It’s a story that has played out at nonprofit associations across all industries: The leadership team sits down to map out their growth strategy for the year, and one theme keeps resurfacing — they’ve outgrown their toolset.
For years, a patchwork of on-site databases, spreadsheets, and siloed tools helped manage membership, renewals, events, and donations. But as the organization grew, cracks began to show.
If that story sounds familiar, you’re not alone. According to research consultancy Wipfli’s latest State of Associations, more than 80% of professional associations and 76% of trade associations plan to increase their technology investment over the next 12 months, focusing on CRM, AI, and data analytics to meet modern demands.
That’s where iMIS comes in. Built specifically for associations and nonprofits, iMIS is a cloud-based engagement management system that helps streamline operations, improve member experiences, and drive growth — all in one flexible platform.
“Nonprofit associations choose iMIS because it’s a flexible, all-in-one platform that consolidates their online presence, member and donor data, and operational tools. As your organization grows, iMIS grows with you, offering built-in functionality and automatic updates without the need for expensive customizations,” says Chadd Arthur, Vice President of enSYNC.
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iMIS is a comprehensive, cloud-based association management software (AMS) designed to meet the evolving needs of nonprofit associations and membership organizations. It integrates core functionalities into a unified platform, eliminating the need for multiple disparate systems.
“With iMIS, everything your team needs is in one place, and it’s always improving behind the scenes. That means less time juggling systems and more time focusing on what really matters: engaging your members,” says Amanda Feil, CAE, Director of Operations at enSYNC.
Here’s a quick look at key iMIS features and how they can benefit your association:
iMIS’ powerful AMS system is built to support the unique needs of associations and membership-based organizations. It captures every touchpoint from dues payments and event registrations to email clicks, committee involvement, and donation history. Unlike generic CRMs, iMIS tracks the full lifecycle of engagement for every content type in your network, whether someone is a member, prospective member, donor, volunteer, or event participant.
This robust data isn’t locked away in spreadsheets or buried in disconnected systems. iMIS’ built-in dashboards and reporting tools give your team a clear view of what’s working and what’s not, so you can adjust strategies quickly and confidently. From engagement metrics to financial reports, insights are easily accessible and actionable.
In addition, members can update their own profiles, manage preferences, and renew memberships online — creating a more efficient experience for both users and staff.
Use iMIS’s AMS to identify members whose renewals are approaching within the next 60 days. Generate a filtered list based on renewal dates, membership level, or engagement history.
Using the data stored in iMIS, run a report to find members who haven’t attended an event, opened an email, or logged into the member portal in the last 6–12 months.
Leverage iMIS’s automated address verification and duplicate detection to maintain clean, accurate contact records. Clean data ensures your messages land in the right inboxes and your reports reflect the full picture.
iMIS is built to handle the complex membership structures that many associations require, including hierarchical records and relationships for a parent organization with multiple groups or locations, multi-tiered membership levels, variable-duration terms, or special pricing for students, retirees, or corporate groups. What sets it apart is that it supports these configurations out of the box, without relying on costly custom development or manual workarounds.
Members can apply or renew online with ease, and their participation in chapters, committees, or interest groups is automatically tracked in the system. This not only reduces administrative overhead for staff but also provides a clear picture of each member’s involvement across the organization.
With iMIS, you can set up and manage multiple membership levels (e.g., basic, premium, student, corporate), each with its own pricing, benefits, and renewal rules.
Instead of manually emailing members and tracking payments, iMIS automates the entire renewal process, from reminders to payment processing to status updates.
iMIS automatically logs participation in sub-groups like chapters, committees, and special interest groups, providing insight into member involvement.
iMIS makes it simple for associations to create, manage, and update one or multiple websites directly within the platform — without requiring advanced technical skills or external content management systems. Whether you're building a public-facing site, a members-only portal, or dedicated microsites for events or chapters, everything is managed from one centralized system.
With intuitive drag-and-drop tools and templates, staff can easily update pages, post news, and publish content without waiting on a developer. The built-in content tagging functionality allows you to display the most relevant information to specific audiences, like showing student members different announcements than corporate sponsors.
