Dear IFMA Stakeholders:
For fiscal year (FY) 2012, the financial trajectory continued upward from FY2011. Total revenues for the year were US$12,578,000, compared to US$11,663,000 the previous year, for a year-to year gain of US$915,000 or 7.8 percent. The value of long-term investments experienced a slight loss due to market conditions of US$84,000 compared to a gain of US$744,000 in FY2010-2011. The operating surplus, US$112,000, the association’s net profit/loss, was managed closely day-to-day by the strategic leadership team. Unrestricted net assets were US$3,033,000 compared to US$3,005,000 for the previous year. Total assets were US$7,897,000 compared to US$7,629,000 for the previous year. Please refer to the Statement of Financial Activities and the Statement of Financial Position in this report for more information.
Sales continued the upward trend in the areas of member dues, online education, classroom-based education, credentials and exhibit space. Two areas were especially strong: conferences and exhibits, and professional development with 15 percent and 16 percent increases, respectively. In total, sales revenues were up 8 percent from the previous year. These line items include sales of IFMA’s Facility Management Professional® designations, Certified Facility Manager® designations and Sustainability Facility Professional® designations, and an increase in member dues as a result of growth in memberships of more than 22,000 from about 20,000 the previous year. Facility practitioners and their employers are undoubtedly realizing the value of specialized knowledge gained through the pursuit of IFMA credentials and also the benefits of becoming a member. IFMA also is in a position to offer a sustainability-related credential that acknowledges the important role the skilled people operating facilities play in making their facilities optimally sustainable, whether or not the physical asset is certified by some kind of building-rating system.
Membership
IFMA surpassed a major milestone during the past fiscal year as the association now has more than 22,000 members with more than 25 percent of the membership residing outside of the United States. These members are part of 129 chapters throughout the world. The membership increase during the 2011-2012 fiscal year represents a 13.53 percent increase over the previous year. IFMA values each member and during FY2011-2012, the membership team focused on evaluating and streamlining both the new member and renewal member process. In regard to the renewal process, the revised online option is simpler and intuitive.
IFMA also has increased member benefits. Our free and discounted educational offerings were on the rise during 2011-2012. Members now can access an early preview of new job offerings through the IFMA Career Resource Center and find new tools that will help them prepare for the next step in their career.
There are expanded opportunities to connect with colleagues—virtually within IFMA’s online communities and in person with the growing number of chapters, councils and communities of
practice.
Our membership also was positively impacted this past year with the establishment of the IFMA alliance model. The IFMA Alliance is a partnership representing the pinnacle of the association’s organizational relationships and denotes the closest ties between IFMA and other professional groups. During the past fiscal year, IFMA began alliance relationships with Facility Management Nederland, the recognized FM organization of the Netherlands with more than 2,000 members, and the Health Care Institute
(formerly the Health Care Council).
During FY2011-2012, membership in IFMA’s councils and communities of practice increased to 9,200 members. In essence, a community of practice is a pre-council in that when a volunteer(s) expresses interest in starting a new council, a community of practice (COP) is formed first. Once the COP has a member base, leadership plan and programming calendar, the group can apply to become a council. IFMA currently has 16 councils, including the Food Service & Restaurant Council that was launched in the last fiscal year, and seven communities of practice.
Education and research
Professional development continues to be an IFMA cornerstone and the association continued its commitment in the 2011-2012 fiscal year of offering a myriad of opportunities. IFMA continues to transform this area by investing in IFMA’s credential programs and a comprehensive online continuing education platform. In relation to credentialing, as of June 30, 2012, 3,200 practitioners had earned the Certified Facility Manager (CFM®) title, 3,400 professionals hold the Facility Management Professional (FMP®) title and there are 170 Sustainability Facility Professionals (SFP®). In order to better disseminate information on IFMA’s newest credential program, the SFP, the SFP Chapter Champion program was created to work with potential SFP candidates on a regional basis. As of the end of the fiscal year, the SFP program is being offered through seven IFMA chapters and eight colleges/universities while the FMP program can be taken through 16 chapters, one council and 18 colleges/universities. IFMA also developed its first global licensing agreement in the United Arab Emirates which led to the first offering of the Train-the-Trainer program for the FMP in the region. For those seasoned professionals striving for the CFM, the association launched a new CFM online practice exam.
In early 2012, phase one of IFMA’s Facility Management Knowledge Center was launched. This online 24/7 platform gives facility management professionals increased access to educational resources online on numerous topics that fall within the 11 competency areas that define the profession. Through the
knowledge center, users have the choice of accessing white papers, conference proceedings, webinars, on-demand recordings and online classes. Individuals can earn continuing education units and CFM maintenance points.
IFMA experienced another successful year in its conference and exposition offerings. For the 32nd year, IFMA sponsored its annual conference and exposition, World Workplace, in Phoenix, Ariz., USA, which attracted more than 4,300 attendees from 46 countries. Chicago, Ill., USA, was the host city for the third annual Facility Fusion Conference & Exposition which brought together more than 1,250 workplace professionals.
