Networking

Networking opportunities

2010 Member-Get-A-Member Campaign

Are you looking for a simple way to contribute to the active-aging professional community?

International Council on Active Aging is enlisting your help in recruiting new members. Since 96% of those who responded to ICAA’s membership survey said they would refer a colleague or friend, we realized that you are the best way to grow the association.

When ICAA grows, there is an improved capacity for education and networking opportunities for all of us, greater recognition of professionals in active aging and wellness, and advancement for everyone in the industry.

Since you are the association, we want to reward you for your contribution.

Recruit a new member, earn a credit of $25 for ICAA membership or registration

Here’s how:

Current ICAA members introduce the organization to their colleagues. When that person joins, and identifies the current member as the source for the referral, then the referring member receives a credit of 25 dollars toward:

Renewing their own ICAA membership
Conference registration
Preconference workshop registration
Members can recruit an unlimited number of new members and accumulate a credit for each one. All new members must name the current member when they join for the credit to be awarded.
The 2010 campaign is a year-long event. ICAA will honor applications naming a current member through December 31, 2010.

Campaign guidelines

Current ICAA members are eligible to receive the recruitment credit.
The new member MUST provide your name on the membership application or at the time of enrollment over the telephone. ICAA cannot honor requests for credit after the new member has joined.

ICAA credits will be allocated to one current member, each time a new member application is received on or before December 31, 2010
ICAA credits are nontransferable and must be used by the current member within the current membership term. If current membership expires, without being renewed, all ICAA credits will be voided.
ICAA credits are not redeemable for cash and hold no cash value except as credits toward membership dues or conference registrations.
If an Individual member encourages an organization to join, or to upgrade the Individual membership to an Organizational membership, the referring member receives one credit value of $25. The credit can be used at the time the Individual membership is converted to an Organizational membership, or at a later time within the referring member’s current term.

ICAA will:

Accept applications from new members and look for a current member’s name on written applications or request a name for telephone enrollments.

Credit the current member the value of 25 dollars for each new member.
Notify the current member by email when an application has been received with the member’s name as the referring source.
Recognize members who refer new members.

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Tips for recruiting new members

Inviting your colleagues to join ICAA is easy. Here are some ideas.

Visit www.icaa.cc to become familiar with all the benefits from ICAA.
Review the descriptions of the publications, the new online networking tools, the discounts and resources. This is a great way for you to learn about all the benefits you can take advantage of as part of your own membership, as well as tell others. You can also download the member brochure or request printed copies.

Contact colleagues who also serve older adults.
Introducing ICAA to a colleague starts with a conversation in the hallway to by sending an email. There is an example email in this toolkit you can use. You might start with the other people in your company who may not know that ICAA has materials for everyone in an organization. If you find several colleagues, then you can get together for an Organizational membership. Let your peers know about membership at local networking meetings or presentations.

Share your experience with ICAA.
Why are you a member? What benefits are valuable for you? Tell your colleagues a story of how you used an article from The Journal on Active Aging or got new ideas from messages on the online ICAANET networking site. Tell the potential new member, in your own words, how you benefit.

Keep the ICAA membership application handy.
Download the ICAA membership application from the ICAA website and keep it on your desktop so you can easily email it to your colleague. Or you can send the link to the membership section on the ICAA website where they can download the application: http://www.icaa.cc/joinus.htm. Be sure that your colleagues write your name on the application so that you get the credit.

You can make as many copies of the application as you like to give to colleagues and take to meetings.

Bookmark the ICAA website so you can easily email it to colleagues.
As soon as you reach the home page of www.icaa.cc, you can see the index to membership benefits, networking opportunities and professional education. It’s a good way for professionals to learn about ICAA. Plus, in the upper right-hand corner they can click on the “Preview member section” link and see what Individual members see once they log on.

Place copies of The Journal on Active Aging and other ICAA publications on your desk so colleagues can see it.
When colleagues inquire about how they can receive a copy, explain it is a major benefit of membership. Let them know that every article that has been published in the Journal and the other ICAA publications is available to members through the Articles archive.

Follow up to find out if the application was sent.
If your colleague has additional questions or isn’t clear that the application must be received by December 31, 2009, for you to receive the credit, then a follow-up is a positive reminder. Colleagues are invited to contact ICAA with questions, too.

Send a thank you.
When your colleague joins ICAA and names you as the reason, a quick email or note is an easy way to say “thanks.” Plus, you have just added someone to your professional network.

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Who is a potential new member?

One reason that ICAA is unique is that the organization includes professionals from many disciplines. ICAA members include CEOs and group-exercise instructors, wellness directors and occupational therapists, program directors and fitness trainers, professors and physicians. Through the association, all these job responsibilities and educational disciplines find resources for their work—and inspiration for their missions.

ICAA members are found in many locations, including retirement communities, seniors services and agencies, health clubs and studios and seniors housing. ICAA is the connection between them.