For organizations with diverse communities, multilingual support allows you to create and maintain pages in multiple languages, ensuring inclusive communication across global or bilingual member bases.
With iMIS, you can build a secure, members-only area that displays personalized content such as membership status, upcoming renewals, event registrations, and tailored resources.
If your association serves a bilingual or international audience, iMIS makes it easy to maintain pages in multiple languages from the same platform.
Need a separate space for your annual conference or fundraising drive? iMIS allows you to build microsites under your main domain.
iMIS helps ease the complexity of event planning by providing tools to manage logistics, communicate with attendees, and process registrations — all within the same system. Associations can coordinate details like schedules, session types, and speakers, while also sending automated confirmations and reminders to keep participants informed without the need for manual follow-up.
For organizations that offer education or credentials, iMIS helps manage the process online. Members can apply for certifications, track their progress, and access course materials all in one place, making it easier to stay organized and reduce paperwork.
Instead of using PDF forms or email submissions, you can set up an online certification application directly in iMIS.
Using iMIS’s integration with learning tools or credentialing modules, members can log in to view their certification status, course completions, CE credits, or upcoming deadlines.
Leverage iMIS workflows to send automated emails when certifications are about to expire or when members are eligible for new training.
iMIS simplifies the way associations handle a wide range of financial transactions by bringing everything into one centralized system. Whether it’s collecting membership dues, selling event tickets, accepting donations, or managing product sales, iMIS keeps all transaction data tied directly to individual member records. This means your staff no longer needs to juggle multiple systems or manually transfer data between your AMS, event platform, and accounting software.
The platform supports multiple payment options, including credit cards, ACH, and scheduled recurring payments, making it easier for members and donors to contribute. iMIS also integrates with popular accounting systems, helping ensure accuracy in revenue reporting and streamlining reconciliation. Built-in tools for invoices, receipts, and tax documentation reduce administrative overhead and support compliance.
If you have members on one-year, two-year, or lifetime plans, you can use iMIS to assign automated billing schedules based on membership duration.
If you’re offering conference add-ons like boxed lunches, workshop seats, and T-shirts, configure iMIS to sell them as part of the registration process, rather than collect payment manually.
If your development team wants to track monthly giving across different campaigns, use iMIS’s commerce features to tag each donation by fund and generate filtered, live reports.
A tool is only as effective as the team’s ability to use it efficiently. To ensure your association gets the most from iMIS, consider these three best practices:
With so many features and training resources available in iMIS, it can be tough to know where to begin. A great starting point is to anchor your use of the platform to your organization’s specific goals.
Clearly identifying your top priorities can help you target the iMIS tools and training that will have the most impact.
“When your goals are defined, you can configure iMIS in a way that supports them directly, enabling the right modules, integrating key systems, and customizing dashboards or workflows to reflect your needs,” Feil says.
Getting the most out of iMIS isn’t just about attending a few training sessions; it’s about spreading knowledge across your organization.
Not everyone needs to join every training; one person or a small team, like your membership staff, can attend and then share what they’ve learned with others.
That knowledge-sharing can happen in whatever format works best for your team:
Working with a partner like enSYNC can make a big difference in how well your association uses iMIS. Instead of trying to figure everything out on your own, you get expert guidance tailored to your goals — whether that’s simplifying membership management, improving event registration, or getting more out of your data.
“We have worked with associations for years and know how to shape iMIS so it fits your day-to-day operations. Plus, we offer training and support to help your whole team feel confident using the platform,” Feil says. “We help organizations get the most out of their tech.”
Whether you're just getting started with iMIS or looking to deepen your team's expertise, the right resources can make a big difference. Here’s a breakdown of available resources from enSYNC to help your team grow more confident and effective with iMIS:
“iMIS is a powerful platform, but it becomes truly transformative when your team knows how to use it strategically. The more you invest in learning and aligning the system with your goals, the more value you’ll unlock for your staff, your members, and your mission,” Arthur says.
Discover how iMIS can help your association streamline operations, boost member engagement, and grow with confidence.