BlogMembership How to Create a Nonprofit Membership Program: Essential Steps and Tips for Success Membership How to Create a Nonprofit Membership Program: Essential Steps and Tips for Success Author: Sonia Urlando November 25, 2024 Contents 🕑 11 min read Want to build a community and boost your revenue? Then it’s time to become an expert in nonprofit membership programs! From growing your following to brainstorming member perks to setting up a great website, we have everything you need to know. What is a Membership Program? A membership program is a business plan where nonprofits provide members with benefits and perks in exchange for a recurring fee (dues). While all of your supporters can engage with your organization, your members pay dues in order to get that extra value. Successful nonprofit membership programs bring in a healthy stream of revenue and build a community of dedicated members! Should my Nonprofit Start a Membership Program? When you’re figuring out how to start a nonprofit, you might find yourself wondering if you should set up a membership program. The answer is a resounding YES if you: Want to include dues as a nonprofit revenue stream Have the right person/people to lead the program Have board buy in Believe it will further your mission Already have a strong community Types of Nonprofit Membership Programs Depending on the structure of your organization, your membership model might look a little different! Here are a few examples of different types of membership in nonprofit organizations: Trade Associations In trade associations, members are either corporations or very wealthy individuals. In exchange for higher fees, members of trade associations have more influence when it comes to decision-making. Professional Associations In professional associations, membership is for people who share a profession. The dues they pay give them access to perks like networking opportunities, professional development and job boards. Clubs For clubs, members pay dues to gain access to different club activities. For example, members of a volleyball club are essentially paying to use the space and its supplies. Membership also gives people a community to play with! Members-As-Donors The members-as-donors model is classic for nonprofits. Donors pay a regular fee which gives them access to nonprofit membership benefits, thus making them into members! Typically, they don’t get a very large amount of internal influence in the organization. Members-As-Consumers Members-as-consumers programs are specially designed for community building. The fees are low (or even free!) and the program encourages members to spread the word in their networks. The revenue boost comes once the community is built! Members-As-Advocates For members-as-advocates programs, the primary focus is furthering the nonprofit’s cause. Sometimes dues are involved, but mostly members offer support through taking tangible action, such as volunteering. The membership program gives them the tools and structure to mobilize. Key Elements of a Nonprofit Membership Program Membership Tiers or Levels A clear membership structure is necessary for a membership program. You see it all the time with subscription services like the streaming platform Max They have 3 subscription tiers: With Ads, Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free. A membership program will follow a similar structure with tiered pricing plans, giving increased access to resources and benefits with higher membership fees. Read more: Membership Level Names: The Secret Sauce for Super-Creative Tier Names Exclusive Membership Benefits The exclusive benefits gained from a membership is one of the driving factors people join a nonprofit’s membership. Commonly used nonprofit membership benefits can be: Access to Events Discounts and special pricing Exclusive Content and resources Recognition Networking Opportunities Recurring Revenue Membership fees and dues tend to renew yearly or monthly. This serves as a guaranteed source of income for any nonprofit with a membership program. Some organizations offer both renewal options, with yearly renewal options being discounted to reduce admin burnout and increase member retention. Member Engagement and Communication To have highly engaged members in a membership program, consistent communication is crucial. Members need updates on the nonprofit’s progress and initiatives as well as upcoming events and opportunities to get involved. Engaging with members will look different depending on member preferences but the most common ways are website updates, a newsletter, an online community or text messages. Read more: How to Write a Newsletter Your Members Will Actually Want to Read + 16 Ideas to Use in Your Next Email How to Create a Nonprofit Membership Program A membership program is sounding pretty good, right? All that’s left to do is make it happen! Here are the steps you need to get you started with your nonprofit membership program: Identify Leadership We won’t lie—making a strong membership program takes some work. The first step in launching any project or campaign is to identify who’s in charge of it. Depending on the size of your nonprofit, you may have one person in charge of your members or maybe you have a leadership team dedicated to membership programs. Here are a couple ways your membership program’s leadership structure could look like. An Individual Managing all your members in