When thinking about who might benefit from membership in ICAA, consider:

Seniors managers in operations, resident life and client services (they may not be aware of how ICAA applies to multiple functions in the organization)
Executive director and program managers
Your peers in wellness, medical services and dietetics
Personal trainers and fitness instructors
Activities directors and coordinators
Student interns

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Campaign resources

ICAA website

Membership brochure. You can download the membership brochure (it’s a PDF) for a list of the types of membership and the dues structure. Or, refer your colleagues to the brochure. On the ICAA home page, click on: Membership info: www.icaa.cc/joinus.htm.

If you need printed copies of the brochure, contact ICAA member services.

Membership application. On the ICAA home page, click on Membership info. Then look at the left menu. A printed copy of the membership application is mailed with each issue of The Journal on Active Aging.www.icaa.cc/joinus.htm

Preview member section. This new tool allows non-members to preview the password protected section of the website and get a sense of what benefits ICAA members have access to. Click on the Preview member section link in the upper right hand corner of ICAA’s home page and see what Individual members see once they log on: www.icaa.cc

Sample publications. Potential members can browse through a free sample of ICAA’s top-rated publications, including The Journal on Active Aging and Functional U. The sample issue is a PDF. From the ICAA home page, click the Publications link http://www.icaa.cc/profesional_education/publications.htm

ICAA member services

Krystyna Kasprzak, director.
Email: krystynakasprzak@icaa.cc
Telephone: 866-335-9777

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Sample email

I want to introduce you to the International Council on Active Aging, the professional association that helps me with my job. ICAA believes that older adults should have active lives and that we are the key to providing that.

As an ICAA member, I get the The Journal on Active Aging, Functional U and Research Review. There is a networking site on the website and a place to post successful programs.

Here is a link to the ICAA website so you can learn more about the association: www.icaa.cc. If you write in my name on the application when you join, then I’ll receive a credit. Thanks! ICAA really helps me and I think it will help you, too. Let me know if you have any questions.

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10 reasons to join ICAA

1. Keep up to date with research, news and industry developments.

It’s hard to stay on top of the game when your to-do list is long and your attention must focus on planning and delivering services for older adults. ICAA is a regular source of reliable information and ideas, delivered straight to you. You don’t have to hunt; ICAA probably has the facts you need and the trends you seek. Staying up to date is one of the top reasons why ICAA members join the association.

2. Learn from others so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Active aging is a new field, and it’s being developed today. Jumpstart your organizations’ active-aging philosophy and borrow from the ideas of your colleagues to plan programs that meet the needs of older adults. ICAA is the place where successful professionals share their best practices.

3. See the big picture.

In today’s work world, breaking down the walls between departments and responsibilities is a major concern. Progressive organizations require directors and managers to collaborate with others inside and outside the organization. ICAA’s articles and conference sessions show how wellness flows among departments. You achieve a better understanding of the roles of others, and how to present yourself and your role so that your customers benefit.

4. Show the value of the wellness program.

Program and facilities that support active aging are not only the right thing to do, they give an organization higher levels of customer satisfaction (and powerful word-of-mouth referrals to new customers) and competitive positioning. Using ICAA survey results along other industry research and the results member organizations have achieved, you can make the business case for wellness.

5. Save money for you and your employer.

Members of ICAA make good decisions when purchasing equipment or services because they have access to providers who design materials specifically for active aging. Membership entitles individuals and organizations to special rates on conference registration, books and courses. Taken together, all these savings and revenue-generators cover the costs of membership.

6. Make key professional contacts and new friends.

Professionals know the value of their network of contacts. Through ICAA’s online network, the Career Center and the ICAA Conference, you meet many people who can guide your work and mentor your career. Plus, there are so many talented people in the association who are also nice people, you’re likely to make new friends.

7. Be recognized for your commitment to the well-being of older adults.

As an association member, you are committed to promoting well-being for older adults. Your actions create the shift in perceptions of aging that will lead to change on a global scale. Your colleagues, your employers and older adults themselves will know that you are helping people stay engaged in their lives and in their communities throughout the lifespan.

8. Increase your job-related skills.

A formal education gives you a strong knowledge base in your discipline. A professional association helps you transfer that knowledge to the skills required to be a top performer. You will increase your value to your employer, and expand your career potential, when you harness the ideas and information from your ICAA network.

9. Lead the industry in developing the implementation of active aging.

It’s not often that professionals have the opportunity to essentially create an industry. That’s what ICAA members are doing as they develop programs, centers and services that meet the needs of older adults. Active aging is still a new field, and you can be one of the professionals who point the compass in the direction that others will follow.

10. Attract more older adults to your programs--and to your organization.

How do you encourage older adults to get active, and to stay active? Marketing to older adults is a particular emphasis of ICAA authors and conference presenters. Whether promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyle, or promoting the assets of your organization, product and service, ICAA provides the most current thought in marketing to older adults—and to their families and advisors.

International Council on Active Aging
Changing The Way We Age®

3307 Trutch Street, Vancouver, BC, V6L 2T3
Toll Free: 866-335-9777
Tel: 604-734-4466

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