Association Operations, Technology
A Simple Tech Stack for Associations: Tools You Actually Need
September 4, 2025 As associations grow, so does the complexity of managing members, events, communications, training, and reporting. It’s tempting to keep adding new software to meet each new need—but that often leads to a cluttered tech stack that’s harder to manage than the problems it was meant to solve.
If your staff is juggling spreadsheets, email marketing tools, form builders, learning platforms, and outdated CRMs, it might be time to rethink your approach.
Here’s how to build a simple, efficient, and sustainable tech stack for your association—using only the tools you actually need.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of layering tools over time—especially when different teams or volunteers bring in software that solves a single issue.
But this approach often leads to:
The solution? Choose tools that work together (or even better, consolidate into one system), so you can spend less time managing technology and more time serving your members.
1. Membership Management Platform
The heart of your association’s operations. Look for tools that include:
🟠 Jumbl is an example of an all-in-one platform that includes all of the above—and more.
2. Event Management System
Whether you host trainings, annual meetings, or virtual conferences, you’ll need a tool to handle:
👉 Ideally, your membership platform and event system are the same tool or tightly integrated.
3. Email & Communication Tools
Consistent communication with segmentation capability is key for engagement and retention.
📧 If your membership platform includes built-in email tools, use them! If not, make sure your external email platform (like Mailjet, Mailchimp, or Constant Contact) can sync with your CRM so lists stay current and messaging stays relevant.
4. Online Forms & Surveys
You’ll need these for collecting:
💡 Many membership platforms (like Jumbl) include drag-and-drop form builders so you don’t need another tool like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey.
5. Learning Management System (LMS)
If your association offers trainings, continuing education, or certifications, an LMS can:
✅ Jumbl includes a built-in LMS designed for associations—saving you the cost and hassle of integrating a separate learning tool.
You don’t need five different tools to manage members, events, and trainings—you need one reliable, integrated platform that can grow with you.
We partnered with Jumbl recently and have been particularly impressed with their customer service. They were patient, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable and confident in utilizing the product. Throughout the onboarding process, Jodi has helped our team become proficient with the new software, and we noticed immediate improvements in our workflow.
We continue to be impressed with the Jumbl platform’s ability to help us with member communication, accounting, special groups, etc., so we can concentrate on serving our members’ needs. We could not be more impressed with the platform and the service provided by the staff as they helped us onboard and integrate it into our processes.
Missouri Press Association has had a great experience with Jumbl! The staff have been working with us to develop solutions to consolidate our association management needs and have been patient in our transition to this much-needed upgrade to our membership, donation, newspapers in education and communication software systems. I think it will be a game changer in the way we are able to communicate with our members, vendors and supporters!”