your nonprofit may seem like a daunting task for one person. But this can work if your organization is smaller or you have fewer membership activities to manage. Things to keep in mind: With only one person at the helm, ensure you have a succession plan in place in the event your membership manager leaves the position. A Team Say your nonprofit is larger with many members and an abundance of member activities or events. This will require a whole team to send out newsletters, set up registration, coordinate events, etc. You’ll likely have one head of your membership (VP of membership) who manage the membership team. You’ll see roles like “director of member education”member engagement coordinator,” “membership marketing manager” or “membership operations specialist.” Things to keep in mind: Many hands make light work, but ensure your membership team has clear communication and responsibilities are delegated properly so nothing falls through the cracks. Volunteers A structure that works for a lot of nonprofits is outsourcing your membership program management through volunteers. These volunteers, typically seasoned members, will handle all things membership and report back to one of your staff members. This gives highly engaged volunteers leadership opportunities while keeping costs low if your nonprofit is working with a tight budget. Things to keep in mind: These are just volunteers, so don’t expect them to have the bandwidth a full time employee would. Show appreciation and recognize their dedication to your organization. Regardless of what your membership leadership looks like, they should have the following qualities: Knows your mission inside out Understands your supporters’ needs and interests Is super organize When all the smaller tasks pop up, you can count on the team leader to delegate. Create a Strategic Plan—and Goals As we mentioned above, there are all types of membership in nonprofit organizations! Going in with a strategic plan will help you set clear goals that keep your eyes on the prize. Read more: Strategic Planning for Nonprofits Start by setting yourself a timeline and a target number of members you’d like to bring in. Once your vision is feeling clearer, bring it to your board of directors for additional input and approval! Build Your Members’ Benefits Setting up valuable nonprofit membership benefits is one of the most important parts of making a program that rocks! We listed some generic ideas in the section above, but here are some specific options you could include: A community resource hub with a members-only log in. House content that applies to your nonprofit’s mission and purpose Blogs On-demand webinars How-to videos Case studies Industry research reports Access to exclusive events (or discounted tickets!) – this can be live or virtual Job boards specific to your nonprofit’s industry Membership directory to connect with others who share their passion Educational and training sessions to promote professional development Run your benefits by your board of directors, volunteers and ask for member feedback to get additional ideas. Identify Membership Levels + Fees Give your donors an element of choice by offering distinct nonprofit membership levels with different perks and price points. Every level should be valuable, but make sure the benefits increase as they go! Naming the tiers can be as simple as going with “bronze, silver, gold”—but you can also get creative with your membership level names for a bit more fun. Read more: Should Your Organization Offer Free Memberships? Choose Membership Management Software Once you’ve brought in your new members, you’re going to need some membership management software to engage them and keep them happy. No matter your nonprofit’s goals, the right nonprofit membership software will reduce your workload. When shopping for a nonprofit membership management software, look for these features: Member database to segment members, simplify applications and automate renewals Email and text messaging tools to keep members up to date A responsive mobile app for admins and members A built-in, secure payment processor A website builder with customizable pages, forms and themes Event management software to handle registration, ticketing, payment acceptance and event promotion Easy WordPress integrations Our membership management software, WildApricot has all of these tools and more, along with the customer support you need for any questions that come up. If this is your first time setting up a nonprofit membership program—or you’re simply trying to level up on the one you have in place!—we’ve got your back. Sign up for our 60-day free trial today! Create (or Modify) Your Website Your website is where prospective members get their first impression of your program. If it looks janky, or worse, not secure, you just might lose them at the door. When you’re working on your site, pay attention to: Consistent and attractive branding UX and readability Big bright buttons that lead to your membership form Security Keeping up with the top nonprofit website features turns your website into the gate to the Emerald City! Get your supporters knocking at the door. Check out this blog to inspire your new nonprofit website or make updates to your existing one! Market Your Program There’s not much use in building out a membership program if no one ends up seeing it! Creating a full fledged new membership campaign may seem like a