How Successful Non-Profit Membership Organizations Grow

Nonprofit professional organizations are crucial in networking, education, and advocacy. While many members recognize the inherent value of these organizations, sustained membership growth is a challenge for even established associations. Before starting your next membership campaign, check out these membership growth strategies to maximize your impact.

Three Elements of Successful Nonprofit Membership Programs

Value is essential to any organization, and it’s the central theme of crafting effective membership campaigns.

1. Sharpen your value proposition.

Association membership is an investment, so it’s natural for prospects to ask for value in return. Membership has direct and indirect costs in the form of volunteer time commitments and opportunity costs; these professionals could be doing many other things to further their careers or businesses. To offset fees, it’s important to clearly define membership benefits. List the tangible and intangible benefits of being a member. Send out regular surveys for new membership benefit ideas, whether it’s a new professional development program or a software discount.

Keep membership benefits visible in association communications so they’re always top of mind. Try to include subtle reminders of relevant discounts or opportunities ahead of association events with notes like, “And remember, members get free registration!”.

2. Know your audience.

Associations are often highly specialized, attracting individuals with unique skills and experiences. However, that doesn’t mean all your members are the same. Spend time developing personas that reflect your current and ideal membership base and crafting messaging for those audiences.

For example, a younger member might be interested in networking and career opportunities, while more established members may join for business partnerships and recruiting.

Understanding your audience will also increase the efficacy of your marketing by concentrating on the most impactful channels. Most associations have long since shifted from print newsletters to email newsletters, but few have made the leap to automated campaigns to nurture prospective members or help new members get up-to-speed. Consider a more robust presence on LinkedIn or creating an exclusive, members-only server on Discord or Slack to meet members where they spend the most time.

3. Make it easy.

Invest in the right membership software to simplify membership management. Online applications, a fast and intuitive onboarding process, and exceptional support reduce the friction of joining an association. Always offer automatic renewals, access to an association calendar, and personalized communication to ensure members get what they need from the organization.

Finally, consider offering different types of membership. In nonprofit organizations, members often have different goals (think about your personas) and you can tailor membership packages to suit their interests. Offer event-only memberships, which include access to events, but nothing else. Have tiered packages that include additional resources, like mentorships, or increased discounts for certain member types.

How to Increase Membership in Nonprofit Organizations

There are two ways to grow the membership base of an organization: attracting new members and reducing membership churn. Member retention is the most cost-effective approach, but adding new members is critical to any organization. Both require an investment in time and budget.

Here are a few ways you can check both boxes.

How to Attract New Members to an Association

In addition to the three elements mentioned above, welcoming new members requires visibility.

Go digital. Social media, email marketing, and an excellent website can increase your organization’s visibility within the industry. All of these channels rely on informative, valuable content for your audience, so invest in blogs, white papers, and other resources that prospects can’t put down.

Win the inbox. Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach qualified users with great content. Most membership software programs offer built-in email features that include drip campaigns to prospective or expired members, providing a low-touch way of getting them back in the fold.

Most organizations calculate their member acquisition cost, or MAC, which is the average marketing and membership platform costs associated with attracting one new member. Work towards collecting clean, reliable data to make informed decisions.  

How to Retain Membership in An Organization

While the exact dollar amount varies by organization and industry, the cost of retaining existing members is almost always less than the cost of attracting new members. The longer members stay within an organization, the higher their lifetime value as measured by membership fees, donations, volunteer contributions, and member referrals.

Make a great impression. Welcoming new members, making a personal connection with them, and inviting them to specific events is a great way to provide value right away. One of the most effective retention tactics is to integrate new members into committees, volunteer roles, or simply by attending an association event with them.

Make renewal easy. Online membership platforms make it easy to renew memberships but keep it transparent. It’s usually considered best practice to include automated emails before memberships automatically renew, so users have the option to change their billing information or decline renewal.

Ask questions. It’s important to ask for feedback regularly to allow members to voice concerns, opportunities, or organizational shortcomings. Many organizations send surveys after members choose not to renew; that’s too late. Use automated campaigns to regularly solicit honest feedback from members so your association can address issues and adjust accordingly.

Successful By Association with Oneupweb

Oneupweb has nearly three decades of association marketing experience working with industry groups, national associations, and trade organizations across the US. Our integrated teams provide in-depth, actionable marketing strategies and quality deliverables to grow your association and maximize your impact. For more membership growth ideas and great conversation, get in touch or call (231) 922-9977.