Are You Engaging Your Members?

In our research and experience in partnering with associations, we at Tecker International have found that members are more likely to engage and volunteer if their organizations are:

1. Enlisting them to work on issues, initiatives, and projects that matter to them.
2. Demonstrating that their work is making a positive difference in the lives of others, their communities or their organizations, and
3. Providing an enjoyable experience for involvement.

We have also discovered that what has not changed in engaging members is that:

• Engagement remains key to the success of an association/community of like-minded individuals.
• Engagement increases the likelihood of member retention and satisfaction.
• Most people become engaged because they are invited.
• Face-to-face interaction is still important, and
• Personal and professional recognition is still vital.

However, in engaging members today, here are some differences from the past:

• The definition of “engagement” has expanded, from attendance at meetings, or purchasing products or services to leveraging the website, collaborating with online communities, and responding to posts on social media.
• The competition for engagement has increased with other organizations, outside interests, time constraints, etc.
• The amount of time per engagement opportunity has declined.
• Members’ preference toward project-based work, micro-volunteering, and task forces has increased, and
• The comfort level with virtual engagement continues to grow.

What is at the heart of a successful organization? Engaged members. Want to increase their engagement level? Here are three ways:

1. Gain a greater understanding of your members’ motivations and values for belonging, and align your volunteer opportunities with them;
2. Commit to demonstrating how member engagement helps to achieve your organization’s strategic goals; and
3. Consider creating a chart that shows a member progression of involvement with various volunteer jobs and time commitments.

What are you doing to earn engagement from your members?