Associations are expected to deliver high value to members while maintaining financial stability. Membership dues are essential, but relying on them alone can limit your growth.
The good news? Many associations already have the assets, engagement and trust to expand their revenue streams, they might just need a strategic approach to unlock them! As you explore the ideas below, consider which ones align with your mission, brand and member expectations. Even implementing one or two of these could meaningfully strengthen your financial and member value.
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According to the yet-to-be-released 2026 Membership Performance Benchmark Report by iMIS, sponsorships and advertising are the top revenue source for membership organisations, outside of membership fees. 50% of respondents listed it as a top three non-dues revenue source. Subscribe to iMIS emails to get the full report once it releases to the public.
The opportunity for a company to get their logo or a sample of their product into people’s hands during your event is valuable to the company. There’s a huge range of things you can offer:
However, as someone who’s sponsored many conferences, make sure you value your sponsors during the event. At one conference we sponsored, we were told that we weren’t allowed to sit down during the main sessions. We were to remain standing at the back of the hall and we weren’t allowed to attend any of the breakout sessions. Needless to say, we didn’t sponsor again and that association has lost what should have been simple recurring revenue.
The key is to create tiered packages that match advertisers’ goals with your members’ interests. Use your data to show potential partners exactly who they’ll connect with and why it matters.
Are you an iMIS user interested in generating revenue from advertising and sponsorships? Check out iMIS® Advertising, powered by SpaceMaster. Whether you manage your advertising operation in-house or use an outside media agency, iMIS Advertising tracks every detail that matters, including analytics, media order management, media asset management, production management, sales commissions, and billing.
Merchandise itself is a great source of revenue, but you can increase its potential by offering sponsorship opportunities. For example, your association's polo could feature a vendor logo on the sleeve.
Another stat from the upcoming 2026 Membership Performance Benchmark Report by iMIS: events are the #2 non-dues revenue source for membership organisations. Nearly half of respondents (46%) cited events as one of their top three sources of revenue, outside of membership fees.
The event registration process is an opportunity to offer special experiences at an additional price. You can sell:
It’s also an opportunity to let people add on selected items from your merchandise selection. Maybe a special event edition of one of the items that you’ve also sold a sponsorship spot on.
The goal is to enrich the overall event experience, not nickel-and-dime your attendees. Keep add-ons simple, relevant, and easy to purchase.
Two last stats from the upcoming 2026 Membership Performance Benchmark Report releasing in January 2026:
Members may join your organisation to advance their career. This is one of the many tools you can provide to fulfil your member value proposition.
Related article from the education experts at TopClass: How to Activate Your Association's Unique Learning Proposition
When someone is ready to join your association, you’ve already done the hard part of capturing their interest. Give yourself a pat on the back for securing their membership!
However, there’s still an opportunity to boost your revenue above the basic membership fee. We’re all used to that these days: airlines are the masters of this, offering us ways to improve our journey. Whilst we have the option of clicking past them, sometimes we fancy that extra leg room or getting on/off the plane sooner.
So how could you apply that thought to your membership process? Here are a few add-on examples, but make sure you don't overwhelm your almost-member with options.
The process of adding those things into the membership transaction is much simpler than asking them to go through the process of logging in, finding what they want from your site, adding it to their cart and checking out separately.
Just make sure it's not so obtrusive that they don't make it to the finish line of signing up. Keep the options clear and simple, so upgrades feel like natural extensions rather than obstacles to joining.
I know some people are going to immediately feel uncomfortable about this subject. But we need to recognise that any association holds a lot of valuable data about their membership. It doesn’t matter if your association has businesses as members or individuals as members. Your data is valuable. Obviously, there are privacy and consent policies that need to be considered, so please check on what’s allowed in your specific situation.
Start by ensuring compliance with privacy laws like GDPR or CAN-SPAM, and be transparent about how data is collected and used. Focus on aggregate, non-identifiable information to uncover trends, benchmark performance, or inform advocacy work.
You’re probably using a lot of that to segment your mailings and communications or highlight certain content on your website to members who fall into certain categories. But that roll-up, summary data doesn’t have to just be for internal use.
For example, summary reports on salary ranges, professional demographics, or industry challenges can be packaged into paid insights or subscription-based dashboards. When handled with care, your data can both support your mission and finances, without compromising member trust.
It doesn’t matter whether your association’s members are organisations or individuals. Job boards are a great opportunity for revenue. Maybe the option to post a job advert is free but you still have the option to charge more to boost the post.
You could also sell résumé visibility upgrades or create short-term access passes for nonmembers seeking specific listings. Whether your members are individuals looking for roles or organizations hiring talent, a well-managed job board can be both a service and a steady income source.
Related article from the iMIS Blog: 3 Ways Career Centers Increase Member Engagement
Mentoring is another form of education that can offer a personal touch. While informal networking is often a member benefit, a structured, moderated mentoring program provides measurable value, and can justify a fee. This kind of guided professional development fosters meaningful engagement while supporting additional revenue.
Link up a junior member looking to enhance their career with someone that has the experience to help them. Or link them into a moderated community of similar people. I used the word "moderated" in that description as that’s the value-add over standard membership and the justification for this being a paid service. This is an add-on, enhanced, level of membership that has a tangible value and cost.
TopClass suggests enhancing your online courses and cohorts with mentoring.
Members look to their associations for credible, practical resources. Offering a digital resource library is a great way to deliver value year-round.
Start with free access to core materials, and then consider premium tiers for more advanced offerings, like interactive dashboards, benchmarking tools, or detailed industry guides. Subscription-based models can generate steady income while giving members ongoing reasons to log in and engage.
You can also sell downloadable toolkits, co-branded templates, or sector-specific reports. Each digital product should help members solve a real problem or save time in their work.
I personally think that this is one of the largest untapped sources of additional, non-dues revenue. We’re all used to this model in more commercial organisation but I haven’t seen many associations offering this, but it can be adapted for use in associations with company and individual memberships.
Let’s say that you’re an association for electrical contractors. Your members are a mix of larger companies with a number of staff and individuals working by themselves. You can partner with suppliers who offer discounts on tools, vehicles, or insurance.
Each time a member completes a purchase through that partnership, your association receives a small commission.
The next stage is to apply for “accredited supplier” status – an additional fee for an audit then higher profile on your website. It’s then your decision whether to charge for banner adverts on your member portal or whether that’s included in the partner supplier package.
Selling merchandise is a very obvious revenue opportunity. There’s a good market for branded items with your association’s logo on it, for publications, health and safety posters if that’s your area or other signage.
However, these items present a second revenue opportunity: sponsorship. Going back to my imaginary association for electrical contractors. You could do an association branded tool belt and then also sell space to a tool supplier to put their logo on there as well. The same could apply to the signage examples above. You can have your logo on there as well as a paid sponsorship spot.
ASAE gives you tips on how to combine this revenue strategy with your events strategy by offering custom event merchandise.
Every idea above has the potential to generate revenue but only if implemented thoughtfully. Set clear expectations, track performance and be ready to pivot! Start small, prove value and then scale what works. Above all, ensure that every initiative enhances, rather than dilutes the member experience.