
Smart conversations
Real solutions
Peer networking that actually turns into relationships

From automation to reporting to engagement strategy to iMIS use cases — On-the-Go is designed to help you walk back into your office and say: “Okay. We can fix this. And I know how.”

Why This All Matters
Here’s the honest truth. Nonprofit and member-based organizations are stretched. Teams are lean. Expectations are high. Technology keeps evolving. You don’t just need software. You need strategy. You need community. You need people who understand what it’s like to be the “administrator of all things.” That’s what 2026 is about. New leadership bringing fresh direction.
EMERGENCE bringing big-picture innovation. On-the-Go delivering practical execution. It’s one connected journey. And if you’re an iMIS user who wants to:

Maximize your system investment
Make smarter decisions with your data
Increase engagement and revenue
Or just feel less alone in figuring it all out

Then 2026 was built with you in mind. We’re not just hosting events. We’re building momentum. And I, for one, cannot wait to see what you do with it.

Usability Surveys

Part 2: Crafting Clear, Unbiased, High‑Impact Survey Questions

by Ed Sirijintakarn

Once you understand why and when to use usability surveys, the next step is designing questions that produce meaningful data. Strong surveys are intentional—every question supports a research goal. This section covers how to choose the right question types, avoid common pitfalls, and structure a survey that keeps users engaged.

Start With Clear Objectives

Before writing questions, define what you need to learn. Examples include:

Whether users find a new layout intuitive
Whether a redesigned workflow reduces friction
How confident users feel after completing a task

Objectives guide question selection and wording.

Choose the Right Question Types

Closed‑ended questions (rating scales, multiple choice, yes/no) are ideal for measuring satisfaction, ease, or clarity. They provide consistent data that’s easy to compare over time.
Open‑ended questions allow users to express ideas in their own words and often reveal insights you didn’t anticipate. However, using too many creates survey fatigue, so include them intentionally.

How to Write Clear, Neutral Questions

Some best practices include:

Avoid jargon. Users shouldn’t need internal product knowledge to answer.
Stay neutral. Phrasing shouldn’t imply the “expected” answer.
Ask one thing at a time. Avoid double‑barreled questions like “How easy was it to find and update your settings?”
Use balanced rating scales. Label them clearly and consistently.
Keep it short. A focused 5–10 question survey yields higher-quality responses.

Structuring the Survey

A smooth flow helps users provide thoughtful responses. A typical structure includes:

Simple warm‑up questions
Core usability questions tied to your objectives
A small number of open‑ended prompts
Optional background questions (frequency of use, device type)

With questions in place, the next step is getting your survey in front of the right users and turning the results into actionable improvements. Part 3 covers just that.

AT Accolades

Association Forum Announces New Board Officers

Association Forum recently announced three new members, along with a new officer, to the Board of Directors. Congratulations to Thomas Foley, Vice President of Engagement at DRI on his appointment as Regular Member Director. Association Forum President and CEO Artesha Moore, FASAE, CAE. said his "experience, business insights, and heart for this community are exactly what this moment calls for. Together—with the strength of our full board—we are not just advancing a strategy; we are building momentum, elevating our impact, and shaping what’s next for our members and the association community.”

Industry News

How to Put a Strategy Into Action

A strategic plan must do more than collect dust. But success involves trust, attention, and accountability.

Read More

Report: Associations Struggling With Member Engagement

Growthzone’s annual benchmarking report suggests that that leaders can do more to regain lapsed members and speed renewals.

Read More

We have an archive of our newsletters and industry related
articles available on our website, click HERE to access them.

Upcoming Events

MARCH

Assocation Forum Women's Executive Forum

Convene Willis Tower, Chicago, IL

At the 2026 Women’s Executive Forum, we’re redefining leadership as a living legacy—one shaped by intentional impact, courageous action, and collective momentum. Every decision we make and every step we take propels us forward, creating a more inclusive, equitable future for all.

As Association Forum celebrates 110 years of empowering association professionals, this year’s theme, Legacy In Motion, honors the women who paved the way, celebrates those leading today, and uplifts the next generation of change makers. Together, we rise—lifting each other up, forging new paths, and shaping what’s next.

MARCH

12:00PM-1:00PM CST

iUG Webinar: Back-to-Basics Series: iMIS Events

Location: Online

Don't miss this webinar presented by AT's very own, Andrea Middleton

Learn how you can publish and manage your events and begin taking event registrations through iMIS. Whether virtual, seminars, in-person conferences or webinars, maintain them in iMIS. Learn how about event types and event code structure, differences between program options and program items, utilizing it for sponsorship functions, understanding pricing groups and more.

APRIL

26-28

Higher Logic’s 16th Annual Super Forum

Location: Washington DC

This year’s theme, Amplify: Where Innovation Grows, Communities Thrive, and AI Accelerates Success, sets the stage for our most dynamic event yet. Designed for association professionals, community managers, marketers, and technology leaders who use or are interested in Higher Logic’s platforms to elevate member engagement and community impact, Super Forum 2026 invites you to uncover powerful strategies that will amplify your member engagement, boost organizational value, and simplify your daily work. With over 50 sessions, hands-on learning labs, and exclusive previews of the latest product innovations, Super Forum 2026 is your opportunity to grow through innovation, thrive in community, and accelerate your success with AI.

MAY

28-29

ASAE MMC + Tech Conference

Location: Walter E Washington Convention Center, Washington DC

If you’re ready to challenge legacy mindsets, propel your association into the future, and foster belonging in a changing world, ASAE’s Marketing, Membership, Communications + Tech Conference (MMC+Tech) is where you belong.

MMC+Tech is the only event dedicated to the professionals at the heart of associations—from the masterminds behind your campaigns to member acquisition and retention.