- Valuable Member-Only Resources: Member benefits include access to business insurance, employee benefits, fundraising tools, group purchasing and discounts, just-in-time consulting and professional development, publications and research, core standards and capacity building programs, and membership in a real community of DSA leaders.
- Membership Business Model: We maintain a resource model with the majority of revenue, volunteer resources, and brand awareness coming from members organizations through mostly predictable dues and payments for services, the authority of the board coming from members, and an expectation that DSAIA will provide value to member organizations.
- Defender of the DSA: Develop support for DSAs by sharing their stories of the successes and challenges with the whole American Ds movement.
Taking inspiration from the state chapters and affiliates of the National Council of Non-Profits, DSAIA will provide undeniable value per dollar of dues invested by providing a wealth of membership benefits, including access to insurance and employee benefits, fundraising resources, discounts, professional development and consulting services, strategic research and a core standards program that builds capacity. DSAIA will create an environment where the board members and staff of our members will be part of a truly giving and energized community of leaders. As members focus on telling the stories of the people they serve, DSAIA will focus on telling the stories of its members to the general public and the entire American Ds Movement.
Positives of Strategy:
- Focuses DSAIA on Providing Value to Core Customer and Differentiates from Other Affiliate Programs
- Gives Clear Programmatic Roadmap
- Frees Members to Focus on Their Missions, While DSAIA Advocates and Secures Commonly Needed and Valuable Resources on Their Behalf
- Limits Funding Sources - There Is a Very Limited Number of DS-Focused Organizations and DSAs Are Just One Segment of Those Organizations.
- DSAIA Lacks a Systematic Way to Capture and Anticipate Member Needs
- Commonly Needed Resources (i.e. Insurance, Employee Benefits, etc.) May Be Difficult Acquire and Made Accessible to All Members.