How a Leading Education Association Rebuilt Relevance — and Achieved 15% Membership Growth
mdg helped one of the most well-known organizations in the education space reverse its membership decline and modernize its flagship programs.
Case Study
- 30% increase in National Elementary Honor Society chapters in the first year
- 15% membership growth across National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society chapters
- Budgetary goals exceeded in the first quarter
Client
National Principals Association (NPA), formerly National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
Challenge
The National Principals Association (NPA) (formerly, National Association of Secondary School Principals Association (NASSP) had long been the leading organization for middle school and high school principals, assistant principals and other school leaders across the United States. But recognition wasn’t the same as relevance. Membership was declining, the organization’s flagship programs — the National Honor Societies, National Student Council and National Principal of the Year — were losing momentum, and its marketing lacked the consistency and creative ambition to connect with a new generation of educators. Leadership launched a two-year transformation with an ambitious goal: modernize the brand, strengthen member engagement and reverse the downward trend.
Approach
mdg served as NASSP’s marketing and communications department, leading research, planning and execution across membership acquisition, engagement and retention. The work began with a comprehensive brand refresh for NASSP and its student programs, including a new modular design system that gave each sub-brand its own identity while maintaining organizational consistency. mdg also rebuilt the website with a new CMS and responsive design, revamped publications, launched integrated acquisition campaigns across direct mail, email and social, and restructured the fee and benefits model for the National Honor Society programs.
Results
The partnership delivered measurable gains across membership, digital engagement and brand performance. National Elementary Honor Society chapters grew 30%, while National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society membership increased 15%. Budget goals were exceeded within the first quarter of the fiscal year, the redesigned publications earned multiple national industry awards, and digital improvements drove a 200% increase in online store visits alongside a 20% reduction in mobile bounce rate.
Frequently asked questions
Sustainable association growth requires more than successful membership campaigns or well-attended events. It depends on aligning marketing, membership, education, certification, communications and organizational priorities around shared goals and evolving member needs. mdg helps associations identify focus areas and develop practical plans for long-term growth through a variety of services, including audience research, organizational strategies and event marketing.
Organizations with limited budgets benefit most from removing friction throughout the membership journey. That includes clearly communicating the value of membership, simplifying the path to join and ensuring the program delivers benefits that truly reflect the needs of its intended audience.
Brand investment helps associations communicate why membership matters. A clear, consistent brand reinforces your organization’s value at every stage of the membership journey — from initial awareness and consideration to renewal and advocacy. That’s especially important as younger professionals evaluate memberships through the lens of career growth, community, learning opportunities and return on investment. For NPA, a modernized brand helped strengthen the case for membership across its flagship programs.
The most effective brand systems balance consistency with flexibility. A strong parent brand establishes shared visual and messaging standards, while individual sub- brands have enough distinct identity to resonate with their specific audiences. For NPA, mdg created a modular brand system that unified the organization while giving each flagship program its own recognizable identity.
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