Are you a membership based nonprofit? 3 ways to be better

I don’t usually go in for membership.

I find that whatever the cost is, it’s usually not followed up with enough concrete benefits.

However, there is ONE organization that I am a member of, which exceeds all my expectations, and I think it would help you to tell you about it.

Texas Wax is a nonprofit that helps encaustic artists all over Texas. They post exhibition opportunities and classes on their website, and they also have a member gallery. So far, sounds pretty normal, right?

When you go to their monthly meetings, the room is buzzing. Everyone’s energy is turned up high. People are CONSTANTLY providing value to each other. Members are bouncing ideas back and forth, trading ideas for techniques, showing their pieces, talking about new opportunities for the members, classes, books, special deals, where to exhibit, book opportunities, where they went on their vacation and the galleries they saw there, encouraging each other to succeed. This is truly a center of the painting community in Texas. And there’s a reason their membership has doubled since last year. They now have 60 members. The people at the monthly meetings are empowered, which, like the road less traveled by, makes all of the difference.

I’ve never been in a group like this before. I’ve joined chamber of commerce groups, nonprofit technology groups, development and fundraising groups, and even joined other encaustic groups, and this one really takes my breath away. It’s a nimble group, full of vibrant people, old and young, who have a passion and want to share it!

How can you create a membership that is not just about sending renewals? How can you become a center of your community?

1. EMPOWER YOUR MEMBERS

If you currently deliver value to your members by giving, say, a Season Ticket, and a bumper sticker or a plaque, and listing people in the annual report, let me say right now, that is all very well, but what are you doing to create excitement and help your members succeed? How are you supporting them and asking for their ideas and help?

If you’re required to have an annual meeting, how can you touch your members more frequently, and invite them to network with each other, bringing their passion to the table?

For example, if you’re The Poetry Project in NYC, how can you help your members who know how to self-publish help those who don’t know yet? How can you get poets together to brainstorm new ways of delivering poetry to Brooklyn? Can you group together and apply for a public arts grant to make a poetry billboard? Distribute dolls with poetry in their mouths? Make tape with poetry on it and stick it on the sidewalk, lampposts, over advertisements?

2. COMMUNICATE YOUR EXCITEMENT

And encourage them to share theirs. If your members love the ballet, are you sitting down with them and connecting them to your dancers? Are you recommending books? Are you helping them list their own ballet classes on your website? Are you showing them the costume room and letting them submit ideas for costume colors for next season?

3. HELP MEMBERS DO MORE

If your members are girl scouts, are you sitting down with the mothers, fathers, and daughters, and helping them succeed, in a concrete way? Are you helping them find career development opportunities? Helping them shape their education and self-direct it? Are you asking them what they want out of the girl scouts? Are you figuring out ways to get girls to write their stories on your website? How about the businesses of the parents? How can you come up with innovative ways to partner with their businesses and help you both succeed? How can you take advantage of all of the talent and promise in the room?

How do you engage your members? Is there an innovation you would like to share?

2012 EDIT: Okay, for something that was so good, it’s now defunct. Too bad. No one wanted to take it over from Sharon Kyle-Kuhn though.