Improve communication between headquarters, chapters, and members with a unified platform With so many multi-chapter organizations operating in the United States, there is relatively little research on how they maintain order and operations. How do individual chapters interact with their central or national office? What are their biggest challenges? It is difficult to keep processes streamlined when attempting to coordinate activities, goals, and communications. To dig a little deeper, here are four issues that are routinely faced by multi-chapter groups: 1. Communication
2. Membership data management How many members do you have? Who needs to renew? Which members participate the most? What (and where) is the most recent reporting? We live in the connected economy – there is no need for cumbersome and imprecise methods of file sharing. An effective member management database and can seamlessly maintain records and renewals online while enabling groups to grow their membership. That’s why we’ve developed a user-friendly database that makes it easy to search, sort, and upload files while also streamlining dues collection and payment processing. 3. Being social but consistent
To manage this issue, the head office should develop a comprehensive social media strategy, create an email list of who is responsible for the campaigns for each office, and send them appropriate guidelines. Building a successful and consistent brand requires regular communication between HQ and the points of contact at the respective chapters, which is easily accomplished through internal email campaigns. 4. Leveraging technology for all chapters
The solution? A single, connected platform will provide chapters the tools to manage their respective silos while also coordinating with organization leadership. A user-friendly, adaptable level of consistency makes training, turnover, and growing membership much simpler to manage. And it can transform an organization for the better. If you’re part of a multi-chapter organization and face even one of these challenges, investigate our all-in-one membership management platform and see how it can simplify your life. Updated since original publication on 10/10/2016.
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You’re trying to make things better at your organization, but it seems like you’re running in circles. You might have even picked up the best tools (ahem … memberplanet) but might not be using them to your full advantage. If you’re ready to pull all your hair out, read this for some membership-management relief. 1. Automate your membership Make it easy for members to join your organization. A prospect is ready to commit to an annual membership to your organization. Hopefully, you've set up the application process so it's convenient for those who are joining as well as administrative users like yourself who manage this process. Take the time to set up your membership tiers or levels and post links in easily accessible places, such as your website and social media pages. A new member will only have to click to get started, fill out your forms online, and make an online payment - which is much more convenient than picking up the phone to call you or having to mail paper forms and a check. If it's necessary for your application process to be more manual than automated, you can set up email notifications to go to the right admins when someone does submit an application. Give the option to automatically renew membership. Your members won’t always remember (or want) to manually take money out of their paycheck to pay membership dues. No matter how much they love you and your cause, making it inconvenient for your members to part with their money is painful, so give them the convenient option of an automatic payment plan. For members who opt to pay manually, or those who are past due, enable automated reminder emails to keep them informed. You can also customize these emails and target members using levels, types, and auto-renew statuses. Email campaigns can also be tailored to members based on other variable data, such as an event RSVP or amount donated. memberplanet users: Here are support documents on how to set up membership levels if you haven’t already. Smart Lists allow you to segment your distribution lists so you can target your communication based on variable data. Use the membership tools to your advantage to set up automatic renewals, offer free memberships, and more. 2. Get mentally organized to save time and boost productivity Take a step back, clear your mind, and get organized. There are a lot of excellent organization tips online, such as Entrepreneur’s 10 tips for work life. Here are our own specific to-do items that directly apply to managing your organization:
Now that you’ve got some targets, recognize the fact that you’re not likely to hit them unless you use a calendar. Whether it’s a smartphone app or a physical appointment book, a calendar is great way to get organized and hit consistent deadlines. Note to memberplanet users: Our free app allows you to accomplish admin tasks on the go. If you find yourself tied to your desktop most of the time, download it on the App Store or Google Play and give it a whirl.
3. Delegate the right tasks – and know which ones to do yourself Delegation is simple – but if you’re not doing it right, you could be wasting even more valuable time. First, you need to identify the tasks you should delegate and the ones you shouldn't. Here’s some of the best stuff to pass off:
If you can't automate a task, ask yourself: Can it be delegated? It’s important to let go of some of these jobs, even if you love or have gotten used to doing them. memberplanet users: You can assign an unlimited number of admins. Share the load with those who can take on the responsibility and use admin role management to set necessary permissions. Whether your organization has 200 members or 200,000, it pays to stay organized, as well as to make sure the memberships you offer are flexible and diverse enough to attract a variety of supporters. Managing membership can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Updated since original publication on 07/17/17.