Being a resource for facility-related research continues to be a commitment for the association. In December 2011, “Profiles 2011 Salary and Demographics Report, Research Report #35,” was released which provides a general overview of the demographics and backgrounds of 4,600 FM professionals. For
the fifth year, IFMA was a partner of Johnson Controls in the 2011 Energy Efficiency Indicator, which is survey-based research related to energy management and investment decisions in commercial and public sector buildings. Being able to access and utilize benchmarking tools is critical for many workplace professionals. During the 2011-2012 fiscal year, IFMA launched the Benchmarks Exchange (BEX), an online benchmarking system enabling facility managers to participate in surveys, entering their facility data and downloading reports for specific needs. BEX is a tool that provides a global FM data collection process that will enhance the results and value that members and the profession receive.
Sustainability focus
IFMA’s sustainability program continues to define the association’s sustainability strategy and is engaging the board, staff, IFMA Foundation, sustainability committee, chapters, councils, members and stakeholders in various related areas to move the following priorities forward:
- provide a culture that values sustainability and increased awareness of internal sustainability strategies;
- improve value for stakeholders through the creation of programs and increase awareness of association and stakeholder sustainability strategies;
- cultivate effective and strategic global partnerships; and
- support the SFP credential positioning.
Accomplishments during the past fiscal year include developing relationships with sustainability liaisons at the local/regional level to promote the SFP designation as well as actively engage the “SFP champs” in conversations to further the reach and focus the messaging of that group. During the fiscal year, IFMA also developed partnerships with Villanova University and George Mason University as they became the first universities to offer the SFP program.
The IFMA Foundation, with support from IFMA’s sustainability committee, has continued to produce the “IFMA Sustainability How-to Guides.” The general objective of this series it to provide data and information associated with a wide range of subjects under the sustainability umbrella. During the fiscal year, two new guides were introduced which were “U.S. Government Policy Impacts and Opportunities for Facility Management” and “Carbon Footprint.” Revised versions of three guides, “No-Cost/Low-Cost
Energy Savings,” “Sustainability in the Food Service Environment” and “Green Building Rating Systems,” also were produced in FY2011-2012.
Magnifying the profession
Facility Management Journal, the association’s flagship publication, continued in both its traditional print and online format. In an effort to expand its international content, regional contributors began writing country-focused articles for FMJ Online. In addition, all FMJ authors in FY2011-2012 were required
to submit blog posts to support their articles.
Social media continues to be an important element of the business community, including for both facility professionals and IFMA. Participation in IFMA’s social media venues increased dramatically during the fiscal year in LinkedIn (20,733 members), Twitter (7,309 followers), Facebook (1,387 likes) and YouTube
(99 subscribers). Social media is giving workplace practitioners the opportunity to not only stay on top of updates from the association but a vehicle for discussion of FM topics.
On Sept. 20-21, IFMA sponsored its second annual Advocacy Day and fifth annual Public Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., USA. These events have become an important forum for agency, congressional and industry leaders to exchange ideas and best practices regarding the future of the U.S. built environment.
For the fourth year, facility managers worldwide took time from their busy days to celebrate World FM day. On June 28, FM professionals and associations on six continents celebrated the contributions facility managers make to international business and the global built environment. Worldwide activities with IFMA members included governmental partnerships, public information campaigns, networking events, seminars and workshops, luncheons, award presentations and social media discussions.
Strengthening IFMA’s future
After much research and debate, a realization was accepted that to accommodate the association’s future growth and success, member-driven changes had to be made to IFMA’s constitution and bylaws. In its form at the beginning of the fiscal year, the constitution limited the association, making necessary growth and development more difficult to achieve than it should be.
To amend the constitution, a vote had to be taken of the eligible membership. Twenty-six percent of those eligible participated with 92.3 percent or 4,815 members voting in the affirmative. A re-organization also was undertaken during the fiscal year in order to better serve the membership and for the staff to work in teams that could accomplish their objectives more efficiently. For example, the events and corporate connections department were merged into one cohesive unit with a goal of working smarter and efficiently taking advantage of technology. As a team, this new group is reaching out to other associations, potential partners and alliances as well as exploring new vehicles in which to promote IFMA.
There is another project that will have a significant impact on IFMA’s operations that began in the FY2011-2012, but will not wrap-up until the end of the first half of FY2012-2013. This project is the relocation of IFMA headquarters. In our current office location since December 1989, the lease expires at the end of December 2012. This expiration presented a unique opportunity to engage in a strategic planning process with a clean slate and to develop a workplace strategy that supports the way people work today, while integrating the agility necessary to support how they will choose to work in the future.
The relocation of the renamed IFMA Global Service Center of Excellence has brought together board members, staff, IFMA members and many vendors to ensure this new workspace will allow those who work in it to effectively accomplish the tasks required to meet our goals and mission.
FY2011-2012 certainly can be viewed as a year in IFMA’s history with many successes. The future looks positive for the FM profession and the association. IFMA’s strength is dependent on each of our members’ commitment to workplace excellence.
On behalf of the board of directors and staff, thank you for your contributions and for your membership in the world’s leading facility-related organization—IFMA.
Sincerely,
