|
|
Programs and Activities of Business Associations
Educational Activities of Associations
- Sponsoring short courses, clinics, seminars, workshops, or institutes for community, industry or profession. Providing certificates, diplomas or awards for completion of educational programs.
- Providing tests and manuals for employee and member training.
- Providing films, discs, and cassettes for training programs.
- Cooperating with other organizations' educational and training programs.
- Providing scholarships and underwriting fellowships or grants.
- Conducting correspondence courses and sponsoring night school courses.
- Having a certification program.
- Operating a training center for community, industry, or professional specialists.
- Conducting a trade show or exposition on behalf of the industry, suppliers, or community.
Employer-Employee Relations Programs
- Conducting surveys concerning members, employees (wages, work schedules,
fringe benefits, etc).
- Disseminating information on state and national labor regulations.
- Holding meetings for discussion of employer-employee relations.
- Conducting programs aimed at better health and safety of members.
- Providing career guidance manuals to schools.
- Conducting personnel policy surveys.
- Providing a medium of exchange for members' labor contracts.
- Having executive referral or personnel placement service.
- Providing information on job evaluation plans, incentive plans, and aptitude tests.
- Engaging in arbitration and mediation.
- Acting as collective bargaining agent.
BACK TO TOP
Governmental Relations Programs
- Informing members about federal legislative developments.
- Encouraging and equipping members to express personal and knowledgeable views on legislative issues to their legislators and governmental regulators.
- Informing members about federal administrative actions or rulings.
- Informing members about state and local legislative developments.
- Testifying before federal, state, or local legislatures.
- Maintaining a legislative or governmental relations committee to study and make recommendations concerning national and state legislative issues.
- Assisting state and local governments by furnishing facts, statistics, etc., covering industry, profession, or community.
- Including speakers on national legislative issues in convention programs.
- Drafting legislation or model laws.
- Lobbying to accomplish objectives of industry, professional, or community.
- Assisting federal government by providing facts regarding production capacity and inventories or data on the industry, profession or community.
- Reporting court decisions.
- Encouraging and training members to be active in the political party of their choice.
- Establishing a political action committee in the industry, profession or community to collect and distribute funds for candidates.
- Sponsoring courses or clinics on political participation.
- Assisting members in connection with customs, tariffs, and trade agreements.
- Representing industry in tariff negotiations.
- Assisting the government in sponsoring and participating in trade fairs abroad.
BACK TO TOP
Publishing Programs
- Newsletters
- Legislative, technical, or other bulletins as news dictates
- Membership directories
- Handbooks and manuals
- Magazines, trade and professional journals
- Annual reports
- Digest of laws
- Directories of suppliers, buyers, etc.
- Safety manuals and rules
- Computer programs, software, and discs
- Technical publications
Publicity and Public Relations
- Providing mass media with stories and news releases conceming industry, profession, or community.
- Providing trade and professional joumals with information about developments of services of industry, profession, or community.
- Maintaining an ongoing public relations committee.
- Providing members with infommation they can use.
- Providing speeches members can use for public relations purposes.
- Providing members with public relations films, cassettes, and discs they can use.
- Maintaining a speakers' bureau.
- Conducting a national "week" for the industry or profession.
- Maintaining a display booth which goes to exhibits around the country or world.
- Conducting an annual tour to cities to meet with and discuss mutual problems with citizens, local govemment, and enforcement officials.
- Providing tips on breaking news events to selected reporters and commentators.
- Sponsoring photograph contests.
- Providing television documentaries.
- Sponsoring "career days" and safety programs in schools.
- Publishing directories containing profiles of member companies to be distributed.
BACK TO TOP
Research
- Conducting research activities at commercial laboratories, research institutions, members' laboratories, and/or governmental laboratories.
- Conducting research activities at laboratory facilities that are owned and operated by the associations or chambers. Discoveries made through research are patented by the association or chamber. Research patents are then made available to the public.
- Designing studies to improve products or services of members.
- Designing studies to develop new methods or techniques.
- Researching management and personnel performance.
- Designing studies to develop new products or services.
Standardization and Accreditation
- Cooperating with the military and government agencies to review standards and specifications.
- Publishing product standards and/or specifications.
- Establishing standards of performance for the profession or industry.
- Establishing standard types, sizes, and grades of produced goods.
- Studying standard dimensional and other tolerances and nomenclature.
- Developing standard operating procedures for office or plant.
- Establishing criteria on properties and performance as the basis for grading, approving, and certifying.
- Issuing seal of approval or emblem that products or services are of a certain recognized standard.
