Not all membership software is equal to the task of managing the membership
information of volunteer and non-profit organizations and associations. Most
such organizations simply lack the resources to devote to proactive membership
management. The answer to this common problem is to automate online member
services and integrate them with your membership software.
Membership
Self Service
Online member services -- interactive, Web-based,
membership self-service support -- that's how to manage a large membership when
you don't have resources to dedicate to the task.
There are a number of
online member services that you can automate and integrate to make your life
easier, including:
Online member profiles
Private, member-only
access to data
Online membership application
Online event
registration and payment
Online donations
Properly implemented,
online membership self service lets organizations meet their members' needs
24/7. From new member applications, renewals and profile updates to online
conference registrations, the benefits are numerous. People of all ages and
walks of life are now using online services -- and will gladly use yours IF it
actually works and saves them time and effort compared to calling your
organization or sending faxes.
Of course, such organizations also
generally lack the IT skills that large businesses typically have, so ease of
use is also a very important quality for your membership software to possess.
According to ASAE & The Center for
Association Leaderships
2006 Policies and Procedures benchmarking
report, online member services are more prevalent among individual membership
organizations (IMOs) than trade associations (308:265). Associations responding
to the survey reported that meeting attendee registration and online member
directory were the most popular (79% and 69%). Other services offered online to
members include organization newsletters (67%), member online community
functions (56%), dues renewal (55%), and document download (51%).
Online
Member Profiles
Allowing (and encouraging) members to manage their own
profiles can save your organization an immense amount of time. Using a simple
Web interface they can easily ensure that their information is up to date.
Security and privacy are serious concerns for your members, so the first
thing you need to do is ensure you have policies in place and the ability to
enforce them. But remember that this initiative will only work if you are
providing convenience -- you need to make it easy for members to retrieve
misplace login information via email, and personalize their profiles with
photos, logos, etc. Remember too that the information you collect belongs to the
individual members. Make that information available to them. If they can view
the history of their relationship with the association online (event
registrations, membership renewals, etc.), then they experience convenience, and
you experience fewer requests for information.
Private, Member-Only
Access to Data
A secure, private section for your members can provide
added value, attracting new members and motivating existing members to renew. To
provide value, this section must be convenient, easily accessible (with proper
authorization), and useful (i.e., informative, and not cluttered with irrelevant
material).
To keep the members coming back, you also need to keep the
content fresh. (This is where you'll need to spend some of that time you're
saving with self-serve membership management.) Allow members to sign up for
email alerts when you publish certain kinds of information. You can even use Web
analytics software (there are free versions available) to track access to this
section to find out what is most popular.
And just because the section
is for members only, it doesn't have to be a secret. Providing "teasers" --
summaries, overviews, tables of content, samples -- can draw in people through
search engines, encourage new memberships, and influence existing members to log
in.
Online Membership Applications
Forget PDF membership
applications. They're inconvenient for your members, and unnecessary overhead
for your staff. Online membership application forms are the way to go. By
integrating the form with your membership software, you provide immediate
results for your members, and less work for your staff.
Online forms are
so simple that you may be tempted to use them to ask for all sorts of additional
information. Don't. Your objective is to get the membership, and once potential
members abandons your intrusive application process, you're not likely to get
them back. Once they've joined, you can encourage them to update their online
profiles with additional information, or use surveys. Flexible payment options
are another way to keep potential members in their comfort zone.
One
more thing: make sure it works. Nothing reflects more poorly on your association
than a failed first interaction, whether live or automated.
Online Event
Registration and Payment
Your membership is busy. If you create a
Web-based event calendar with full online registration and online credit card
payment capabilities, you empower your members to plan ahead. They win, because
they can plan their busy schedules to include the events that are important to
them, and you win, because you increase early registration -- so you can project
attendance more accurately.
When members register, they should receive
automatic confirmations of their registration showing the information they
provided. Send reminder notices one or two days before the event.
Online
Donations
As the Internet plays a big role in people's lives, online
fundraising is gaining popularity, but it can't be the entire focus of your
fundraising plan. It's just one more way to reach people and include them in
your other fundraising efforts.
Include a donate link in a prominent
position on every page of your website. Add a donation form on your website, and
accept all major credit cards as well as PayPal if possible. Allow donors to
specify designations or acknowledgements, make memorial or gift donations, or
remain anonymous. Setup email notifications when a new donation is made, and
email a regular or update notice to a donor email list.
Encourage your
supporters to spread the word to even more people online through the use of
widgets and social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook.
Lastly, don't forget to recognize and thank your donors!
Membership Software -- Choose Wisely
As I said at the beginning
of this article, not all membership software is up to the task of automated
membership management. Online member services and membership self service can
provide convenience for your membership and liberate your staff to do what's
really important to your association. When you're shopping for membership
software, you owe it to yourself to see whether the software can serve your
membership in the ways outlined in this article.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
