Full-service association management with Transparent, Predictable, Performance-Aligned Pricing.
Most AMCs bill by the hour. We don’t. At Audience Development Strategies, we use an annual retainer (paid monthly) with a growth commission tied to year over year membership or sponsorship increases.
No clock. No overages. No stalled work.
Table of Contents
What to Expect
Our full-service AMC engagements range from $60,000 – $250,000 per year, paid in predictable monthly installments. We also typically include a performance commission in our contracts — a bonus we only earn if your membership or sponsorship revenue grows year over year. This structure keeps our incentives aligned with yours: we only get rewarded when you do. It motivates us to think beyond day-to-day operations and focus on the long-term growth of your association.
What Can Increase Price
Number of members: Larger associations require more day-to-day support answering member questions and managing records.
Number of events or conferences: Each major event adds planning, logistics, and staffing.
Government affairs strategy and coordination: Associations that require legislative and regulatory analysis, advocacy communications, or coordination with external lobbying partners may require additional support from our government affairs specialists.
Multi-chapter or regional structure: Associations with multiple chapters or regions take additional coordination and reporting.
Board and committee meeting frequency
Supporting leadership is a core part of what we do, but associations with very frequent board or committee meetings require more dedicated staff time.
What Can Decrease Price
Fewer members: Smaller associations naturally require fewer hours of support.
Limited events: Associations with only one or two major events per year typically fall toward the lower end of our pricing range.
No government affairs/lobbying needs: If your association doesn’t require this, your fee will be lower.
Single-chapter structure: Associations without regional chapters are simpler to manage and keep costs down.
Centralized leadership
Associations with smaller, more centralized leadership are usually simpler to manage and coordinate with.
Organized email lists
Clean, well-structured mailing lists make communications smoother and reduce admin time.
What Doesn't Change Price
Extra emails or newsletters
Whether we send two communications a month or six, our workflows scale smoothly. More emails won’t increase your fee.
Social media activity
Posting updates across LinkedIn, Facebook, or other platforms doesn’t affect your pricing — it’s included in full-service management. We post 3-5 times per week for most of our clients.
Webinars or small in-person events
A handful of webinars or small networking receptions won’t move your pricing. Only large-scale conferences drive major cost differences.
Promotional materials & graphic design
Extra flyers, banners, or printed materials won’t increase your fee. All of our clients benefit from professional-quality graphics created in Adobe, ensuring materials are crisp, consistent, and ready for print or digital use.
Vendor coordination
Managing caterers, AV teams, or hotels is built into our event planning process. You won’t see surprise charges for coordination.
Hourly VS Annual Retainer
| Feature | Typical Hourly-Billing AMC | ADS Annual Retainer + Commission |
|---|---|---|
| How You’re Charged | Pay for set hours per month | Fixed annual fee, invoiced monthly |
| When Work Stops | Pauses when hours run out; pay overages | Work continues as planned |
| Budget Predictability | Variable invoices | Consistent monthly payment - easy to budget for |
| Overage Risk | High during busy seasons | None on agreed scope |
| Incentives | Same pay whether you grow or not | We earn more when you grow, so we always go the extra mile |
| Board Experience | Frustration when hours are gone | Confident that projects will get finished |
What's Included with Full-Service Management
These are examples of services typically included in our contracts and Scope of Services. Every industry is unique, and your association may require additional support. We’ll work with you to build a scope of services tailored to your exact needs.
- Governance and Board Management
- Events and Conferences
- Programming
- Member Engagement
- Member Recruitment & Retention
- Administration
- Finance
- Database Management
- Website Maintenance and Upgrades
- Newsletters
- Social Media
- Graphic Design
- Strategic Planning
- Sales & Sponsorship Outreach
Why Some AMCs Cost More or Less
Not all AMC pricing is created equal. Here’s what typically drives those differences:
Why Some Companies Cost More
High overhead: Larger firms often carry the weight of big offices, larger admin teams, and senior-heavy staff structures.
Bureaucratic processes: Bigger AMCs can be slower and less flexible, which frustrates boards that want proactive management.
