Membership administration for associations: Tips and requirements
What is membership administration and why is it important?
Membership administration is a crucial task within every association. It enables the board to to collect contributions effectively, provides insight into the composition of the members and ensures the good organization of the association. Choosing the right way to manage this administration, from Excel to specialized software, can make a big difference in the efficiency and safety of the organization.
Membership administration in Excel: The pros and cons
For small associations, Excel is often a popular choice for managing membership administration. Flexibility and ease of use are attractive advantages. However, Excel also has limitations. Having multiple users access to the same data at the same time is difficult, and keeping multiple versions can lead to errors and confusion. For advanced users, it is possible to generate collection files, but this requires specific knowledge.
Benefits of Excel:
- Easy to use
- Freely accessible
Disadvantages of Excel:
- Limited use for multiple users
- No built-in accounting link
- Complex actions such as collections require advanced knowledge
Member software: When is it time to switch?
When your association grows, it's time to look at specialized software. Especially with 100+ members, member software offers more functionality and flexibility than Excel. Important considerations when selecting software include the number of users, linking accounting and a user-friendly interface.
Benefits of member software:
- Multi-user friendly
- Often integrated with accounting software
- Easy administration of contributions, rates and membership categories
Privacy and GDPR: What are the rules for membership administration?
With the introduction of the AVG (General Data Protection Regulation), the rules for storing and managing personal data have become stricter. It is important not to store more data than is strictly necessary. This includes basic information such as names and addresses. Sensitive data, such as beliefs or medical information, should only be stored if there is a good reason for doing so.
In addition, it is essential to determine who has access to the data. With modern member administration software, you can set at an individual level which people can view certain information. This means that, for example, only the treasurer and the cash committee have access to financial data, while other board members only have limited access.
Membership administration security: How do you protect your data?
Securing the membership administration is crucial to prevent a data breach. Board members must be aware of the need for data security and carefully manage their access to the database. Here are some important steps:
- Awareness: The board and administration must be aware of the risks and obligations related to data security.
- Strong passwords: Choose strong passwords and change them regularly.
- Reliable web server: Make sure your hosting company has its security in order and uses up-to-date software and firewalls.
- Software updates: Keep the membership administration software up to date to prevent security vulnerabilities.
- Extra security measures: Consider using https certificates and encrypting sensitive data.
What to do in the event of a data breach?
In the unlikely event that a data breach does occur, it is important to act quickly and appropriately. Inform everyone involved and the Data Protection Authority immediately. Members need to know exactly what information was leaked and how the leak occurred. Using a professional IT company to limit and analyse the damage is often unavoidable. However, prevention is better than cure, so make sure your security is in order.
Sharing personal data: What is allowed and what is not?
The privacy legislation is clear: personal data should not be shared just like that. This means that even publishing a member list or match results can be sensitive. This information may only be shared within the association and even then only with the consent of the members. General information, such as the total number of members per age group, may be shared with external parties such as the municipality, provided that the data cannot be traced back to individuals.
Internal and external software vendors: Which is the best choice?
When choosing a software provider, you should consider whether you choose a large, stable party or a small, more flexible provider. Small suppliers often have industry-specific solutions and offer more flexibility, but are less able to respond to major system updates. Larger providers have more stability, but are less able to work in a customized way. The choice depends on the specific needs of your association.
Conclusion
Good membership administration is the basis for a successful association. Whether you choose Excel or member software, it is important to comply with privacy legislation and to properly secure your data. By dealing consciously with personal data and having your administration in good order, you prevent problems and the association will continue to run efficiently.
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