Membership Development Bulletin
May 2008
Running a local organization is a challenging yet rewarding experience. At the JCI World Headquarters, we understand the challenges local officers face daily. This bulletin is intended to provide local officers with ideas on how to run local organizations effectively.
Periodically, you will receive a bulletin addressing different aspects of a local organization. Kindly let us know what you think about the information we send to you and what areas you would like us to cover in subsequent issues.
This issue covers aspects related to membership recruitment, involvement and retention, all very vital for the survival of a local organization. Hopefully this information will be of great value to your local organization.
ü Membership Recruitment
Membership recruitment is crucial for the success of a local organization. For a local organization to remain successful, it must never relent in its recruitment efforts to avoid structural gaps, inadequate management, and insufficient manpower. Nursing thoughts that the local organization is large enough is naïve and is a first step towards membership decline.
Every local organization needs to continually recruit new members to fill the positions of those who move on to higher offices, bring fresh ideas, and replace those who leave due to age limits or to assume leadership positions in the community.
Tips to help you recruit
Create a membership Growth and Extension Commission under the supervision of the Individual Vice President. This commission is charged with developing a recruitment plan, defining an end of year growth target, identifying the target market, promoting the local organization, and planning New Member events.
Here are some tips to help you successfully recruit new members:
ü Spread the Word: If you like JCI, do not keep it secret, spread the word; invite a friend to your next meeting.
ü Be exemplary: Ever heard “action speaks louder than words”? Apply the skills and experiences acquired through your active participation in JCI to attract other young people to our organization.
ü Be a proud member: Always wear a JCI pin. Have fun becoming a walking pin billboard.
ü Learn more about JCI: JCI members are the best sales persons for the organization. You can only sell a product if you understand it.
ü Spread the fun: Have fun recruitment events. Organize a wine tasting party, a swimming pool party, a barbeque, and joint networking social events with other organizations to recruit young people.
In a fast-paced world, it is highly recommended, especially in metropolitan areas, that local organizations pursue corporate recruitment. Corporations can provide new members and resources to local organizations, helping them achieve greater impact in the community. In return, they can help corporations by offering employees individual development courses and opportunities to develop leadership and other skills by running projects or holding office at various levels of the organization.
Here are some recommendations for you to succeed in Corporate Recruitment:
ü Develop a corporate recruitment kit.
ü Establish a list of corporations that you intend to target.
ü Send out letters to corporations.
ü Call corporations to schedule appointments.
ü Familiarize yourself with the targeted corporations before attending appointments.
ü If the deal goes well, secure written agreement with the corporation.
ü Mail a thank you letter.
ü Renew commitment each year.
For more information, please go to http://www.jci.cc/university/downloads and click on Local Action Guides.
Recruitment is usually the easiest part of membership growth, involving and keeping the new members active is the challenge. Read more about membership involvement and membership recruitment.
ü Membership Involvement
It takes a while for new members to discover JCI’s philosophies, history, objectives, achievements, their role in the organization, and all the opportunities available to them through JCI. If a local organization satisfies their curiosity with materials and answers, encourages enthusiasm with effective management and good projects, and harness their energy with challenges and activities, new members will stay long enough to become an excellent young citizens and leaders of the future.
Here are some suggestions on how a local organization can best ensure that new members enjoy the best possible environment for personal development and quality membership:
ü Organize small group orientations.
ü Assign active and experienced members as mentors to new members.
ü Get to know each new member’s family situation.
ü Have individual interviews with new members to assess their individual interests.
ü Prepare a Personal Progress Plan for each new member, and review it regularly.
ü Produce a written bio for each new member and have it published.
ü Conduct a JCI’s New Members Project Seminar.
ü Organize basic training seminars on parliamentary procedures, public speaking, project planning, report presentation, and basic protocol.
ü Organize JCI training sessions.
ü Provide incentives and awards for new members.
ü Introduce new members and allow them to speak at meetings.
ü Provide them with opportunities to take responsibilities.
ü Provide comprehensive New Member’s Kits to new members, explaining about the organization and the benefits of membership.
Let new members understand, at a very early stage, the rewards of JCI membership and JCI’s international dimension with members in 114 countries and regions around the world!
For more information, please go to http://www.jci.cc/university/downloads and click on Local Action Guides.
ü Membership Retention
As volunteer organizations have proliferated, you need to make sure your local organization provides opportunities to satisfy the objectives and aspirations that prompted members to join in the first place. Here are some tips to keep your members satisfied and eager to continue as active members.
ü Maintain a comprehensive, updated system of member records.
ü Be responsible in addressing the needs of members.
ü Keep an on-going orientation process.
ü Have qualified members provide supervision.
ü Keep a personal progress plan for every member.
ü Know the basic factors that may cause individuals to leave the organization.
ü Have every member participate in a periodic evaluation of purpose and objectives.
ü Have a balanced program of activities covering the four Areas of Opportunity.
ü Help members learn and appreciate JCI’s history, philosophy, achievements, and potential.
We need to promote enthusiastic program participation, camaraderie among members, clear objectives, caring leadership, open and effective communications, and strategic planning.
Here are some recommendations for a successful retention plan:
ü Have a board meeting to evaluate membership.
ü Carefully maintain and update membership records.
ü Establish a Personal Development Commission responsible for training programs.
ü Have many visible signs of membership participation and accomplishment.
ü Compile a comprehensive list of avenues that members may explore to develop themselves and accomplish their objectives.
The best results are reached by the faithful few. Be ambitious and achieve the objective of transforming the “faithful few” into the “faithful majority”!
For more information, please go to http://www.jci.cc/university/downloads and click on Local Action Guides.