Paying for the brand name: Some large, well-known AMCs command premium pricing simply because of their reputation, not because they deliver more value.
Staffing models: In some cases, you’ll have multiple specialists assigned to your account — but the extra cost doesn’t always translate into stronger results.
Why Some Companies Cost Less
Minimal scope: Lower-cost AMCs often stick to basic administration — keeping the lights on, but not driving growth or strategic change.
Overextended staff: In some firms, one person manages 5-7 associations. Boards often notice this in the form of slow response times and reactive support.
Outsourcing hidden costs: Many firms don’t have in-house design or web capacity, so they outsource.
Hourly caps: A “low” monthly rate may look attractive at first, but once the contracted hours run out, you face overages that push your actual spend much higher.
Where ADS Fits
We position ourselves deliberately in the middle:
Not the cheapest, not the most expensive.
Full scope included — board governance, event management, sponsorship sales, finance, communications, and in-house design.
No hidden outsourcing. Our in-house graphic design saves associations money and ensures your branding is consistent and high quality.
Predictable pricing. Unlike hourly firms, we don’t stall work when hours run out. You’ll know exactly what your annual fee covers.
Growth-focused incentives. Our commission model ensures we only get rewarded when your association grows.
Pricing FAQs
Why Don't You Bill Hourly?
Hourly caps stall work and create surprise invoices. Our retainer keeps initiatives moving and makes budgeting simple for boards. When we develop a great new idea for your organization, we don’t want a set number of hours to limit our ability to execute.
What's Included in the Retainer?
All agreed full-service scope — governance, events, membership, marketing, sponsorships, finance, reporting.
What's Not Included in the Retainer?
Travel expenses incurred during events, meetings or member outreach. Outsourced services such as attorney fees, accounting fees, or legal fees. Direct event expense such as venue expense, trophies, the cost of printing marketing materials and signage, speaker fees, A/V needs.
What's Included in Government Affairs Services?
Integrated government affairs strategy, communications, and coordination aligned with your organization’s priorities. This includes tracking and interpreting legislative and regulatory developments, as well as helping organizations anticipate changes, align early, and respond strategically.
What About a Full Website Redesign or Database Migration?
Websites
ADS manages the day-to-day maintenance and design of all client websites in-house. If your association is interested in a complete website redesign or migration to a new platform, we will facilitate that process with our web developer. There will be an additional fee to compensate our web developer.
AMS/Database Migration
ADS recommends that all of our clients with greater than 100 members use an Association Management System. We recommend using GrowthZone, but we never require your association to use a specific platform. There may be an additional fee to migrate depending on the complexity of the data, and type of AMS transition.
How Does Commission Work?
At year-end we review year-over-year membership and/or sponsorship growth. A pre-agreed bonus percentage applies only if growth targets are met.
Are ADS Services Taxable?
No, you are not charged taxes on ADS services.
Do We Charge for In-House Printing?
No, all in-house printing (such as board meeting packets, small quantities of flyers, and name badges) is done at no charge. You will only be charged for the cost of printing outsourced materials such as signage, banners, postcards, and flyers.
Is there a Fee to Store Association Materials?
We do not charge a fee for our clients to store association materials at our office.
Do We Put an Escalation Clause in Contracts?
We only put an escalation clause in contracts if the contract is for 3 years or more.
Do We Markup Vendor Costs?
In the AMC world, it’s not uncommon for firms to mark up vendor costs — adding margin to services like email platforms, databases, or event tools. That creates hidden costs and breaks trust.
ADS takes a different approach. We never mark up vendor invoices. Instead, we’re part of the partner programs at Constant Contact and GrowthZone. That means our clients benefit from better service and support, while we receive a commission directly from the vendor. You pay the same (or less), and you see exactly where your dollars go.
Pricing Estimator
How much should you be paying for a full-service AMC? Take the quiz and find out!
Please keep in mind that this is only an estimate to guide you, not an exact price. Every association is unique, and there are many factors that affect how much your association should spend on an AMC. The pricing tool uses information about what our clients actually pay to calculate your estimate.