Grow Your Impact This Spring

On April 20, the Spring Term begins for both the CAE^® designation and CSAE’s individual courses — and registration is now open. Whether you’re working toward your CAE^® or building targeted expertise through a micro-credentialed course, this is your opportunity to strengthen your leadership, governance, and strategic impact in the association sector.

Governance Forum: Leveraging Strategic Oversight to Achieve Impact

September 17, 1.00 - 4.00 PM EST
Virtual

Governance is getting more complex - and that’s exactly what CSAE members have been telling us. In response, we’ve revisited and reimagined our Governance Forum to focus on the real challenges Boards and CEOs are facing right now. Join us along with Dr. David Weiss for a practical session designed to strengthen alignment, clarify roles, and move strategy forward.

Bring your Board and get it in the calendar.

Call for Speakers: CSAE 2026 – ANCHORED

The CSAE Annual Conference is heading to St. John's, and we’re inviting thought leaders and practitioners from across the association sector to share their insights.

Our attendees are looking for practical tools, new strategies, and bold ideas to help them better support their organizations, members, and volunteers. If you have a story, case study, or strategy worth sharing, we encourage you to submit a proposal. Closing date: April 19.

The Western Summit 2026: Join Us in Winnipeg

April 22–24
Winnipeg, MB

There’s still time to register for the Western Summit, taking place in the heart of Winnipeg — an accessible and welcoming destination for association professionals. Hear from keynote speaker Kaleb Dahlgren on resilience and leadership, explore bold conversations like Diary of a Flawed Leader with Tracey Maconachie, and discover strategies to strengthen your association’s operations, events, and learning programs.

Advocacy Hour Is Here - Be Part of the Conversation

April 16, and third Thursday of every month
12-1.00 PM EST

In partnership with First Lake Solutions, CSAE is launching Advocacy Hour — a new monthly webinar series featuring influential voices from across Canada.

We’re kicking things off with Navigating Gen Z: Understanding the Generation Re-Shaping Canadian Politics, featuring Kyla Ronellenfitsch. Her latest research explores how young Canadians are engaging with politics and what it means for organizations competing for attention and influence.

Be Part of the CSAE Community

Being part of a like-minded community has never been more important, as we stand stronger together. CSAE membership has many benefits, including access to exclusive member-only content, discounts on in-person events and the ability to work towards the professionally recognized CAE designation.

A 20-year career journey shaped by CSAE – highlighting community, learning, leadership, development and the powerful impact of belonging to a supportive association network.

Explore content on the key competencies of governance, organizational direction, leading people, operations and value to membership:

Employers...
Leverage CSAE’s relationship with over 15,000 association executives to fill your next position. Post your job to AssociationJobs.ca now! CSAE members save 40%.

Job Seekers...
Interested in finding the latest career opportunities in the association sector? Click here to find the most recent postings, such as:

Title: President & Chief Executive Officer
Organization: Electro-Federation Canada (EFC)
Location: Toronto (Region), Ontario
Get more details

Title: Executive Director
Organization: MISA Ontario
Location: Ontario - Remote
Get more details

Title: Manager, Member Relations
Organization: CAPDM
Location: Working from home
Get more details

Webinar: Beyond Benefits: Using Coverage to Deepen Engagement and Amplify Impact 
April 30, 2026 | 12PM EST  
Online - Free

Benefits can be a powerful differentiator—not just a necessity. This session looks beyond traditional coverage to explore how employee benefits can strengthen member engagement, reinforce organizational value, and support broader association goals. Learn how a strategic benefits offering can deepen relationships, drive participation, and enhance the overall impact of your organization. 

Brought to you by:

Resources: Discover the Member Engagement Guide

Keeping members engaged is essential for your association’s long-term growth, but it’s getting harder with shifting demographics and rising competition. In this guide, uncover strategies on building effective learning programs for members with real-world examples from the International Municipal Signal Association, (ISC)2, Canadian Marketing Association and the Irish Deaf Society.

Offered by:

Will AI Recommend Your Association?

As members and prospects shift toward AI-driven search, associations risk becoming invisible. The Ways and Means has launched The AI SEO for Associations Initiative to help organizations protect their authority.

Download the free AI SEO Checklist for Associations to take the first step to ensure AI models like Gemini and ChatGPT recognize, verify, and cite your organization as the industry’s source of truth. You can also view the Blog here.

Offered by:

Why Members Renew: Reframing the Association Value Proposition
Potential members are more cautious, and longtime members are questioning whether the juice is worth the squeeze. It’s tempting to frame this as a loss of loyalty or interest, but membership is being evaluated differently these days. Today’s professionals are asking, “Is this worth my time, money, and attention?” That mindset shift directly affects retention, renewal behaviors, and the relevance of your association at different points in their careers.
Association Adviser

Can AI Make Executive Decisions?
Leaders are leaning on AI to guide their actions, with few clear benefits so far. If associations are the collaborative organizations they assert themselves to be—steered intelligently by diverse and informed boards, as they often claim to be—over-reliance on AI for direction-setting can only be bad news. It may help to see AI as part of a process, not its end.
Associations Now

Learning by Design
Marketing and communications work best when they are treated as learned skills that live across the organization. The work may sit with a dedicated team, but the impact is shaped by many hands: staff who write, leaders who speak, volunteers who represent the mission, and members who share and respond to values. When communication is left to instinct, quality varies by person and moment; when it’s taught, practiced, and reinforced, associations build trust that holds under pressure.
ASAE

The 2026 CSAE Benefits & Compensation Report, developed in partnership with The Portage Group, is now available. This trusted resource offers Canadian association leaders high-level insights into compensation, benefits, and total rewards trends—designed to support informed planning and governance discussions. Explore the full report to see how your organization compares.

Even if you’re not using AI – or aren’t sure it’s right for your organization – your peers likely are. The CSAE–Bramm Research Generative AI Survey Report reveals how Canadian associations are experimenting with AI, the benefits they’re seeing, and the risks they’re managing. See real adoption rates, common use cases, and policy approaches so you can make informed decisions about your next steps.

This interactive guide introduces associations, their role in society, and common types. It also covers the structure of Canadian associations, detailing the roles and duties of the Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers. With detailed explanations, case studies, and examples, “Intro to Associations” is an essential resource for professionals and volunteers new to the association world.

CSAE's partners are best-in-class companies that deliver quality products and/or services to the association sector.