ChapterLink for iMIS
Give your chapters more control without turning staff into the middleman
If your chapter leaders have to go through headquarters every time they want to create an event or send an email, things bog down quickly.
A chapter wants to post a local event. Staff has to build it.
A chapter wants to send a message to members. Staff has to pull the list.
A chapter needs to make a change. Staff has to step in again.
That kind of work adds up. It slows down chapter activity and creates unnecessary admin work for your team.
ChapterLink for iMIS is built to solve that problem.
ChapterLink is Armstrong’s RiSE-based tool for organizations that want chapter administrators to manage their own events and communications without needing staff involved at every step. It gives local chapter leaders access to the tools they actually need, while keeping the work connected to iMIS.
What ChapterLink does
ChapterLink focuses on two of the most common chapter tasks.
Create and edit chapter events
Chapter administrators can create and update chapter-specific events in iMIS without needing access to the Staff Site.
That means local leaders can manage their own meetings, webinars, and chapter programs directly, instead of sending every request to headquarters. If a chapter needs to update the title, date, description, or other event details, they can handle it themselves.
For organizations with active local chapters, that can take a real amount of routine work off the staff team.
Send chapter communications
Chapter administrators can also send email communications to their chapter rosters and groups using IQAs in iMIS.
That gives chapters a more direct way to communicate with their own audience. They do not have to wait for staff to build lists or send messages on their behalf.
The email tool is familiar and practical. Chapter admins can format messages in a WYSIWYG editor and use merge fields from iMIS to personalize emails where needed.
How it works
ChapterLink is designed to give chapters more independence without opening up the whole system.
It works with the iMIS Group Admin module and keeps chapter administrators focused on their own chapter activity. They are not being given broad back-end access. They are working within a defined area of responsibility.
That is an important distinction.
This is not about turning chapter leaders into staff users. It is about giving them a controlled way to handle chapter-level work inside iMIS.
What stays under control
One of the strengths of ChapterLink is that it gives organizations a cleaner balance between flexibility and oversight.
Chapter admins work with their own chapter data
Chapter administrators work within their own chapter context. They are not managing events or communications for the entire organization.
That helps protect the larger iMIS environment and keeps chapter-level access focused where it should be.
Event information stays in iMIS
When chapters create or update events through ChapterLink, that data stays in iMIS. It is not being managed through a side process or disconnected tool.
That matters for consistency, visibility, and reporting. Your team still has a central view of chapter activity, and iMIS stays the system of record.
Staff can define the structure up front
ChapterLink can also support a template-based approach to event creation.
Staff can create an event template in advance, and chapter administrators can clone that template when they need to launch a new chapter event. That gives chapters a starting point that already reflects the organization’s preferred setup.
This is especially useful when you want local events to follow a standard format, pricing structure, or registration pattern. Staff sets the framework. Chapters handle the local execution.
Registration stays familiar
For the member or attendee, the registration experience remains the standard iMIS process. You do not have to create a separate workflow just to support chapter events.
That keeps the experience cleaner for users and easier to manage on the back end.
Why organizations use ChapterLink
Most associations do not want headquarters involved in every small chapter task. The issue is that without the right setup, staff often ends up there anyway.
ChapterLink helps remove that bottleneck.
Instead of routing every chapter event request or chapter email through HQ, you can let chapter administrators handle approved tasks on their own.
That helps your organization:
- reduce manual event setup requests
- reduce staff involvement in routine chapter emails
- help chapter leaders move faster
- avoid assigning full user licenses for limited chapter responsibilities
- keep chapter work tied to iMIS instead of scattered across separate tools
- maintain better consistency across chapter operations
This is not a tool built around hype. It is a practical way to make chapter operations easier to manage.
A strong fit for chapter-heavy organizations
ChapterLink is especially useful for associations that have active local chapters running their own programming.
That includes organizations where chapters regularly host:
- luncheons
- networking events
- local meetings
- webinars
- educational programs
- recurring chapter events
If your staff is repeatedly being asked to set up local events or send chapter emails, there is a good chance this product solves a real operational pain point.
A note on communications
One detail worth pointing out is that ChapterLink is not just a way to send one-off chapter emails.
Because it works with iMIS data and IQAs, the communication process stays tied to your system. Chapter admins are sending messages based on chapter rosters and defined groups, not building random lists outside the platform.
Messages can also write back to iMIS interaction history, which gives staff more visibility into what communications have gone out and helps keep member records more complete.
That is a better model than letting chapters run communications through disconnected tools with no central view.
A note on webinar workflows
For organizations running chapter webinars, ChapterLink can become even more useful when paired with Armstrong’s Zapier for iMIS.
In that setup, a chapter event created in iMIS can trigger connected webinar workflows in platforms like Zoom. Registration and related event actions can be handled with less manual coordination between chapters and staff.
That is not the core product feature set, but it is a valuable extension for organizations that want a cleaner webinar process at the chapter level.
Who ChapterLink is for
ChapterLink is built for organizations that:
- use iMIS and support local chapters
- want chapter administrators to manage their own events
- want chapters to communicate with their own members more directly
- need to reduce staff intervention in routine chapter work
- want to avoid issuing full user licenses just to support a narrow set of tasks
- want chapter activity to stay connected to iMIS
If your current model depends on headquarters handling every chapter request, ChapterLink gives you a more workable setup.
Why Armstrong
Armstrong’s approach to iMIS has always been practical. The goal is not to add complexity. The goal is to make iMIS work better in the day-to-day flow of business.
ChapterLink fits that model well.
It helps organizations solve a very common problem in a way that is structured, usable, and grounded in how associations actually operate. You are not replacing iMIS. You are extending it in a way that gives chapters more room to work without creating more overhead for staff.
Frequently asked questions
Does ChapterLink replace the Staff Site?
No. ChapterLink is meant to give chapter administrators access to a defined set of chapter-related tasks without needing full Staff Site access.
Can chapter admins create their own events?
Yes. Chapter administrators can create and edit chapter-specific events in iMIS for their own chapter.
Can chapter admins send emails?
Yes. Chapter administrators can send communication emails to chapter rosters and groups using IQAs in iMIS.
Do chapter admins need a full user license?
No. One of the benefits of ChapterLink is giving chapters the functionality they need without requiring a full user license for basic chapter tasks.
Does the work stay in iMIS?
Yes. ChapterLink keeps event and communication activity tied to iMIS, which helps with consistency, visibility, and reporting.
Can staff still control how events are set up?
Yes. Staff can create templates that chapters use as a starting point, which helps keep event setup more consistent.
Ask for a demo
If your organization wants to give chapters more control over local events and communications without increasing staff workload, ChapterLink is worth a look.
Ask us for a demo of ChapterLink today.