New Year Planning Guide for Clubs and Associations

January Is Your Window

The season has not started. The committee is rested. Members are optimistic. This is the window where planning actually happens - before the weekly grind consumes every meeting.

Step 1: Review Last Year

Before planning forward, look back. Pull the data:

• Membership numbers: up, down, or flat?
• Revenue versus budget: where did you over or under?
• Event attendance: which events drew crowds, which fell flat?
• Volunteer retention: how many committee members are continuing?
• Member feedback: what did the post-season survey say?

This takes one committee meeting. The data is in TidyHQ. The conversation should be honest, not defensive.

Step 2: Set Three Goals

Not ten. Three. Goals the whole committee agrees on and can remember without checking the minutes.

Good goals: "Increase membership by 15%." "Run a new member event every quarter." "Complete governing body affiliation by March."

Bad goals: "Improve the club." "Get more engagement." "Be more professional." These are wishes, not goals. Goals have numbers and deadlines.

Step 3: Build the Calendar

Map the year's key dates:

• Registration opening and closing dates
• Membership renewal period
• Governing body affiliation deadline
• AGM date
• Pre-season events
• Season start and end
• Major events (gala dinner, trivia night, presentation night)
• Grant application deadlines
• Insurance renewal

Put these in a shared calendar. Assign a committee member responsible for each date.

Step 4: Set the Budget

Based on last year's actuals and this year's goals:

• Expected membership revenue (members x fee)
• Expected event revenue
• Expected sponsorship
• Grants applied for
• Total expenses by category

The budget should be approved at a committee meeting and revisited quarterly.

Step 5: Assign Responsibilities

Every goal, every event, every deadline has an owner. Not "the committee" - a specific person. The event coordinator owns the events. The treasurer owns the budget. The secretary owns the governance deadlines.

Use TidyHQ's task management to assign and track these. Visibility matters - everyone should be able to see who is responsible for what.

Step 6: Communicate to Members

Send a New Year message to the membership. What the club achieved last year. What is planned for this year. Key dates. How to get involved.

This is not just a newsletter - it is a re-engagement touchpoint. Members who feel informed and included are more likely to renew, attend, and volunteer.

The 2-Hour Investment

This entire planning process takes one extended committee meeting - about 2 hours. Review, goals, calendar, budget, responsibilities, communication.

The return: a committee that knows what it is doing, members who know what to expect, and a year that unfolds by design rather than by accident.

References

• Australian Sports Commission - Club governance resources including planning frameworks and annual reporting guidance
• TidyHQ - Membership, event, and task management platform for club committee planning and coordination
• Play by the Rules - Governance planning resources for community sport clubs and associations
• Xero - Accounting software for club budgeting, financial tracking, and year-end reporting