Whether it’s a bar association, a teachers union, a club or professional society, affinity groups know that one of the best ways to attract and retain membership is to offer insurance to their members. In fact, many are looking to add health care benefits to their growing lists of membership benefits. Providing access to an array of member benefits including insurance is not only a proven way for attracting and retaining members, but it is also a way to generate non-dues revenues to help these groups not only survive but thrive in these tough economic times.
However, there is a big misconception in the broker world that the affinity or association business is old and tired, and groups are disinterested or unwilling to expand their insurance programs. This may be because brokers have fallen into the habit of offering the same products and services to these groups over the years, instead of considering which products would best meet the group members’ needs, and how these additional benefits could foster growth for the organization as a whole.
