Category Archive: AI

Creating the ideal tech stack for associations has evolved beyond merely selecting an AMS and assuming that’s enough. Our recent webinar directly addressed this shift, featuring insights from industry experts Reggie Henry of ASAE, Gretchen Steenstra of DelCor, and Noel Shatananda of fusionSpan, all of whom have storied histories in the association technology space. They highlighted several key points, such as the pros and cons of using a hub-and-spoke model, exploring alternatives like iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service), and emphasizing that the true core of any tech stack should be a deep understanding of your organization and its members.

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The Hub-and-Spoke Model for Association AMSs

Traditionally, the hub-and-spoke model has been a go-to for associations looking for a structured, centralized approach to managing data and operations. In this setup, the AMS typically acts as the “hub,” with other applications and systems as the “spokes,” funneling data and insights back to a central point. The hub concept was originally about bringing all data into one place to streamline and simplify operations. When this model emerged in the nascent internet and pre-API days, centralized managed package solutions made tremendous sense to associations that had previously been tasked with managing complex communications between disconnected technologies, all on their own.

This image shows a traditional hub-and-spoke structure where the AMS is the central hub to which each spoke passes data.

The model can have significant advantages: a single source of truth, simplified reporting, and, ideally, a more manageable data flow. But as member expectations change and new tools arise to meet those needs, many associations are finding that they would like more agility and flexibility in their tech stacks. This desire has given increasing power to decentralized “best-of-breed” and “best-of-need” approaches that allow organizations to pick the best tool for their current needs and make as-needed changes to member-facing technologies without disrupting the core business functions that keep their association running.

Alternatives to the Hub-and-Spoke Model for Associations

iPaaS for Associations

As the technology surrounding associations evolves, we see alternative models gaining traction. Noel Shatananda walked us through an increasingly popular structure built around Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS). While this solution is similar to a traditional AMS-centric approach with data at the center as a single source of truth, iPaaS allows different applications to communicate without necessarily funneling all data into a single, cumbersome database. Instead, the iPaaS passes only essential data between the central repository and external tools while allowing more transactional data to move directly between applications as needed. This iPaaS setup lets associations choose the best applications for each task without impacting the general flow of the broader system.

Associations often consider the AMS a hub because it’s familiar and makes the data accessible in one place. However, the iPaaS model lets you prioritize functionality by integrating best-of-breed applications without forcing everything through a single-core system.

Here is an example of an iPaaS solution in which each system can communicate directly without needing to pass through the data repository.

A “Hub-less Approach” to Association Management

Reggie Henry gave us an overview of the result of ASAE’s recent system revision. Instead of a hub-and-spoke, Reggie described a system broken into three key categories: Member Facing Technology, “Run the Business” Technology, and Insights and Analytics Technology. These three categories are tied together by a middleware iPaaS solution. The middleware solution allows ASAE to plug and unplug member-facing tech as needed to keep up with changing expectations without disrupting the behind-the-scenes operations.

The Real Foundation of Your Tech Stack

We can’t overemphasize the importance of building your tech stack on a detailed understanding of who your members are and what they need from you. Too often, associations make tech decisions based on staff convenience rather than member experience. Associations should constantly ask themselves how their systems serve members and whether they align with the organization’s mission. It’s an essential reminder: technology should be a tool that enables member engagement, not just a repository for data.

Gretchen Steenstra stressed that this consideration must extend to overall useability for both members staff. Accomplish this by maintaining an ongoing and open dialogue between staff departments and be willing to prioritize simplicity over complex solutions. Just because it makes sense to your staff (the experts in your tech) doesn’t mean it will make sense for the end user (your members).

What to Consider as You Begin a Tech Stack Overhaul

This is a complex process that cannot accurately be compiled into a simple checklist. However, the experts agreed on a few fundamentals that you should nail down before moving further along the journey.

