Building a Modern Association Membership Portal: Login, Renewals, and Events

As a developer specializing in membership-based organizations, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the best way to build websites for small associations. A solution needs to balance complexity with capabilities, all while remaining cost-effective for a non-profit. After exploring the landscape of available tools and services, I landed on the following principles:

  • Leverage a modern web framework that weaves together fast client-side rendering with SEO-optimized server-side rendering.
  • Integrate several services that are great at what they do, rather than trying to find a silver bullet that covers all concerns (e.g. content management, membership management, payments).
  • Select cloud-based software services that offer robust web APIs so that functionality can be integrated without the overhead of managing on-premises software.

Background & Problem

Small associations face several key constraints when building a website:

  • It must be cost-effective to fit within limited budgets.
  • It should be user friendly and visually appealing to engage members and the public.
  • It needs to minimize ongoing maintenance so that staff aren’t burdened with technical tasks.
  • It should be feature-rich, so that members can self-service common tasks.

A popular Association Management System for small associations is WildApricot, which also includes a website builder. However, its design flexibility and performance are limited compared to modern frameworks, making it difficult for associations to create a truly engaging member experience. It is both cost-effective and powerful, but lacks the user experience and visual appear expected of modern websites.

Solution Overview

To demonstrate a better approach, I built a demo project, The Association of Home Pizza Cooks, which showcases how associations can offer a seamless digital experience to their members and the public. Using the powerful Next.js framework, I integrated WildApricot for membership management, WordPress for content, and Stripe for payments. The product is a modern website where members can log in, pay their renewal fees and register for events, all under one roof. This enables an improved membership experience, with minimal maintenance overhead.

Walkthrough

Public Home Page

The default landing page (unauthenticated) promotes the latest news and events.

Login Screen

Members can authenticated using their WildApricot credentials, set during account creation.

Home / Member Dashboard

After signing in, the homepage displays dashboard components for member information, outstanding dues and their upcoming events.

Initiating a payment redirects the member to the Stripe checkout page. The final payment gets recorded in WildApricot through the integration.

News

News items from WordPress integrate directly into the site.

Events

Anyone can view events, and members have the option to register.

Benefits for Associations

This demo project highlights how a modern membership portal can directly address the challenges associations face with outdated systems. By combining Next.js, WildApricot, WordPress, and Stripe, the solution delivers tangible benefits:

  • Improved Member Experience – Members enjoy a seamless process for logging in, renewing, and managing events, reducing frustration and encouraging engagement.
  • Stronger Member Retention – Easy online renewals make it simpler for members to stay active.
  • Streamlined Operations – Integrations with WildApricot and Stripe reduce manual data entry, saving staff time on renewals, payments, and member management.
  • Unified Online Presence – Public content and member services live on the same site, eliminating the need for multiple logins or disjointed platforms.
  • Future-Ready Foundation – Built with modern tools, the site can scale to include more features (such as eCommerce, donations, or advanced integrations) as the association grows.

Together, these benefits show how associations can transform their digital presence into a tool that not only supports staff, but also delivers real value to members.

Lessons Learned / Next Steps

Building this demo reinforced the importance of creating solutions that balance member experience, staff efficiency, and technical sustainability. A few key lessons emerged:

  • Scalability should be built in early. Starting with a flexible framework like Next.js ensures that future needs—such as event registration, donations, or deeper AMS integrations—can be added without rework.
  • Integrations matter. Associations often rely on multiple platforms, and connecting them in a seamless way delivers the biggest impact.
  • User experience is critical. Even the most powerful features fall short if the login, renewal, or content access process feels confusing.

Looking ahead, the next steps for this project would be to expand the site with an online store for merchandise.

Final Thoughts

This demo shows how associations can modernize their membership experience. If your association struggles with an outdated website or clunky integrations, let’s talk about what a modern portal could look like for you.