The Membership Journey: Understanding and Boosting Membership Today
Dommett, K; Power, S
Date: 20 September 2018
Publisher
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Sheffield
Related links
Abstract
Membership is an important part of the working of a healthy democratic system. Yet in a
world where individual and sporadic engagement is becoming the norm, membership of
political organisations is increasingly unusual.
• Membership organisations now regularly confront challenges in recruiting, activating and
retaining members.
• ...
Membership is an important part of the working of a healthy democratic system. Yet in a
world where individual and sporadic engagement is becoming the norm, membership of
political organisations is increasingly unusual.
• Membership organisations now regularly confront challenges in recruiting, activating and
retaining members.
• Membership can be usefully understood as a journey, not a series of disconnected stages.
This journey is underpinned by three factors:
1) MOTIVATION
2) PROCESS
3) TRIGGER
• By understanding these factors, organisations can better recruit, activate and retain
members.
• Organisations wishing to address membership challenges can take the following actions:
* Understanding motivation: collect and communicate members’ reasons for
joining; feedback members on the outcomes of their campaigning activity; target
specific events around specific motivations; thank members for engaging and
volunteering time
* Understanding process: conduct mystery shopper exercises to see how easy it
is to join and get involved with your organisation; install a direct debit system
by default; share best practice in recruitment, retention and activation; offer
lifetime membership; highlight motivations for joining and remaining in the
party online
* Understanding triggers: identify existing events, activities and catalysts for
joining or taking action in an organisation, piggyback on external events and
campaigns that might drive people to your organisation; orchestrate events that
might cultivate engagement and boost membership; mainstream membership
recruitment and engagement as a part of ongoing activities; ensure that triggers
are the only cause of membership loss
Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Anthropology
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Item views 0
Full item downloads 0