1. Understand who you are to your members and what they need from you.
2. Understand your organization’s capacity for system changes and maintenance – from a time, money, and talent perspective.
3. Draw your systems map.
4. Take your problems and goals to your vendor and partner community to crowdsource a solution.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past two weeks (or actively avoiding the deluge of Dreamforce content on LinkedIn – no shame here, we know it can be a lot), you’ve heard the tale of Agentforce. But what is it? How do you use it? And what does it mean for associations and nonprofits?

What is Agentforce?

Agentforce, formerly Einstein Copilot, is an autonomous AI agent capable of operating independently to provide 24/7 support to employees and customers that far surpasses the functionality and level of service provided by AI-based chatbots of yore.

Agentforce communicates in natural language, responding across channels, and performing tasks proactively within guidelines set by your organization. It can be used in any cloud product and relies on the foundation of the Atlas Reasoning Engine and Data Cloud.

How Does Agentforce Work?

Agentforce has five key building blocks to support functionality:

• Role: The role is the agent’s purpose and the job to be done. Think of this as a job description for your agent that outlines the broader goals it should achieve on your team.
• Data: Like any AI technology, an agent cannot operate without data. This might include internal data like operating procedures, external content like blog articles or websites, AMS data, etc., and will rely on Data Cloud.
• Actions: Actions are predefined tasks an agent executes to fulfill its role and are based on a trigger or instruction.
• Guardrails: These allow your organization to limit what an agent can do and when you would like to involve a human in the process.
• Channels: AI Agents can work in multiple channels including on your site, CRM, Slack, and more.

On a more detailed functional level, agents operate on topics and actions.

Topics are the “jobs to be done” for your agent. You can think of a topic as a job that can be achieved with a consistent set of tools (actions) and rules (instructions) for how to do that job. To create a topic in Agent Builder, start by naming, describing, and defining the scope of the topic in natural language. To finish the topic, create a list of natural language instructions to act as rules that define how the agent should complete its tasks.

Actions are the tools the Agent uses to do the job. Examples include searching knowledge-base articles, looking up information (e.g. order status), or updating data (e.g. changing the address on an account, creating a case record).

In our demo, you can see how the agent takes input from a customer and then applies the instructions and actions to reason a response.

How Can Associations Use Agentforce?

How frequently does your staff handle requests like these?

• I need to renew my membership.
• I can’t log into my account, can you help?
• How do I pay for my outstanding balance on a specific order?
• I want to register for XYZ event, where do I go?
• Can you update my username from to ?

If you’re anything like most associations, your answer is, “often”.

Agentforce is still in the early stages of release, but the potential benefits for associations are obvious and two-fold.

1. Association staff can spend less time on tedious tasks like those mentioned above.
2. Association members get instant, high-quality service.

Let’s walk through an example of using an agent for membership management.

A member reaches out via your website’s chat to get help with membership renewal. You’ve built your agent to process this request by taking payment, updating membership status, and updating membership renewal dates. You can further customize this process by:

• Sending them to your custom renewal page.
• Providing an order summary.
• Asking the member if they would like to complete the payment using a card on file – “Would you like to renew your membership using the card ending in 1002 or 0000?”
• Asking the member to make a donation based on their history of previous donation behavior.

This highly personalized experience provides your member with instant and comprehensive service while removing the process from your team’s to-do list.

Associations consistently face growing pressure to meet their members’ evolving expectations. With the challenges of a new economy come higher expectations for more personalized, meaningful interactions across every channel. To succeed, associations must adapt by becoming more member-centric, data-driven, and technologically equipped. 

Being “AI-first” is no longer a luxury in this landscape—it’s a necessity. Associations must consider every platform they use to deliver superior value and foster deeper member relationships. However, many organizations aren’t set up to do this efficiently. This is where Salesforce comes in, providing associations with the tools to bridge the gap between high member expectations and current operational capabilities.

Introducing Salesforce Foundations

Salesforce introduced Salesforce Foundations at Dreamforce, giving associations free access to a range of powerful tools integrated into their existing Salesforce implementation. This makes starting with a connected Customer 360 approach more accessible, which is vital for delivering a seamless member experience. 

