I shared a story in a previous article about being a customer with my current cellphone service provider since I received my first cellphone at 16 years old. By now, I have been a customer of this company for well over half my life. I’m no longer receiving the complimentary streaming services, access to exclusive mobile benefits or other freebies that are often offered to new customers. Yet I have not considered switching to another provider because my needs are being met.
How does this relate to your association membership?
Well, within your organization, you have members — like me and my service provider — who have been involved for quite some time. These individuals are part of what I like to call the “what have you done for me lately?” group. They have been part of the association for five to 10 years, continuously pay their dues on time, and may be engaged at the chapter or committee level as a volunteer. Yet often, they are delegated to the background as membership initiatives focus more on recruitment of new members or reengaging those who have lapsed. This is a key audience to keep engaged, though, as many of these individuals are well-positioned to become association ambassadors and advocates and assist in ways that can help the organization grow.
There are several ways to recognize and reengage long-term members. If they are not already involved with the association, they are the perfect ones to recruit for volunteer or project-based work. They may also be a good fit for sitting on a task force or committee. Asking them to serve will reignite their loyalty to the organization. And the rewards garnered from these long-term members’ involvement are invaluable. They can provide mentorship, train future leaders, help develop the leadership succession pipeline and provide member testimonials of how the association has directly impacted them.
Oftentimes, long-term members are simply looking for a “thank you” or acknowledgement of their efforts. Some examples of how to informally recognize members include handwritten notes from association leadership, thanking them for their years of service, or public recognition for five, 10, 15 or 20-plus years of membership via the website and member testimonials or at an annual conference.
More formalized programs to recognize long-term members and volunteers include creating a Fellows or Distinguished Leaders group, developing a Volunteer of the Year Award to acknowledge the hard work of these members, or creating a Presidential Distinguished Service Award to recognize their contributions to the organization.
Regardless of how they are engaged, long-term members are a key demographic that is vital to the future success of an association. These are the members who are subject-matter experts and are more likely to volunteer or step up if being called to serve on behalf of their professional society. These members help train the future leaders of the association and are a reliable backbone that can help create a pipeline of volunteers who may be willing to serve.
Jordan Burghardt is the director of engagement, Association Solutions, at MCI USA.
