Many community benefit organizations include members. Keeping members engaged in meaningful ways can be challenging, especially as organizations mature.
A well-crafted membership engagement strategy aims to maximize member participation by demonstrating the value your organization provides, building strong connections, and ultimately, increasing member satisfaction and retention.
Acquiring new members is just the first step. Member engagement is a crucial part of the member retention phase. To keep them involved and invested, your organization needs a strategic plan that fosters ongoing connections and maximizes their value as members. This plan, known as a membership engagement strategy, outlines proactive tactics to keep members engaged in meaningful ways.
Sometimes members are part of the organization's corporate structure. In these circumstances, members need to vote on important issues such as a change to the bylaws and the election of board members. In other circumstances, members are not part of the corporate structure, but the organization depends on membership dues for financial resources. Sometimes, both are true.
Member engagement helps to foster:
- Happier, more satisfied members
- Encourages more volunteering for organizational priorities
- Gathers honest feedback from members
- Grows non-dues revenue
- Attracts new members
- Helps the organization to thrive
Five Ideas to Grow Member Engagement
1. Share Member Stories
Communicating return on investment is challenging in the not-for-profit sector. Financial results are less relevant and client benefits are often slow, confidential, and difficult to measure. Reward engaged members by telling their success stories, giving them positive reviews, and sharing their testimonials. Consider multiple channels such as awards, interviews, video, social media, newsletters, newspapers, radio, television, and live events.
2. Build a Member Communication Hub
Research to determine the communication channels preferred by your members. This could be a group text, Facebook group, Slack channel, Google Drive, email group, or communication hosted by a website or member management platform. This communication mechanism should allow for authentic peer-to-peer communication, quick questions, success celebrations, and limited venting of frustration. Whichever channel is selected, be sure it has guardrails. There should be an Administrator who can admit new group members and remove members who are disruptive or whose membership in the organization has expired.
3. Make Direct Contact
Sometimes, it is best to call a member on the telephone, meet virtually, or meet in person. If a long email, message, or text chain has developed, it is time to stop and have a direct conversation. Requests for significant contributions of time, talent, or treasure should be made directly. If in-person is not feasible, there are several virtual communication mechanisms (Teams, Zoom, Webex etc.) that may be used.
4. Automate Communication
Personal contact is great but time-consuming. Use membership management software to keep membership information up to date. Design periodic communication with all members and specialized communication with members who have volunteered to participate in events or projects. Consider collecting birthdays when people join, so that you may send birthday wishes every year. Automation is also an excellent tool to facilitate membership renewals, especially if the payment software includes an auto-renewal option.
5. Ask for Involvement
Members may not volunteer to assist with organization projects and events, nominate colleagues, or donate funds unless they are asked personally. Organizations sometimes assume that members know that they are needed to help with organizational priorities, but this is not true. Generally, members are not fully aware of the organization’s capacity, so they do not know where their contributions may be most useful. Asking members to help fosters engagement. Members joined because they believed in the mission. Giving them an opportunity to contribute to these goals will help in the short term and encourage their future involvement.
By implementing these strategies, you can create a thriving membership community that is actively involved, satisfied, and committed to your organization's success.
Ready to take your membership to the next level? Contact us today for a free consultation!
