NAIFA in the 21st Century


NAIFA 21 Update:
Task Forces Bring Strategic Plan Closer to Reality

March 14, 2007

Greetings, fellow NAIFA member:

I want to update you on the extraordinary progress that has been made toward remaking NAIFA to meet your needs in the 21st century.

You may recall that on January 22, I sent you a message announcing the NAIFA Board of Trustees’ unanimous approval of an exciting and a dynamic strategic plan, titled “NAIFA in the 21st Century.” That plan presents a strategic framework on which to rebuild a professional association for agents and advisors that provides much more value in a dramatically different way.

You can read more about the board-approved plan at www.naifa.org/newsevents/21stcentury/documents/strategicplan_01-22-07.pdf .

To accomplish the strategic goals, the board created task forces comprised of volunteer leaders and staff from across the NAIFA federation to develop tactics and programs that will give life to this historic plan. Meeting between March 1 and 6, the task forces did just that, focusing on the areas our market research told us needed attention: education and sales training, advocacy, networking, marketing and communications, and governance.

To view the research findings used to support the development and delivery of product value to NAIFA members in these areas, go to www.naifa.org/newsevents/21stcentury/documents/NAIFA_Final_Presentation2.pdf.

The task forces generated great ideas and several products that will be implemented immediately, within 90 days or in the longer term. Let me share with you some of the ideas intended to impact your career:

  • Career Development. Part of the new mission of NAIFA 21 is to create programs that lead to the success of agents and advisors—no matter what stage of their career they are in. To that end, NAIFA has begun work to create a career resource center unlike any in the industry. It will bring together the people, resources and technology to develop and deliver products for members in any career stage (novice, middle, accomplished), practice specialty and distribution channel.

    Go to www.naifa.org/newsevents/21stcentury/documents/career.pdf to read more about the task force work in the education and sales training area.
  • Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy. NAIFA’s legislative and regulatory activities, at the federal and state levels, bring tremendous value to members and the industry. NAIFA will reassert its advocacy leadership position by strengthening its political involvement (APIC) and political action (IFAPAC) programs. NAIFA will hire a consultant to evaluate the grassroots programs and determine how they may be improved. Additionally, NAIFA will improve its communication so all NAIFA members understand the importance of NAIFA advocacy. No organization is better positioned to affect legislation and regulation for the benefit of advisors and their clients.

    Go to www.naifa.org/newsevents/21stcentury/documents/advocacy.pdf to read more about the task force work on advocacy.
  • Networking. Recognizing the desire of members to network, both online and face to face, NAIFA is developing a national interactive database that will allow members to connect with other professionals using any number of criteria, including practice specialty, areas of interest, geographic location, age, ethnicity and gender. NAIFA will also incorporate creative means for members to interact, including “speed networking” and online study groups.

    Go to www.naifa.org/newsevents/21stcentury/documents/networking.pdf to read more about the task force work on networking.

  • Communication. NAIFA is working to better communicate the value of NAIFA membership—to members as well as prospective members. An important component to the plan will be to transform NAIFA.org and make it the “online gateway” to all of NAIFA’s 21st century products and services.

  • Membership Marketing. NAIFA is developing a regional (paid) recruiter program to augment the existing system, which relies primarily on volunteers to recruit agents and advisors to NAIFA. To further advance marketing efforts, NAIFA will engage a marketing communications firm to develop and implement a marketing plan to promote the NAIFA 21 plan to the federation, and showcase the 21st century NAIFA to potential members. Proposals will be reviewed in two weeks, with a firm to be named the first week of April.

A governance task force also met to develop strategies, tactics and procedures to ensure the long-term success and viability of local associations in the 21st century envisioned in NAIFA’s strategic plan. The task force considered several proposals that will be presented to the national board at its meeting April 13-14. The board will then present its recommendations to a larger group of federation leaders attending NAIFA’s annual National Leadership Conference April 14-17.

Specific timelines and costs for implementing the plan are being worked out and will be presented in a full report to the board in April. Between now and then, I will share with you any details I can on progress toward implementing the “NAIFA in the 21st Century” plan.

On behalf of the national board, I want to express my sincerest appreciation to the members of the task forces, the leadership from Florida, Illinois, New York and Wisconsin, and others who have been so helpful in this process. The input—not to mention the passion for NAIFA—has been tremendous.

We are moving NAIFA in the 21st Century closer to becoming a reality. I hope you are as excited as I am about what is to come.

If you want to share your thoughts on the plan or want to see what others in the NAIFA federation think, visit the NAIFA 21 blog at www.naifa.org/21stcentury. And check this page regularly for updates on NAIFA in the 21st Century.

John Davidson, LUTCF, FSS
NAIFA President

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