Director of Membership / Membership Chair

Congratulations! You have been elected the Membership Chair of either your chapter (you are the Local Membership Chair or LMC) or your state (you are the State Membership Chair or SMC). (You may sometimes be called the Membership Director.) Ideally, the LMC or SMC, who serves on the board of directors, should not chair a committee. However, in many instances, this may not always be possible.

As LMC or SMC, you have the opportunity to see that all your association goals are met. It is important to remember that membership should be a committee responsibility and not the duty or obligation of only one person. You should not undertake the duties of membership without committee involvement. There is too much that needs to be done to help build membership for the association. Involving others in the membership committee, helping with an important committee or project, and providing others with information about the association will instill a feeling of participation.

The Membership Committee: As LMC and/or SMC, you are an extension of the NALS membership committee, which has been formed to promote membership growth and retention by assisting local and state associations in educating members and prospective members about the benefits available through membership. This committee will assist in establishing and attaining membership goals in your association and continuously gather information and pertinent statistics necessary to provide tools for membership in your local and state associations.

Membership should be a committee project and not the responsibility of only the LMC and/or SMC. Your committee should work in creating and keeping a continuing program of membership activity. This section will provide many facets of your membership duties along with some helpful suggestions to assist and guide you.

SMCs should contact all of their state’s LMCs prior to each state meeting to offer help and encouragement, and to learn about successful programs. SMCs should hold a “Membership Workshop” or “Membership Roundtable” with all of the state’s LMCs at each state meeting to share information and offer help and support.

LMCs should communicate with their SMC on a regular basis and attend membership meetings planned by that officer. Active participation in the programs of the NALS membership committee is vital to the continued growth of this association.

It is important to maintain an accurate roster of current members, their addresses, and telephone numbers. You may request a current roster from the NALS Resource Center at any time. It is vital that you have this roster to contact members and to accurately report your membership count. Make sure name and address changes are promptly provided to both NALS and your state association. Encourage members to promptly notify the NALS Resource Center or you may personally notify the NALS Resource Center of any changes.

An attendance list should be maintained of all current members present at each function of the association. Do not rely upon memory to remind you to contact absent members. Keep in touch with active or absent members, urging attendance and participation. Write, telephone, fax, e-mail, or personally call upon these members to let them know they were missed. Begin your communications with absent members immediately following the first meeting they have missed. Interest will be maintained if absent members know that others care. Inactive members should be kept informed of association activities and upcoming events. A special program might trigger their interest and bring them back quickly.

In the small association, the LMC usually handles most of the work of the membership committee. This should NOT happen. Membership is a huge task and the duties of the membership committee are many and varied. A committee of working members is crucial if the duties of this committee are to be effectively administered. Unless already established, request that the association president appoint two, three, four, or more members to actively work on the membership committee and offer input as to those members selected.

The committee creates and keeps active uninterrupted programs of membership activity. In essence, every member of the association (including officers and committee chairs) is an integral part of this committee and should work diligently with you to insure the association’s growth and solidarity. When membership goals are set at the beginning of the fiscal year, the overall goals of the association also should be established so that membership growth and retention are prime factors when planning and scheduling meetings and special programs. In order for an association to grow, its present members must establish the direction of this committee.

Member Recruitment: Nonmember attendees are prospective members! Maintain a guest list of all prospective members who attend any function of your association. If possible, greet a new attendee and give them an information packet. Otherwise, write, telephone, fax, e-mail, or call on prospective members, telling them about the association, its purpose and activities, when and where meetings are held, etc. Your committee will be of great help to you in making these calls and writing letters.

Recruitment is the process of raising and strengthening your association by enrolling new members. In every association, there is a continual turnover in membership from 10 to 15 percent. For example, an association with 50 members can expect to lose from 5 to 8 members per year due to transfer, change of employment, death, disinterest, etc. It is important that new members be recruited to bring new ideas and enthusiasm into the association.

There are many methods of recruitment. NALS offers a membership incentive campaign every two years that you can adapt to your association, as well as participate in at the NALS level. Determine where prospective members are, how to keep prospective members interested, and how to get them to join.

The best recruiters for your association are your current members. When a member of your own association tells another about the value of membership, the message carries greater impact than a solicitation directly from NALS. Encourage your members to recruit and make it convenient for them to get applications and supporting material into the hands of prospective members. Work with the Marketing Committee to get the word out about your great association.Some members will work harder than others, but all must be recognized for their efforts. Listed below are some tangible incentives that your association might wish to consider if the treasury permits:

• Waive local and/or state dues for sponsoring the most new members.
• Waive the charge for a monthly meeting for recruiting the most new members.
• Pay registration fees to local, state, regional, or NALS meetings.
• Pay expenses for local, state, regional, or NALS meetings.
• Pay registration costs for a seminar of the recruiter’s choice.
• Hold a raffle or give-a-way for members who attend 3 meetings in a row to receive a small gift.
• Have a membership program and provide a gift or gift certificate to the member who recruits the most new members or reactivates the most inactive members.
• Try a team competition to gain new members, work on projects, etc.
• Offer an incentive every six months for members who can reactivate the most members and keep them coming to at least half of your meetings.
• Remember to publish the names of your supportive members in the association publication. Praise those members openly before the group. Recognition precedes achievement on the motivational scale.

