About Us

Associations have existed in the United States since the founding of our nation’s Republic.

Yet to this day, studies still show that few – if any – association executives and their staff fully understand or recognize the unique and consequential role that they play in these organizations in shaping America. Most, in fact, admit to never possessing any previous knowledge or aspirations of becoming association management professionals. Or that such a profession even exists. Or that organizations representing professions, trades, and personal avocations differ in purpose, scope, focus, and goals from for-profit and other nonprofit organizations.

Those who do find this work meaningful and choose to make it a life-long career discover that the only way to build the specific competencies needed to be effective in this setting is to learn how to do the job…from their peers while on the job!

Having faced similar obstacles, the founders of the Melos Institute realized the limitations and burdens that this has put on those who dedicate their careers to working with these distinctive organizations. They believed that while much had been learned about association management, something was missing and more was needed.

After discovering the unique contributions that these institutions make, the Melos Institute’s  founders isolated them from other nonprofits and defined them as membership-based organizations (MBOs).

MBOs represent a population of eligible individuals and/or organizations that voluntarily join together to promote and protect their mutual interests by advancing their respective bodies of knowledge through a high degree of member engagement; often with the support of the professional staff (thus, this excludes unions, churches, social clubs, HOAs, and the like). Their effectiveness is built on a network of relationships where members participate and contribute as citizens.

Volunteer and staff leaders, working as partners create opportunities for their members to gain access to the kinds of information, knowledge, tools, and connections that empower them to address their individual and collective needs, interests, goals, and aspirations. The consequence of increasing and strengthening their members’ competencies advances the quality of life for others within the larger society.

They then developed a research agenda that examined the emergence, formation, development, and operations of MBOs in a new and different way; one that would determine whether changes of any kind to the current body of knowledge could generate better results. Their initial results proved conclusive that existing management efforts were often unintentionally undermining the ability of volunteer and staff leaders to achieve their goals….and to deliver meaningful and purposeful experiences to their members.

With this discovery, they set out to generate a new and better understanding of MBOs’ purpose, scope, focus, and goals…including that of their specially-defined membership communities. Their efforts led to the establishment of the Relation-centered Management (RCM) Model; an approach specifically designed to support MBOs.

Having initially focused a great deal of attention on member engagement, the Melos Institute has since expanded its applied research initiatives to focus on other issues and challenges specific to MBOs. Their findings continue to identify, define, develop, and shape a 21st-century body of knowledge for MBOs representing professions, trades, and personal avocations.

We are dedicated to learning what MBOs need to do and how they need to operate to deliver meaningful, purposeful, and transformative experiences to their members.

We do this by working with a multi-generational, multi-disciplinary group of individuals (i.e., association management professionals, volunteer leaders, scholars, and subject matter experts) who voluntarily contribute their information, knowledge, experiences, and expertise to defining a 21st-century relation-centered body of knowledge for association management.

Our applied research initiatives generate information, knowledge and tools for those who are interested in advancing their expertise in the field of association management.

Our applied research efforts examine the emergence, formation, development, and operations of membership-based organizations (MBOs) in America. More specifically, we focus on how adopting a relation-centered approach generates better outcomes for those organizations that represent professions, trades, and personal avocations.

We use the findings from our applied research efforts to establish a 21st-century relation-centered body of knowledge for the association management profession; one that is uniquely designed to support MBOs representing professions, trades, and personal avocations.

Opportunities for volunteer and staff leaders to benefit from highly-customized support from the Institute’s change process specialists – without having to make a financial obligation – on key issues like membership development, member engagement, leadership development, and more by agreeing to serve as research partners.

Findings from our initiatives form the foundation of an ever-expanding array of highly interactive, affordable digital and onsite learning opportunities.

Join our mailing list to be notified of upcoming online events on issues like relation-centered management, member engagement, leadership development, relation-centered communication, and more.

Individuals and MBOs play a pivotal role – serving as volunteers and research partners – in assisting the Melos Institute in examining how adopting a relation-centered approach generates better outcomes. Their contributions assist us in identifying, defining, developing, and shaping a 21st-century body of knowledge for the association management profession.

Findings from our initiatives help shape the development for developing a range of publications, templates, and tools. Concepts included in them have been pilot-tested in MBO settings to ensure their applicability and effectiveness. The Member Engagement Paradox, our ground-breaking book on MBOs, offers a fresh look at: 1) how distinctive these organizations are; 2) ways they can increase and expand member engagement, and; 3) their consequential role in shaping America.

We welcome everyone who is interested in identifying, defining, developing, and shaping a 21st-century body of knowledge for the association management profession. Regardless of your position or time limitations, we’ve got an opportunity for you to make a difference.