Every January, I like to reflect on the previous year and consider what the coming year might hold for associations, nonprofits, and Matrix Group. This year, I did something different. I invited a few of my amazing team members at Matrix Group to join me on our podcast, Associations Thrive, to talk about the major trends they saw in 2025 and what they believe is coming in 2026.
Joining me were Dave Hoernig (VP of Software Engineering), Jessica Parsley (Director of Project Management), and Alex Pineda (Creative Director). We had a wide-ranging conversation, and here are the key takeaways and predictions from our conversation:
AI Is No Longer Optional
AI was, unsurprisingly, the biggest theme of 2025. Jessica talked about how many of our clients are turbocharging their teams by:
- Investing in AI skills and training
- Creating internal policies for responsible AI use
- Building custom GPTs to speed up content creation
- Using AI to streamline editing, content repurposing, and task management
Dave shared how AI is revolutionizing content migration, especially turning PDF documents into accessible, searchable HTML. He also brought up a big existential question facing associations:
What content should be visible to AI, and what should remain members-only?
He talked about how associations are starting to experiment with making abstracts public while keeping full articles gated; this is the same approach academic publishers have used for years.
AI is also influencing how we format content to make it discoverable to AI engines. Schema markup, summaries, and multimedia versions (like read-alouds) are increasingly important.
Telling the Story of the Industry
Alex noticed a major shift in web design: associations are doing a better job of telling the story not just of the association, but of the profession or industry they represent. These “About the Industry” sections:
- Help the public understand the value of the profession
- Position the association as a thought leader
- Offer lawmakers, potential members, and partners important context
But it’s not easy. Crafting this content requires strategic thinking, consensus building, and often new storytelling skills.
Doing More with Less
Jessica saw that many associations felt more budget-constrained in 2025. But instead of just of delaying projects, they asked:
- “What small changes can we make to our website and email campaigns NOW that will have a big impact?”
- “What are the biggest pain points experienced by our members or staff?”
- “Can analytics guide our next move?”
Alex noted that we’re increasingly using analytics to make smart, incremental improvements, like optimizing navigation, restructuring key pages, or adjusting content strategy. Full redesigns are great, but if there isn’t time or budget, then light refreshes are the way to go.
Associations Are Going Multimedia
There is a growing shift away from long blocks of text and toward audio, video, and interactive content:
- Podcasts and read-aloud tools are making content more accessible.
- Members, especially younger members, increasingly prefer to watch or listen, rather than read.
Alex and Jessica both emphasized that younger generations are mobile-first, visual-first, and audio-first. If associations want to attract the next generation, their content and design strategies need to reflect that.
Personalization Is Finally Achievable
We’ve talked about personalization for years, but 2025 was the year it became practical for more organizations.
Dave shared that personalization is easier to implement now because:
- You no longer need to manually tag every piece of content
- AI can analyze member behavior and personalize on the fly
- Tools can now offer Netflix-style, personalized recommendations based on user behavior and demographics
Imagine offering a member a curated education journey based on their career stage. Duolingo is a great example of this! I’m an avid Duolingo-er and love that my practice lessons are customized just for me. That’s the future for associations and it’s already here.
Mobile and Voice Are Becoming Even More Important
Alex noted that mobile traffic is growing, even if analytics still show desktop in the lead for most of our clients and their websites. Younger members are doing everything on their phones and they’re the members of the future. All of this means:
- Mobile design needs to be more comprehensive
- Voice navigation and voice search are increasingly relevant
If it’s not easy to find or access your content via mobile or voice, you’re invisible to a big part of your audience.
Community Will Be the Differentiator in 2026
Jessica made a critical point: it will be harder than ever for associations to be seen as the authority in their industry. AI answer engines like ChatGPT and Gemini are giving users quick answers without attribution. That means your content might not be recognized as coming from your organizations. So how do associations stay relevant?
One important answer: Double down on community.
Associations will need to:
- Create spaces (in-person and virtual) for connection and expertise-sharing
- Offer value that can’t be replicated by an AI bot
- Make membership the gateway to the best insights, not just the publicly available ones
- Create smaller events, cohorts, and niche groups to create intimacy within the membership
A More Level Playing Field
As we closed out the podcast, I shared a final hope: that the new wave of AI tools will level the playing field for smaller associations. These tools let even the smallest team:
- Create great content
- Design beautiful experiences
- Offer personalized, member-driven services
You don’t need a giant staff or massive budget to be effective in 2026. But you do need to be smart, strategic, and open to using AI tools to make your organization more high-performing and authoritative.
So what do you think? What trends did YOUR organization see in 2025? What are you preparing for in 2026? Let’s keep the conversation going!