Member Retention: You cannot increase your membership if members leave. Membership promotion and retention demands a budget if your association is to achieve its full potential. No matter how small your association, some funds should be set aside for membership success. At the beginning of each fiscal year, submit a proposed membership budget to the board in a sufficient amount to cover all membership expenses based upon your committee’s goals. Budget items might include:

• Membership supplies.
• Membership promotion drive (at least one per year).
• New member pins.
• Packets to be presented to new members.
• Postage and photocopy expenses.
• Attendance of LMC at state membership workshops.
• Meal expense for prospective members (one time per prospect) when invited to special events or program meetings.
• Payment of NALS processing fee for new members.
• Name tags for members, new members, prospective members, and guests.
• Cost of incentive recognition awards.

The concept of membership is built on relationships. Stay in touch by listening and talking with members often. Conduct a membership interview to retain members. Conduct telephone interviews or perhaps develop a survey asking directly “Why are you leaving?” Then allow the members to express concerns and ask whether the member would like to renew today or receive materials in the mail or by fax.

Once you obtain members, you need to keep them. Continuing members give an association the solidarity that permits it to grow and prosper. A certain amount of normal attrition is expected. However, in order to keep the association vital and growing, an active and continuing membership is essential. Members join an association to satisfy needs, and they will remain as long as those needs are met. There are several ways to find out what your members want and expect from their membership:

• Use questionnaires.
• Ask members personally.
• Plan a membership brainstorming session.
• Keep members involved! When a member has a purpose, interest is maintained. Find a place for every member.
• Share your findings with your chapter or state president and board members so meetings and functions of the association can be planned with the members’ needs and wants in mind. Once you know what your members want, it is up to the association to deliver. It is only when the association fulfills the individual member’s needs that it can achieve success as a group.

Consider what members have said they want and need that they might not currently be receiving from the association. First find out the needs of your members, possibly through a “ready to fax back” survey in your next publication or newsletter that goes to the whole membership. Other ideas include publicizing programs on your website and featuring a “member service of the month.”

Periodically assess the association. Evaluation of the association and its activities is healthy. Encourage association officers and members to offer new ideas and recommendations for consideration by the association.

Try new programs and methods. Too often, an association offers the same programs and activities year after year because they are successful. Some associations have now adopted a policy that a program must be changed every three years. Trying something new can be even more successful; but if you do not try it, you’ll never know. Seminars and workshops should include introduction to new areas of the legal field that we know little about — not only those areas in which we work daily.

If membership is dropped, there is a reason. It is the responsibility of the membership committee to determine why a member has not renewed. You should remember it’s “What’s wrong with the association?” and not “What’s wrong with you?” (If the association was living up to expectations, that member would still be active and interested.) Until the association learns what is wrong, it cannot change.
If the reason is not simply hurt feelings, but is basic to the health of the association, take it to the president and the board for possible action. Thank the member for the constructive criticism.

Every year, associations receive returned dues notices with the message “Please cancel our membership.” People get out of an association what they put into it, and active members help their associations grow. Some easy steps for building an association are:

• Attend every association meeting you can.
• Say yes when asked to serve on a committee or in some other capacity.
• When you attend meetings, discuss your opinions about how things could be done during the meeting, and not after you leave.
• Work for the association every chance you get.
• Help make sure, to the best of your ability, that all meetings, seminars and conferences are worthwhile expenditures of members’ money.
• Use your ability to help reach wise decisions quickly.
• Make good use of your time in attending association functions.
• Pay your dues promptly.
• Read mail from your association when it arrives.

Here are seven retention strategies that will ensure that members will renew and new ones will join:

• Return member and prospective member phone calls promptly.
• Make all visitors and member feel important and vital to your association.
• Know association benefits and share your knowledge with all members.
• Ask for member involvement or opinions and implement suggestions.
• Make it easy for members to get involved–banish “cliques.”
• Publicly acknowledge member contributions.
• Maintain a positive attitude toward your association and its members.

Meetings. Personally greet nonmember attendees at each meeting or function. Introduce them personally to the officers, particularly the president. Present them with copies of your publication and a membership application.

