Membership drive: A Chapter’s needed action in 2011, a call from WSG Dr Nick Kahwaji
Membership drive:
A Chapter’s needed action in 2011
Membership is the lifeblood of the WLCU. Retaining and attracting members can be a very challenging task, therefore it is imperative that all Chapters start planning a membership drive ASAP.
A membership drive provides opportunities for the WLCU local leaders to interact with their local community, revive the chapter ,and raise money via newly paid membership dues .
Planning a membership drive can be time-consuming and difficult, but with dedication and cooperation of all members and resources, it is possible to hold a successful membership drive.
It is important for each prospective new member to be excited about joining the organization and to have a specific role to contribute to its functioning. Otherwise, it will be difficult to explain why a prospective member should join, also if the message is weak it could turn a number of prospective members off from our organization.
A simple examples of what you can do:
To start,. Use the Internet, and your existing relationships, and promote what you have to offer:
– Facebook : set up a fan page for your Chapter on Facebook. Publish your information and planned events…
–Twitter : is another great resource for marketing. “Tweeting” about your organization and its efforts to attract members will be seen by thousands, and you can build a group of followers who can then become future members.
– Word of Mouth : is the best method of advertising and recruitment.
– Have members of your group each try to recruit new members from family or friends.
-Set up a dinner or other social event where members can bring these newcomers to see what the organization is all about.
There are many ways to help make your membership drives successful.
Promote Your Purpose
- An often overlooked way to recruit new members is to promote what the WLCU stands for. Many organizations think their message is obvious, but an outsider looking in may have no idea why the chapter exists. Promote the WLCU purpose and message in appropriate venues.
Give People a Reason to Join
- A Chapter that offers nothing to its members will likely see its roster shrink instead of grow. Every Chapter needs to offer an incentive for joining, especially since the chapter charges fees and asks members to donate their time. Promote and advertise what the chapter offers its members, because people seeking those services will be more likely to join.
……….Finally ,the local President should educate their staff on everything related to the WLCU (such as the purpose and future of the chapter and the actual practice of conducting the membership drive). Your goal here is to ensure that each of the staff members can answer a slew of organization-related questions and be confident in the process of recruiting new members.
We wish you good luck and we will be asking in the near future for a updated membership list of every chapter.
WSG
Dr Nick kahwaji
3 January 2011
Membership drive: A Chapter’s needed action in 2011, a call from WSG Dr Nick Kahwaji