"SOCA* can help you be a better association in the area that really counts - fostering a sense of community"

Now more than ever community is a recognized value, a sense of being connected that moves people beyond a "consumer" mindset to one where voluntary commitment of time and resources is commonplace. To measure the sense of community among an association's members, The Center for Association Leadership developed The State of Community Assessment or SOCA.

SOCA addresses the experiences members have with other members and with their association. To do this the SOCA survey covers key topics such as: perceptions of participation and supportiveness, member to member interaction, the ability of the association to meet member needs, association website ratings, the member's participation level and likelihood of renewing.

So what can SOCA tell you? SOCA provides answers to important questions that can shape your success as an association. Questions such as: how do members perceive your association, do they feel connected, what are member's top priorities for change, and what is the impact of online communities and communications on member relations?

Bottom line, SOCA can be an important new tool in helping your association focus staff energies and fiscal resources where they are really needed - in building and maintaining that all-important sense of community.

Here's what SOCA users have to say about why they used this important tool:

• Unlike traditional member needs assessments, only SOCA gets at the critical issue of community.
• Only SOCA can generate the depth of information your association needs to build on its community strengths and address areas of community weaknesses.
• Only SOCA is backed by extensive research into the community concept by The Center for Association Leadership, and is "priced right" for these cost conscious times.
• Only SOCA lets you benchmark your association against association norms on the issue of community.
• Items of special interest for your association may be added to the standard SOCA survey -- a definite plus.

SOCA can be tailored to your association's unique support needs through its range of administration and survey service options. The SOCA is available for Internet and/or paper administration. For associations seeking outside support in utilizing the SOCA survey, SPR Center offers a full range of SOCA survey services. These services range from administration and data entry to reporting, analysis and action planning - all backed by SPR Center's commitment to flexibility and fast turnaround.