In a time when there are more questions than answers about COVID-19, the National Club Association (NCA) has provided unprecedented leadership to assist private clubs. As the novel coronavirus pandemic took hold in the United States, NCA reacted quickly and decisively providing education and guidance on ways to keep staff and members safe, communicate facility closures, and understand the legislative relief options available to clubs.
NCA’s quick pivot to a fast-response and comprehensive approach provided the industry with critical guidance, timely updates, easy-to-understand information, and advocacy initiatives that serve as a consistent and trustworthy resource for clubs during an uncertain time. Our approach included creating a central repository for COVID-19-related information and resources, educational programs to provide expert insight on wide-ranging topics, communications for the entire club community and a comprehensive advocacy initiative to ensure that the private club industry was represented with a unified grassroots effort.
While serving our members always comes first, we also believe in serving the private club community, which led us to sharing these resources for nonmembers during this time.
Provide Critical Information
As often happens in times of crisis, finding credible information and critical guidance can be challenging. In order to provide club-specific information, in only a few days, NCA’s staff created robust Coronavirus Resource Center, a comprehensive support website updated daily with resources, FAQs and guidance to help clubs navigate issues in areas of legislation, leadership, membership, operations, workforce and health & safety.
NCA’s Coronavirus Resource Center rapidly became a vital resource for thousands in the club community and allows clubs to submit questions for NCA to address. Website data for the first six weeks shows nearly 10,000 unique visitors to the website totaling nearly 20,000 unique page views.
To keep the industry informed on the rapidly evolving situation, NCA launched “COVID-19 Club Update,” compiling the latest resources from trusted sources. The newsletter, published two to three times per week, organizes important resources and provides critical advocacy updates, COVID-19 stats and visuals, industry statistics and relevant news stories, many of which are also added to our new Coronavirus Resource Center. As of mid-May, the COVID-19 Club Update newsletter is sent to 6,200 member and nonmember subscribers.
Educating the Club Community
Just as important as critical content, providing timely and effective guidance through NCA’s frequent Town Hall Webinar Series proved to be popular beyond expectations and widely regarded as the industry’s best. NCA’s first Town Hall webinar, which included experts on health and safety, finance, operations, labor law and relief legislation, drew more than 2,400 attendees and scored 4.6 out of 5 by participants. As of mid-June, some 32 webinars were presented, with the total number of attendees surpassing 12,000 participants. Topics have addressed legal and workforce issues, operations, accounting and finance, health and safety, and legislation. The most recent webinars are focused on reopening the club and address key facilities like pools, tennis and racquet sport, fitness centers and youth camps as well as sessions on economics and workforce issues. All webinars are recorded and available to the entire club community.
NCA is working with our corporate partners and associate members to aid all private clubs in navigating this crisis. These allies have shared information for our Coronavirus Resource Center as well as education for our Town Hall webinar series. We are deeply proud of the support and strength NCA could harness from our industry leaders.
To help clubs reopen safely, NCA launched the Blueprint for Reopening Private Clubs. This publication is a compilation of shared resources across numerous industries, organizations and agencies that NCA has collected and disseminated through our Coronavirus Resource Center. The Blueprint catalogs the best resources in one document organized by club departments, facilities, programs and operations categories.
Leading a Grassroots Effort
NCA has been lobbying for the club industry from the start, focusing on three areas: Advocating to Congress on the importance of relief for the industry, communicating with clubs on how to receive aid from relief packages, and leading campaigns to engage clubs in contacting their representatives to include nonprofit clubs in future relief assistance. You can read more about advocacy efforts by NCA’s Vice President of Government Relations Joe Trauger in his column.
NCA led the industry’s grassroots advocacy effort organizing two campaigns to make clubs’ voices heard. To support the inclusion of clubs in relief legislation, the first was a plan that provided clubs with customizable language to submit to their representatives, quick access to identify their representatives, and directives to share the plan. The second engaged clubs to sign on to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce letter advocating Congress to include all nonprofits, especially 501(c)(7)s), in future relief efforts. Of the roughly 3,500 nonprofit organizations that signed onto the letter, more than 10% (387) were from clubs.
To communicate complex advocacy information on Congressional actions, NCA lobbying, and how clubs can benefit from relief legislation, NCA created the COVID-19 Legislative Club Update podcast with regular episodes from NCA’s VP of Government Relations Joe Trauger. In just over a month, NCA’s podcast total listens surpassed 3,200 on platforms like Spotify, and is growing.
Looking to the Future
NCA quickly understood that COVID-19 would fundamentally change the private club community. We are committed to tailoring our services to provide the best information to the private club community during this crisis and into the “new normal.” Looking toward the industry’s future, NCA believes that effective strategies and leadership are needed to navigate the crisis. Creative ways to plan for new protocols will help keep the club industry strong.
NCA will assist clubs in identifying critical operational, financial, legal and safety issues and collaborate to create plans to address these issues. Clubs are social gathering spots. New personal distancing protocols and ways in which group events and social gatherings occur will impact when members will return to the club as people reconnect.
NCA has addressed issues related to the health and safety of staff and members and this will continue to be a top priority as clubs work to maintain their reputation as a safe haven. Disaster relief is another area where NCA’s advocacy work will remain a priority as clubs look to retain/rehire their workforce, reopen their dining and rec- reational facilities and again look to be the social hub for their members. New strategic and operational plans—both short- and long-term—will need to be developed as well as financial guidance to help ensure clubs maintain healthy balance sheets.
NCA has assisted all clubs that requested information or assistance and continues to be a valuable resource for the entire club community. NCA board member and COO of River Oaks Country Club Joe Bendy said, “Everything is changing multiple times per day and I appreciate all of the energy NCA is expending to provide accurate, useful and timely information to the club community as well as a sense of calm during this time of uncertainty. . . . Proud to be part of an association that is putting the needs of our industry as a whole, as a top priority.”
When the pandemic ends, NCA will be ready to support the club community in whatever new challenge or opportunity presents itself.
Cindy Vizza is NCA’s vice president of communications. She can be reached at [email protected].