Part I: Perceived Value, Image, and Reputation Are Key
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.
Members are the lifeblood of any organization. Without members, the organization’s mission and purpose cannot be effectively realized. Nonprofit organizations are better positioned to attract new members if they demonstrate consistent adherence to their mission, while delivering ongoing value to their members.
These organizations must provide certain tangible benefits such as education, certification, and advocacy, and intangible benefits such as networking, peer group collaboration and interaction, in order to deliver value to their members.
The ability of your nonprofit organization to grow its membership can be a function of the perceived value it delivers, as well as its reputation, and the image it promotes. By providing industry insight and thought leadership, and by delivering greater value to its members, your organization will be better positioned to attract new members.
The Center for Association Resources believes in the “Every Person Counts” membership philosophy. Each time we can interact with a member and help them, our interaction has positive ramifications far past that one member. Members have feedback and ideas about what their organization can be doing better or differently. We also endeavor to communicate with members and potential members on a one- on-one basis and make every effort to provide the most personalized, customized service in every way possible.
Click here to download a few tips to help you grow your membership today.
Part II: Fulfilling the needs and expectations of your members is essential for growth!
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc
Nonprofit organizations are challenged to grow their membership, to increase their value, and to keep their current members interested. The dilution of traditional value propositions, combined with the fact that prospective members have a growing number of options for getting education, networking, and advocacy for their careers, makes increasing members a challenging task for most organizations.
Click here to download the full article.
Part III: Steps for successfully engaging your members.
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.
If your organization isn’t growing it will become irrelevant and fade away. The key to remember is that members trust those organizations that provide unique, compelling, relevant, and practical products and services.
You can apply the same rule to individuals as well: stop growing and you will become less valuable to your employer, profession, community, and the world you live in.
Your organization can measure engagement in revenue, satisfaction, participation, idea generation, retention, or in how many are willing to personally pay to join or remain a member versus having their employer do so.
