Member Recruitment and Retention

Affiliate Recruitment How To and Resources

Details on Planning

• Be sure you have access to any past member recruitment efforts such as calendars, messaging templates, flyers, mailings, and social media postings.
• Collect your committee - enlist the support of other volunteers to ensure a variety perspectives and demographics are represented. Create a safe space for everyone to come together and be open with ideas.
• Agree on the brainstorming method you are using (click here for examples) and establish your plan and meeting time(s).
• Be sure to review the Academy resources in the right column of this page prior to the brainstorming session.
• Orient the committee to all the benefits from your affiliate prior to the brainstorming session.
• Ensure you have access to your budget for reference. Don't use it to stifle ideas, but be mindful if you need to ask for additional funds. Ensure solid reasoning and ability to track results if requesting additional funds.

Step 2: Make a Plan and Set your Deadlines

• Once you are finished with brainstorming, flesh out your details
• Decide what efforts to implement when (utilize this date template for ideas)
• Assign responsibility
• Create a timeline to start your work and establish check point dates along the way
• Identify your budget needs - if above your budget amount, prepare a proposal/request for the board.
  • Not sure where to start with a proposal/new benefit? Click here to access our training materials

Step 3: Get Board Approval and Execute

• Submit your proposal to the board for approval
• Adjust your plan based on feedback from the board/approved budget
• Establish check in calls with your committee
• Reach out early and often if you need support

Member Communication and Branding

• Create a Challenge – design a competition at district and/or member level to see who can bring in greatest number of new members
• Testimonials – In the form of a quick video, one sentence statement on website/email, etc.
• Infographics – Showing reach within the state, number of members, number of CEUs offered, advocacy successes, etc.
• Personal Outreach – “Thank You” for being a member email/call/video by board members, quarterly office hours webinar for members to ask questions/market upcoming events/give website tutorial, etc.
• Dropped Members – Personal call or email with evaluation to understand why membership was dropped and what would be required to get the member back
• Students – Targeted messaging noting unique benefits that they have like scholarships, poster sessions, ability to volunteer/learn new skills/connect with future bosses, dedicated subgroups 

• Target start of school for students
• When to reach out to non-members
  • Reach out specifically to non renewing members - see templates section to the right for a template survey
  • Decide information that would be of interest for non-members such as events and public policy/advocacy initiatives. Try to combine messaging at key times of the year.
  • Limit the amount of outreach - remember these members did not opt in for your messages, so we don't want them to unsubscribe. Maximum outreach should be quarterly.
• Decide what efforts are appropriate for each portions of your campaign
  • Eblast
  • Social media
  • Mailings - click here for tips on direct mail campaigns
  • Events – both promoting membership at educational events and having membership recruitment specific events
• Create targeted messaging for:
  • Students
    • Career starter dues
    • Why associations are important
  • Young professionals
    • Career starter dues
    • Why associations are important
  • Dropped members
  • Utilize a combination of affiliate and Academy benefits
    • Highlight some of the less tangible benefits
  • Talking to employers
  • Consistent branding

Tips for Talking about Membership 

Keep these tips in mind when contacting prospective members or talking with current members about Academy membership.  

Recruitment 

Questions to Consider: 

Whether you are talking with or writing to your prospects: 

• Put yourself in the prospect's shoes – is there something that you believe the Academy or affiliate membership can provide them? 
• Make sure that you provide your contact information including your phone and e-mail.   

• Have you provided an action for the prospective member to take? For example, sign up for an event as a non-member, complete the Member Prospect Contact Form, or join the Academy. 

In-Person Recruitment 

• Rehearse or role-play a few times to prepare yourself for the verbal contact. The more comfortable you are with what you will be saying, the better you will come across. 
• Identify yourself, your group Affiliate, and your position within the organization 

• Explain the reasons why you belong to the Academy and the Affiliate. 
• Sell the benefits of belonging, especially ones that you participate in. 
• Make sure you mention any upcoming programs or events. 
• Close the contact by asking for a commitment to join or having them complete the Member Prospect Contact Form 

Retention 

Questions to Consider: 

Whether you are talking with or writing to your current members: 

• Be sure your new members know what you have to offer and feel welcome. Click here for ideas on how to welcome new members.
• Consider thanking current members for their support of the Academy and your Affiliate through their membership. 
• Put yourself in the members’ shoes – is there a particular reason the member joined? Or a benefit that most of your members use? Help the member remember why they continue their membership. 
• Make sure that you provide your contact information including your phone and e-mail.   
• Have you provided an action for the member to take? For example, checking out a new benefit such as a webinar to demonstrate growing membership value or participating in a member referral program to encourage others to join.