Recruitment & Retention:Providing a Meaningful Membership Experience

Kim Blank

Coordinator of Student Activities

Overwhelmed?

3 Keys to Meaningful Membership

o Recruitmento Activities Fair

o Other publicity

o First meeting

o Retentiono Opportunities to engage

o Purpose & meaning

oAppreciation

What issues do you see?

• What are some recruitment or retention issues you see in your organization?

RECRUITMENT MATH

87 sign-ups at Activities Fair

12 attend one of first three meetings

6 actually stick with membership in the org.

4 Reasons People Join Organizations

• Desire to get involved

• Desire to meet people

• Desire to develop

leadership skills

• Belief in a cause

Recruitment

o Not just about numbers

o More members ≠ Better members

o Do you need (and can you support) 50 new members?

o On the flip side, don’t be exclusive just for the sake of being exclusive

o Think beyond the traditional stuff

Do you have any ideas?

Recruitment

o Know and understand the goals and purpose of your organization.

o Set recruitment goals—How many people do you wish to recruit? What sort of characteristics would an ideal new member possess? What sort of programming will draw our target members?

o Get the current membership involved. They are the current face of the organization.

o Design a visual element—use members’ artistic talents to create memorable publicity materials.

Recruitment

• Remember your organization’s goals

• Remember why people join organizations

• Remember that some people are just signing up for a free pen, because they’re signing up for everything, or because they saw someone cute sign up before them

Retention

September meeting

November meeting

Retention

o Contact people who show interest early– take no longer than a week

o Make it fun! Involvement shouldn’t be a burdeno Hold a socially-centered welcome evento Make the first formal meeting funo Get the new members involved immediatelyo Orient the new members by introducing the mission,

goals, norms, traditions of the organizationo Get to know the members by planning icebreakers, etc.o Remember their nameso Show appreciation for the members

Retention

• Use meeting agendas– some people just think better this way & it gives a sense of purpose to the meeting

• Balance those who are task-oriented and those who are process-oriented

• Remember that your organization is only as strong as its weakest link. Quickly try to reengage disenchanted members.

Appreciation can be low-cost

Appreciation

o Be open to suggestionso Give members responsibilities

o Delegate! Know how to lead & how to step back

o Hand out creative awards/certificateso Have a social event (ice cream, pizza, etc.)o Send someone to a workshop/conferenceo Give prizeso Identify potential & build on strengthso Announce kudos at meetings

What do you currently do?

Any ideas? Questions?

• What is your organization doing currently?

• How can the people in this room help you brainstorm or problem-solve?

Additional Resources

Student Activities Office

100 East Brooklyn Street

(Behind the Market)

Kim Blank

Coordinator of Student Activities

blankk@kenyon.edu

Sources

University of Virginia’s Dean of Students Website: http://www.virginia.edu/deanofstudents/studentactivities/?page_id=398

“Membership Recruitment and Retention” The University of Maryland

“Give Them a Hand: How to Thank, Recognize and Motivate Members” Student Leader