AMP 2026 Member Benefits Study
Your association’s endorsement carries weight. But awareness is your biggest opportunity.
We asked 199 association members how they see the benefits their associations offer: what they trust, what they recognize, how they want to hear about it, and why they pass.
Three numbers to start with
more likely to consider a product their association endorses. Only 1.5% say less likely.
can name a discount program without a prompt. 49% recognize one when shown a list.
want to hear about benefits by email. Only 27% first learned of one that way.
Members trust the endorsement
68% are more likely to consider an endorsed product. Three members said less likely.
Effect of an association endorsement on consideration. Share of all 199 members.
Neutral is not distrust. Of the 60 members who rated endorsement neutral, 51 said they decide for themselves, don’t pay attention to endorsements, or suspect a financial motive.
Only about 6% of all members voice suspicion or a negative view. Endorsement is an asset, not a guarantee.
“If my association recommends a product, I’d be more willing to give it a try because I already trust the organization.”Member, in their own words
Recognition far exceeds recall
Members recognize far more programs than they can recall on their own.
name a discount program unprompted
recognize one when shown a list
73% named at least one concrete benefit.
What members named unprompted. Share of all 199.
Email is wanted more than it is used
More than half want email, but about a quarter first learned that way.
Email shows the biggest gap between how members first learned of a benefit (27%) and how they want to hear about one (54%).
Conferences run the other way: 14% first learned of a benefit there, but only 6% prefer it. Social media is last on both lists.
Under 40 vs. 40+
Members 40 and over are the ones who say “this isn’t for me.”
| Measure | Under 40 | 40+ |
|---|---|---|
| Say benefit materials are aimed at someone like them | 66% | 47% |
| Passed on a benefit because it “doesn’t apply to me” | 9% | 25% |
| Can’t name a single benefit their association offers | 8% | 19% |
| Prefer email (no meaningful difference) | 59% | 49% |
| Recognize the discount program (no difference) | 49% | 49% |
Under 40: n=99. 40+: n=100. The first three gaps held up in a cleaned subset of 172 members.
Price and clarity, not trust
Only 7.5% cite distrust as a reason for not enrolling.
Reasons for not enrolling. Share of all 199; more than one allowed.
What members want after enrolling. Share of all 199.
What it means for your program
- Lead with the careerMembers name education, discounts, networking and advocacy. Tie every offer to the career story.
- Email is the channelIt is what members ask for and under-used as a first touch: 54% want it, 27% got it. Add the website.
- After enrollment, check inMembers want check-ins (36%) and help when something goes wrong (22%). Only 8% want to hear what else is available.
Who AMP is
AMP is a strategy consultancy for associations and the companies that offer benefits through them. We combine member research, marketing strategy and campaign direction to close the gap between “available to members” and “used by members.”
With the support of AMP’s founders, we increased our member engagement, grew product awareness and strengthened our overall marketing strategy. I highly recommend them to all leaders in the affinity and association space.
Talk to AMP about engaging your members and growing non-dues revenue
Tell us about your members and we will schedule time to connect.
About the study. AMP 2026 Member Benefits Study: 199 valid completed responses from an online incentivized panel (fielded through Pollfish and Prodege), September 30 to October 6, 2026. The panel delivered 200 responses; one test entry was removed. Quotas split respondents evenly by age (21 to 39 and 40 to 69). Everyone screened in as a member of a professional association, trade association, union or licensing board. Membership is self-reported. The sample is non-probability, so the margin of error is only a rough guide: about 7 points overall and 10 points per age group. Firm age gaps were checked against a cleaned subset of 172 members. Treat the results as directional.