We recently gathered our Novi family for a lively discussion on Novi Census, a tool designed to help associations collect accurate member data with ease. After coming out of beta testing earlier this year, Novi customers have had six months of using Census in real life, and in creative ways. (If you missed the Census roundtable from earlier this year, you can watch it here.)
In this roundtable, association leaders shared their experiences, lessons learned, and practical tips. Special thanks to Michelle Shea (MISBO) and Clay Gibney (SAIS) for joining us to showcase how they’ve used Census in the independent school association space.
Watch the Recording
What is Novi Census?
If you’re new to the feature, here’s a quick refresher:
Create targeted projects: prompting members (or non-members) to update specific profile fields.
Configure flexibility: choose required vs. optional fields, and set which fields require admin approval before updating.
Track progress easily: view completion status, compare old vs. new values, and review submissions directly from your admin dashboard.
Deliver seamlessly: members receive prompts via email or in their Member Compass, with no login required for most census types.
Think of each Census as a project. You launch it, set reminders, collect responses, and close it out. It’s not ongoing; it’s intentional and repeatable whenever you need updated data.
Customer Success Stories
Michelle Shea, MISBO
Michelle shared MISBO’s journey of experimenting with Census:
First attempt: a quick-turn project with just 20 minutes’ prep time and the Census only being open for 2 hours yielded an 11% response rate. “Success meant simply getting some data our president needed that weekend.”
Annual dues renewal: MISBO’s dues are based on student count, making that field essential. A late-April census targeted billing contacts to confirm enrollment numbers ahead of auto-renewals. They saw a 25–26% response rate.
Tips from Michelle:
Don’t be afraid to send a census for just one field if that’s what you need.
Keep messaging consistent with your organization’s voice. MISBO has a defined voice using witty, slightly snarky tones to build trust and engagement.
Plan communications carefully, timing, reminders, and voice matter.
Use census projects as a chance to reinforce familiarity so members expect them annually.
"Just because a Census comes from Novi, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t reflect the voice of your organization.” - Michelle Shea
Clay Gibney, SAIS
Clay’s association took a structured approach to Census and saw impressive results:
Company field census: focused on updating operating budgets (a dues-based field). By targeting billing contacts and using section headers for clarity, SAIS achieved a 91% completion rate.
Staff roster census: sent to management-access users, this census cleaned up records dramatically, resulting in 2,500+ new staff added and 1,500 outdated staff removed.
Tips from Clay:
Add the due date in the subject line for clarity.
Include leadership names/titles in messaging to build trust.
Encourage recipients to forward census emails internally if needed.
Use Novi’s transactional email report to monitor delivery and troubleshoot.
Combine census responses with other tools (like Asana) to track multi-step renewals.
“We love the Novi Census feature. It’s awesome… and the results speak for themselves.” - Clay Gibney
Open Discussion Highlights
During the roundtable, participants shared additional insights:
Average response rates hover around 20–30%, but shorter, more focused censuses tend to perform better.
Multiple reminders can be sent intentionally, but they’re not automated to protect email sender scores.
Creative use cases include:
Updating staff rosters at year-end/start-of-year transitions
Collecting speaker headshots and bios for conferences
Prospect engagement (using census for non-members or potential members)
Messaging matters: tailor language for each census to avoid “didn’t I already do this?” fatigue.
Approval workflow: for fields that require accuracy (like government codes), enable the “requires approval” option so staff can validate entries before accepting them.
Key Takeaways
Keep it simple. Focus on the data you truly need, not every field at once.
Message with intention. Use your association’s unique voice and explain why the information matters.
Leverage Novi tools. Transactional email logs, reminder settings, and group filters help maximize success.
Think beyond renewals. Census projects work for events, staff updates, prospect engagement, and more.
What’s Next
Novi Census is evolving quickly, with new features rolling out soon—like census previews, copy options, and photo/logo uploads. If you haven’t tried it yet, start small with an internal or single-field census to get comfortable.
And don’t forget... Novi Summit is just around the corner in The Woodlands, TX! Early bird pricing runs through October 31, 2025, and seats fill fast. We’d love to see you there.