The Hidden Costs of Outsourcing Your Continuing Education to Third-Party Providers
Updated May 7, 2026
When it comes to offering continuing education (CE) courses, member-based organizations typically have three main options: they can send their members to third-party learning sites, host their own programs, or offer a combination of both.
The first option may sound tempting, largely due to the convenience and affordability of these sites. However, when organizations opt only to send their members to third-party learning sites, they may inadvertently do more harm than good!
In this article, we’re breaking down the four key reasons why entirely outsourcing your CE courses to third parties can backfire and, more importantly, how to help preserve the core value of your organization’s membership.
Key Takeaways:
While sending members away to third-party eLearning platforms might seem convenient, it can come with hidden costs. Here’s what your organization loses when you direct your audience elsewhere:
- Decreased Engagement: Directing members off-site reduces their interaction with your organization and distances them from your brand.
- Lost Revenue: You miss out on non-dues revenue and upselling opportunities by handing them over to unaffiliated platforms.
- Missing Data: You lose access to vital analytics on member progress, satisfaction, and learning habits.
- Sacrificed Quality: External platforms offer generalized content, meaning you lose control over the accuracy and relevance of the courses your members take.
1. You’re losing out on valuable member engagement opportunities
When you send members to third-party learning sites, their overall engagement with your organization can decrease; they’re less likely to interact with your website (their courses aren’t there, after all!) and other communication channels.
Remember: Members are often drawn to organizations because of their professional development opportunities. According to Athitakis (2025), the top benefits of joining an association are all related to education, with 83% citing professional development, 82% citing continuing education credits, and 80% citing certifications or designations. If you aren’t providing these yourself, you’re distancing yourself from your audience.
2. You’re missing out on revenue
When your members take courses on third-party eLearning sites, your organization can lose out on a significant opportunity for non-dues revenue.
You’re directing your audience away from your site (plus any of its other possible revenue paths) and into the hands of a likely unaffiliated entity.
These other organizations then have the opportunity to upsell and cross-sell products and services to your members…some of which may even overlap with your own offerings!
Plus, the convenience of buying multiple products on one platform should not be discounted. Consider: would you rather purchase several products on several sites, or several products on one site?
Think of what made companies like Amazon so popular: convenience. It’s easier for your members to buy from one place, and it’s easier for your organization to sell products when you can upsell and cross-sell.
3. You’re losing out on valuable data
When members take courses on third-party eLearning sites, your organization loses out on valuable data that could be used to improve your services. Gathering useful data (including what courses are being taken, how members are progressing, and what their overall satisfaction levels are) is crucial for understanding the wants and needs of members, as well as how you can better cater to them in the future.
In fact, the University of Pennsylvania (2022) explains that leveraging your data allows you to easily update your services to match evolving demands, refine marketing efforts, and optimize member service. This adaptability can mean the difference between a thriving network and a stagnant one!
So don’t look down on analytics. They can pinpoint areas of weakness in your programs, as well as provide key insight on what makes your more successful courses work. Information is valuable for a reason!
4. You’re sacrificing quality
It may be cliché to say “quality over quantity”, but it’s a truism that applies here.
Directing members to external eLearning sites limits your organization’s control over program quality, branding, and user experience. As a result, course quality and consistency may not always align with your standards.
Additionally, third-party programs are typically designed to appeal to the widest possible audience; they may not even offer courses that cater to the more niche needs of your field.
As a member-based organization, you know your members better than anyone. So, when it comes to offering quality, relevant content, it doesn’t make sense to send them anywhere else!
You may also like: Never Stop Learning: Continuing Education Inside and Out
Conclusion
While it may seem like a good idea to send your members to third-party eLearning sites, in reality, it can sometimes do more harm than good.
If you want to keep your members close and nurture your relationship with them, it’s best to keep them within your domain. Not only does this allow you to better serve them, but in the long run, it can also help you grow your organization as a whole!
REFERENCES
Athitakis, M. (2025, April 15). Report: Members Look to Associations for Career Support | Associations Now. Retrieved from Associations Now website: https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/report-members-look-to-associations-for-career-support/
University of Pennsylvania. (2022, October 20). 5 key reasons why data analytics is important to business | penn LPS online. Penn LPS. https://lpsonline.sas.upenn.edu/features/5-key-reasons-why-data-analytics-important-business