lot of work but if you break it down each element is achievable for any nonprofit. Plan out a marketing strategy to get as many eyes on the program as possible. This could include a: Social media campaign Free event like a barbecue at a local park Partnership with a local business Referrals from your current members Word-of-mouth Dedicated member drive Look up some membership drive ideas for nonprofit organizations! Many nonprofits have done this work before you—don’t feel pressured to reinvent the wheel. Read more: The Best Membership Marketing Strategies for Any Organization in 2024 Build an Onboarding Program You don’t want your members to join you and then ask “…now what?” Set up an onboarding program that welcomes members into all you have to offer! Some of our favorite onboarding strategies are: Welcome emails and/or paper packages New member spotlight on your site, newsletter or social media New member meetings Mentorship programs Personal invites to events A warm welcome goes a long way towards member retention! Read more: Ideas to Make Your New Member Orientation a Success Automate Your Renewals Really—automate your renewals. Tracking someone down to renew is about as much work as recruiting new members! Plus, it’s more cost effective to retain members with renewals than constantly recruiting new ones. If you make it easy to be a part of your membership program, your members will be happy to stay. Remember to offer multiple membership renewal options to appeal to your entire member base. Download our eBook on renewals and become an expert on membership renewals and improve your renewal rate: The Ultimate Membership Renewal Guide Send Member Surveys Checking in is never a bad idea! Send out surveys to ask your members about what’s working for them, as well as what areas could use improvement. If the same comments keep coming up, you may have found a gap in what you have to offer. Make whatever adjustments make sense for your nonprofit membership program. Your members will be happy to receive what they asked for and to know you took their recommendations seriously. Keep an Eye on Competitors Again, you are not the only nonprofit out there who is working with a membership program! Check out what your competitors are up to, and brainstorm on where you could improve on their ideas to provide the best member experience. Successful membership programs are the ones who tap into their supporters’ needs and interests. What better place to look for that information than in similar organizations to your own? Grow Your Program The nonprofit membership program you begin with is just that—a beginning. Just as your organization will grow and evolve over the years, your program should grow with it. Above all, never say “this seems like enough members.” Your membership program is both a source of revenue and a space for community, the two most essential parts of fulfilling your mission. Be sure to set up nonprofit CRM software that keeps those relationships thriving. Exit Interviews with Lapsed Members When people question how to increase membership in nonprofit organizations, they sometimes forget to check in on why people might not stick around. Getting new members is great, but fostering member stewardship is even more important! Membership programs are only a consistent stream of income if the donations remain consistent. Check in with your lapsed members through email or survey, and see if they left because: Regular donations were too expensive The perks did not feel useful They lost interest in your mission They didn’t feel recognized or appreciated Another reason! Whatever information you get can help you improve your membership program. FAQs About Membership Programs Here are answers to a few frequently asked questions about nonprofit membership programs: What’s the difference between a member and a donor or supporter? Nonprofit members pay membership dues to receive perks through the membership program, and have voting rights in the organization. Donors give the nonprofit either one-time or recurring donations, but are not members of the program that gives them perks and rights. Supporters share the nonprofit’s message, and might be a part of something like the nonprofit newsletter, but do not provide financial support. Where do I find my state’s requirements for members? The Model Nonprofit Corporation Act is a great place to find federal requirements for members. For state requirements, it is best to consult with a legal professional! What’s the difference between being “members” of a nonprofit and a part of a nonprofit membership organization? As we mentioned, members pay regular dues to gain access to member benefits and voting rights. Being a part of the organization is more like a job—staff and board members make and carry out the decisions that members might vote on! What’s the difference between membership and non-membership nonprofit organizations? A membership-based nonprofit gives the members voting rights on the organization’s key issue. Non-membership organizations leave those choices in the hands of the board of directors. Making a Membership Program that ROCKS With a strong plan, the best tools and the right mindset, you’ll be on the way to making an awesome nonprofit membership program in no time! Tap into what it is your members want, and you’ll be sure to bring in a better and brighter community. 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