- Enforcing or protecting such standards and certification.
BACK TO TOP
Statistics
- Disseminating statistical data compiled by governmental agencies. They are used by associations and chambers to prepare long and short term forecasts in the industry, profession, or community.
- Compiling and disseminating statistics reflecting: orders, operating ratios, sales, employment, production, profits, construction, inventories, accidents and injuries, plant shipments.
Consumerism Programs
- Publishing a code of ethics and encouraging the public to report to the association or chamber about unsatisfactory products or services.
- Encouraging members to adhere to truthful and factual advertising.
- Conducting educational programs directed at the public about what the community, industry, or profession is doing to protect users.
- Sponsoring an accreditation or certification program of members.
- Maintaining a panel or committee of members and consumers to study consumer problems.
- Issuing seals of approval certifying the quality of products or services.
- Conducting tests and inspections or grading service to help ensure users of satisfactory performance.
- Developing standards of grade and quality labeling to help users choose the right products to meet specific needs.
- Providing a consumer ombudsman for the community, industry, or profession and hiring or retaining a consumer consultant.
BACK TO TOP
Ecology and Environmental Programs
- Working for legislation that sets standards for environmental control.
- Maintaining a committee of members and others to study ways of reducing pollution or improving environmental quality.
- Working for legislation that provides incentives to industry for improved environmental control.
- Conducting research to improve methods of waste disposal and eliminate pollution.
- Conducting educational programs directed to users on ways to reduce pollution or waste.
- Sponsoring programs to encourage cleanup and bottle and package refund campaigns.
- Conducting recognition and award programs for members and others for achievement in improving environmental quality.
Economic Development
- Implementing an economic development program for a country or region wishing to create employment, expand its economic base and generally improve the quality of life.
- Identifying and analyzing the basic assets of the area that will attract new
business or help existing industry to grow and prosper. This program encompasses the local business climate, community appearances, churches, schools, government, cultural institutions, and recreational facilities.
- Assessing the area's water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, railroads, air transportation, and trucking facilities.
- Assessing the educational and skill levels of labor as well as unionization, availability, and costs of labor.
- Analyzing tax advantages and new tax incentives.
- Publicizing the area's desirability to prospective investors.
- Forming an economic development committee.
- Coalescing with other organizations with similar goals, such as electric companies,
railroads, trucking companies, airlines, gas companies, terminals, banks, and unions.
BACK TO TOP
Tourism
- Identifying and creating attractions, sites, and events that will increase tourism.
- Publicizing the area's tourist attractions through television, radio, videocassette, newspapers, billboards, on-line computer services, etc.
- Working with owners and operators of tourist attractions to help market their services.
- Creating pamphlets, brochures, articles, and advertisements that support tourist promotion activities.
- Working with speakers' bureaus to make presentations about the desirability of visiting the specific location or city.
- Establishing visitor information booths or offices to assist tourists.
Accounting Activities
- Providing accounting programs are long established as association or chamber activities. In addition to providing a chart of accounts and an accounting manual, they provide a centralized accounting service.
- Providing centralizing billing service by a local medical society to a centralized accounting service for a statewide association of retailers.
- Providing accounting manuals.
- Publishing comparative statements/ratios.
- Publishing uniform account classifications and definitions.
- Conducting cost studies.
- Providing accounting forms and maintaining an accounting committee for industry or profession.
- Providing centralized accounting services and providing cost system for members.
BACK TO TOP
Advertising and Marketing Activities
- Offering industry seal, symbol, or emblem for display.
- Providing members with advertising materials.
- Sponsoring paid advertising for community, industry, or profession in newspapers, magazines, radio, television, or billboards.
- Retaining advertising agency.
- Engaging in mutual theme advertising with members and/or other organizations.
- Exhibiting in shows of other associations or chambers.
- Collecting and distributing requests for products or services of members.
- Forecasting future demands and trends.
- Conducting research among consumers for facts regarding buying or selling of commodities or services.
- Furnishing members with point-of-purchase material.
- Conducting studies or providing information regarding improved methods of merchandising, including displays, and store fixtures.
- Advertising nationally.
Aid to the Disadvantaged
- Encouraging members to hire the disadvantaged.
- Helping members provide on-the-job training.
- Studying opportunities for employment within the industry, profession, or community.
- Contracting or working with the federal government to aid in the employment and training of disadvantaged or minority groups.
- Working for expanded apprentice programs.
- Working with govemments to aid in employment.
- Fumishing information, encouraging minority group entrepreneur programs, and operating a placement service for the disadvantaged.
BACK TO TOP
|
|