With Salesforce Foundations, your association can now tap into cross-departmental features such as:

• Member Journey Management: Track and nurture every stage of a member’s journey.
• Service Case Resolution Tools: Efficiently manage member inquiries and provide quick support.
• Marketing Email Campaigns: Reach members through personalized campaigns across multiple channels.
• Commerce Storefront: Streamline your event registrations and product sales.

The Foundation for Success: A 360-Degree Member View

While these new technologies are exciting, the real foundation for elevating your member journey is creating a 360-degree view of each member. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is more than just a repository for member information; it’s the key to transforming how you interact with and serve your members. When used effectively, it can profoundly change your members’ experiences.

Imagine if anyone in your organization could instantly see what’s happening with a particular member—whether they registered for an event, responded to an email campaign, or submitted a support request. This unified view would allow your team to be more responsive, offer personalized support, and create a legacy of member-focused engagement. 

However, many associations face challenges in achieving this unified view due to data silos. Different systems collect data for various objectives, such as member management, events, or marketing, leading to fragmented member profiles. The result? Staff is left playing “connect the dots” across different platforms, leading to inefficiencies and mistrust in the data.

Breaking Down Data Silos

Salesforce Foundations tackles this issue head-on by unifying data through Data Cloud. Data Cloud connects to your data sources at hyperscale, using out-of-the-box connectors and the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform to collect data in real-time or batch processes. Regardless of its original format, Data Cloud harmonizes your information into a standard data model, creating a single source of truth for every member.

This unified profile becomes your CRM’s backbone and is activated across all Salesforce applications. With the unified data, associations can now access calculated insights, perform real-time segmentation, analyze results using Tableau, automate triggers, and, crucially, leverage AI to provide a truly connected member experience.

Leveraging AI to Enhance Member Engagement

AI is the linchpin of today’s member-centric strategy. Salesforce’s Einstein AI integrates with Data Cloud, allowing your association to tap into the power of predictive and generative AI to enhance member experiences. Einstein acts as a context engine, utilizing your unified data to predict behaviors, recommend the next best actions, and generate accurate content tailored to each member.

For example, AI can suggest personalized communications based on members’ past interactions or help guide them to relevant programs and events. This level of engagement not only enhances the member experience but also helps build lasting loyalty within your association. 

The AI Revolution is Here—Are You Ready?

We are in the midst of an AI revolution, reshaping how associations engage with their members. Salesforce has been at the forefront of this transformation since the early days of Salesforce Einstein, focusing on predictive AI to change member relationships. Earlier this year, Salesforce entered the next phase with generative AI, launching GPT products that provide productivity boosts for organizations. 

The launch of Agentforce heralds  the third wave of AI: autonomous agents. These agents can communicate with members and perform tasks for you, blending predictive and generative AI capabilities. Think of them as the next generation of bots—not just responding with scripted text but also “thinking” and generating new content to handle interactions autonomously. 

For example, if a member wants to reschedule their volunteer shift, an agent can manage the entire interaction, freeing up your staff for more strategic work. This shift to AI-driven automation will allow your team to focus on delivering superior value to your members while minimizing manual processes.

Trust and Security in the AI Journey

With AI’s growing role in member engagement, data security and privacy are top priorities. Salesforce’s Einstein Trust Layer addresses these concerns by enabling associations to benefit from generative AI without compromising data security. This layer uses dynamic grounding to securely enrich prompts sent to large language models (LLMs), providing relevant outputs while maintaining control over sensitive information.

Most importantly, your data is always stored in Salesforce. As soon as a model processes a prompt, the input and output are forgotten, ensuring your data remains secure and private. This commitment to data security allows associations to harness the power of AI confidently.

Enhancing the Member Journey with Unified Data and AI

Salesforce Foundations equips associations with the tools to create a cohesive member journey that moves individuals from awareness to advocacy. By leveraging Data Cloud, Salesforce Einstein, and Agentforce, your team can activate AI-driven insights to provide personalized, timely member interactions across every touchpoint. 

Change is accelerating, and associations must keep up to remain relevant. Embracing an AI-first, data-driven approach will help you meet current member expectations and position your association for future success.