It is important to welcome new members as soon as possible. A good idea to determine if you have had new members that may not have come directly through your meetings is to request a membership roster from the NALS Resource Center before your meetings. A short welcome and introduction, along with presentation of a new member packet, is very professional and meaningful. Encourage members to extend the hand of friendship and to offer assistance to the new member. New members should receive a copy of the association’s bylaws and standing rules, the association’s roster, publications, and notices. New members are often overwhelmed by local, state, regional, and NALS programs and activities. Unless they can find their spot in the group, you may lose them. Care must be taken to welcome new members warmly and to include them in all association activities and social exchanges at meetings. In short, you need to teach new members the fundamentals of the association and encourage them to be active members. Some suggestions include:

• Hold a special orientation meeting for new members and explain activities and programs.
• Explain association abbreviations. If new members do not understand your language, they will quickly lose interest in your meetings.
• Explain the structure of your association.
• Be sure new members know what is being discussed at meetings and provide them with details.
• Advise the president, secretary, treasurer, and publication editor of the names and addresses of new members.
• Encourage new members to volunteer to work with a committee of their choice.
• Request the publication editor to include the name and address of each new member in the next publication and encourage members to make sure new members feel welcome and part of the association.
• Notify your SMC of all new members, their addresses, and telephone numbers.
• Make certain that new members are receiving your chapter publication, state publication, @Law, and e-Learn@NALS.
• Ask seasoned members to offer a new member a ride to the next meeting; this is an excellent way to foster friendship.

Start each meeting with an introduction (if your association is not too large) and have members announce their name, their employer, and the office(s) or chair(s) held. Of course, always make sure that guests are introduced. If you have members who also serve as state or NALS officers or committee chairs, introduce them in that capacity. Meetings of the association can be not only formal in order to accomplish the necessary business but also friendly.

Let members talk at meetings. Call for open discussion at the end of meetings. Ask for any questions or recommendations regarding programs or activities of the association.

Hold open board meetings. Invite members to attend board meetings and encourage them to watch their officers at work. This is a good way to develop future leaders and educate members about the duties of each office.

Be generous with praise and stress the positive. Keep criticism to a minimum and offer only the constructive kind. If you favor an issue and the opposing side wins, be willing to support the decision of the majority. Decisions are made for the good of the association, and once the decision is made, endorse and back that decision. Enthusiasm is contagious. Get excited about your membership. Each member can reap many benefits from the association, all within reach.

Use experienced members to teach other members. Experienced members have usually been active on the state and NALS levels or have attended meetings on the state and NALS levels. Have these seasoned members work with your association governor or state representative and the NALS liaison within your association. They can assist new members with information on how to register at meetings, what information must be reported to the association, what to expect at state meetings, and generally, how not to burn out at such meetings. These experienced members are valuable sources of information—seek them out!

Avoid cliques in your association. Do not allow members to always congregate with old buddies. Avoid head tables at luncheons and social functions. Officers should sit with members so the members can get to know them personally. Keep members informed of everything! Distribute officer and chair reports, minutes, budgets, association rosters, bylaws, standing rules, brochures, board recommendations, agendas, etc. The knowledgeable member is an interested member.

Education for Professionalism and Excellence: When your members demand education, you must provide it or you will soon lose them. Since the purpose of your association is the continuing legal education of your members, you must be sure that legal education programs are presented at each meeting of the association. These programs need not be lengthy.

Work closely with your chapter’s legal education chair to plan good programs for your members and encourage seminars and in-house workshops.

Communication: It is of utmost importance that the LMC and/or SMC report at each general membership meeting so the members are aware of all developments. If the LMC assumes a positive attitude in the reports, she or he will set a forward-looking atmosphere in the association. Reports should include:

• Presentation of names of prospective members.
• The present membership count, the number of new members, and the new total. A note could be made comparing this to the goals set at the beginning of the year.
• An evaluation of membership survey forms and a report of the results to the association.
• Report on membership inquiries received and their present status.
• Membership information received from your SMC. It is your job to see that this information is disseminated to the association.
• Monthly membership reports to SMC/LMCs as sent by the Resource Center.

Keep your SMC informed about the events and successes of your association. If you have any questions about membership, be sure to contact your SMC or the Membership Services Manager at the NALS Resource Center. There are several promotional brochures available from the Resource Center which can be very useful to provide to potential members or for display during membership promotions.

Send post card announcements regularly. Post cards are less expensive than first class letters and even less than bulk mail. An additional benefit is that you can keep your mailing list clean by printing ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED below your return address and the post card will come back free of return postage. Do it with bulk mail and you must pay first-class return postage.

What is happening in communications technology today is a transforming event, much like the invention of the Guttenberg press. Information is a verb, not a noun; a process that cannot be owned or contained. How do you make sure your members genuinely feel well-informed? Is what you and your association are doing necessary? Are you providing a sense of community through your association?

Communication works both ways too. The next time a member tells you how much they enjoyed a particular seminar or meeting, ask them to put it in writing. They usually will! Display these letters in a noticeable public location, perhaps by reprinting them in your state or chapter publication. You’ll be amazed how many you can collect in a reasonably short period of time. Members will want to have their stories or comments printed, and they will really see themselves as your partner with their name posted prominently where their friends can see it. The result is a community bulletin board of recognition which will honor you as well as your members.

Communicate regularly with your members through your publication. This is your best vehicle for announcing and introducing new members, sharing ideas for successful programs, recognizing member achievements, reporting upcoming events, etc.