From Data to Decisions: How Associations Can Confidently Manage Their Portfolios

Webinar Recap

In times of financial uncertainty and increasing pressure to do more with less, associations need a clear, strategic approach to evaluating their program portfolios. This webinar explored how to confidently conduct a portfolio analysis, moving beyond data collection to make meaningful decisions about where to invest, maintain or sunset programs.

Key Insights

The webinar covered essential frameworks for conducting an effective portfolio analysis, including:

• The readiness domains: data integrity, culture and process, and strategic focus that form the foundation for meaningful analysis.
• The common pitfalls such as trying to do everything at once, waiting for perfect data, and not defining what success looks like for each program.
• Essential indicators to track, including financial KPIs (staff costs, revenue concentration, budget volatility), mission impact metrics, and the four-quadrant framework for mapping programs by contribution and value.

The key to a portfolio analysis is to focus at the right altitude, engage stakeholders intentionally, and don't lose sight of your ultimate purpose and goals. You can take our Portfolio Readiness Assessment to identify where to focus your efforts and what resources you need to move forward confidently.

McKinley Content Leaders

Caroline Baugher, Practice Director

Jesús R. Aviña, Analyst

Ready to Get Started?

Whether you’re starting your portfolio journey or seeking a full-scale analysis, our portfolio analysis solutions blend data, stakeholder insights and strategic guidance to create actionable roadmaps and build organizational alignment.

We leverage extensive research and stakeholder input to uncover how programs are performing against their relative resource allocation. Our recommendations can be used to drive greater organizational health, growth and mission impact.

Interested in learning more about a portfolio analysis for your association? Reach out to our team to discuss how we can support your strategic program evaluation efforts.