An association annual meeting has two jobs: handle the required business, like electing the board and reporting on the year, and give members a reason to show up. Check your bylaws for notice and quorum rules first, keep the business part short and well run, and pair it with something members want, such as an education session, a speaker or a reception. Send notice early, make voting easy and publish the results afterward.
I run the day-to-day for a chapter of a professional association, including the annual business that comes with it. Here’s the checklist.
Start with your bylaws
Before you plan anything, check your bylaws for:
- Notice requirements: how far in advance members must be told, and how.
- Quorum: how many members must be present or voting for decisions to count.
- Elections: how candidates are nominated and how voting works, including whether electronic voting is allowed.
- Required business: reports, budget approval or bylaw changes.
Your bylaws and your state’s nonprofit rules decide these, so confirm them every year. If anything is unclear, ask your attorney.
A sample agenda
| Time | Item |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes | Welcome and call to order |
| 10 minutes | President’s report: the year in review |
| 10 minutes | Treasurer’s report |
| 15 minutes | Elections and announcement of results |
| 5 minutes | Thank-you to outgoing board members and volunteers |
| 45 minutes | Speaker or education session |
| 60 minutes | Reception and networking |
Keep the business to about an hour. The speaker and reception are why most members come.
Annual meeting planning checklist
3 to 4 months out
- Confirm the date, venue and format (in person, virtual or hybrid).
- Check bylaws for notice, quorum and election rules.
- Open nominations for the board.
- Book a speaker or plan the education session.
6 to 8 weeks out
- Send the official notice, within your bylaws’ timeline.
- Publish the slate of candidates and short bios.
- Open registration.
2 to 4 weeks out
- Open voting, if you vote ahead of time.
- Prepare the president’s and treasurer’s reports.
- Plan recognition for outgoing board members and volunteers.
The week of
- Confirm quorum: count registrations and votes against your bylaws.
- Prepare a short slide deck for the reports.
- Brief whoever is running the meeting.
After
- Publish the election results and minutes.
- Thank everyone who attended, and send a recap to those who didn’t.
- Update the board page on your website right away.
Make it worth attending
- Pair it with education, ideally with continuing education credit if your members need it.
- Celebrate people: outgoing board members, volunteers, award winners, scholarship recipients.
- Keep the reports visual and short. A few slides beat a long read-aloud.
- Feed people. A reception afterward makes it an event, not a meeting.
Need help with the event side?
Many associations run the business part themselves and bring in help for the event around it. We plan conferences and association events, and we’re happy to work behind the scenes for other planners under their name. Here’s how we work on events.
Frequently asked questions
What happens at an association annual meeting?
Members hear reports on the year and the finances, elect board members and handle any business the bylaws require, usually followed by a speaker or reception.
How much notice is required for an annual meeting?
It depends on your bylaws and your state’s rules. Check both, and send notice in the way your bylaws require.
How do you get members to attend the annual meeting?
Pair it with something valuable, like an education session or speaker, keep the business short, celebrate people and add a reception.
Can an association hold its annual meeting virtually?
Often yes, if your bylaws and state rules allow it. Check both before you plan a virtual or hybrid meeting.
Keep the board page current
Purple Pushpin gives associations a board page with terms and a record of past board members, plus event registration and email, so the website reflects the new board the day after the election.