Case Study: American Society of Association Executives achieves consolidated, streamlined application and review for 50+ programs with OpenWater

ASAE Consolidates Online Applications into a Single Platform

ASAE (American Society of Association Executives), which represents 42,000 individual members across 7,300 organizations, faced a fragmented application and review process for dozens of programs (awards, grants, fellowships, CE exams) that relied on email, Excel and home‑built web forms — even requiring mailed hard copies for some awards. To modernize member experience and centralize intake and judging, ASAE chose OpenWater and its cloud‑based application platform (including the OpenWater Growth Stack).

OpenWater built an online application and review portal (integrated with ASAE’s Aptify AMS), eliminating mailed submissions and simplifying login and data sync. Since piloting Gold Circle in 2016 and adopting the Growth Stack in 2017, ASAE now runs 51 programs on OpenWater and processed 2,131 applications by early 2019, boosting staff productivity, reducing temporary labor needs, and giving administrators unified visibility into member program activity.

American Society of Association Executives

Reggie Henry

Chief Information & Engagement Officer