Congrats! You’re on your way to managing your PTA online and offering your members a convenient way to pay membership dues. When you’re finished, your members can make payments online in addition to cash and check. They can also access their own membership cards anytime online and via the mobile app. Before starting on the checklist, you must first join your unit’s group on memberplanet as an admin. You probably received an email invite from your State if it teamed up with memberplanet. You’ll need to click the link in the email invite to gain access to your memberplanet account. Once you’ve completed the join process on memberplanet, select Go to My Home page. While logged in, click Go to My Group Portal to access admin tools. If you need assistance gaining access to your account, please fill out our support form and submit a request. Now you’re ready to follow the guide below! Every time you check off a box, you’re one step closer to life.simplified. 1. Set up your PTA membership dues form online Create a PTA membership dues form. On the left nav, click Payment Forms > Create a Payment Form. Choose the ready-for-use PTA template. Click Use this Template for the PTA Membership form. Modify the PTA template to reflect your unit’s membership dues. Scroll to the bottom and click Next. On the following page, hover over the $5 dues amount and click Edit. Enter the correct amount of your membership dues.
Save and publish. Scroll to the bottom of your payment form and click Save & Publish Now. If you haven’t yet, set up your bank account to receive membership funds. 2. Share your PTA membership dues form First, get link of your PTA membership dues form. Once you have the link, you can start promoting PTA membership online – an easy way to broaden your reach and boost membership. In the features list, click Copy or Customize the Form URL > Copy to Clipboard. Promote your membership dues form on your PTA website. Let your site visitors know that they can sign up and pay for PTA membership right then and there! Email the membership dues form to potential members. Use email marketing to recruit more members. From your last PTA event, use a list of attendees’ email addresses to send out your membership dues form. Ask members to sign up online and forward the email to others who’d be interested in signing up. memberplanet’s email features include tracking opens and clicks! Get the word out on social media. Use the shortened URL to save space on characters if needed, and post to the social platforms your potential members are most active. memberplanet has awesome social media tools to share your membership dues form directly from the platform. 3. Give members access to their membership cards Export the list of members who made a payment. On the left nav, click Payment Forms. Select the gear icon next to PTA Membership Form > Form Responses > Choose Columns > select last name, first name, and email > click Save > Export Table. Save this list on your computer. Upload the list to the membership module. On the left nav, click Members > Add People button > Add New Members > Browse for your file > Check the box to Ignore the First Row of My File > Click Upload > Select dropdown menus above columns to only map or label first name, last name, and email address > Click Add Members button. Invite your members to view their cards. To give your paid PTA members access to view their digital membership cards, they first need to join your PTA group on memberplanet. On the left nav, click Members > Send Invitations. You can edit the subject and body of the email by clicking on them. Here’s text that you can copy and paste into the body: Welcome to the PTA! Click the Join Now button below to access your membership card! Click the Send Now button. Once a member has followed the steps in the email, they will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to access the member card. Members can join memberplanet > log in to their member portal > click My Profile on the left nav > click Member Card in the submenu > select gear icon > View Card. From the mobile app: Log in using the same email and password used when joining > tap the menu icon in the top left > My Member Card > tap group name.
If you’ve completed these 3 steps, you’re off to a great start for the school year! And don’t worry, if you get stuck or need a helping hand, here are a couple cheat-sheet resources: If you need assistance gaining access to your account, please fill out our support form and submit a request. Phone: 888.298.8845 Strategy advice: Successteam@memberplanet.com Originally posted 7/27/2017
Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify!” Yet people grow. Things change. Member details multiply. If you're an admin, you know the last part of that equation: They expect you to organize and update all that information. So, before you Thoreau that laptop straight into the parking lot, read how memberplanet makes updating your member database a breeze. 1. Eliminate inefficiencies Technology should drive efficiency, not the user insane. When you're adding new information, or updating the old stuff, you want your process to be as efficient as possible. For example, many group leaders spend time manually logging data from difficult-to-read handwriting from sign-up sheets at events or follow-up calls to members; with memberplanet, this information can be added by your members themselves. Members have their own dashboard they can securely log in to update account info. They can control and manage their own data, edit privacy settings, update payment methods, and more. 2. Make it easy for your members to update their own account For some members, logging into their account is a roadblock. Lucky for you and them, there’s a way to make their lives (and yours) easier. You can send a profile update request email from the platform, which allows the member to update their account information directly from the email. Whatever changes they make automatically enter the secure database – without the need to log in. Compare that to chasing members for updates in person, through surveys, or by standard email, where they don't have a fail-safe way to add information. Those options are old school and force the member to remember another password. The less hassle on the member’s end and the less data entry for you, the better. 3. Seize the ideal periods to ask for updates
There’s no particularly bad time to check up on your members to see if anything has changed for them. But there are key intervals you should use to get updates from members. Is the end of the year approaching? Check in with your members and stay informed of their plans for the new year. Are you making a change to your membership terms or levels, or are you gearing up for a big event or campaign? Make sure your member information is current before taking the leap. Periodic check-ins to see if members have any updates to their profile information, including essential contact information, is a terrific way to keep your data current. Best practices for asking are every quarter, before graduation, and at the end of the school year. memberplanet helps keep your database tidy The key to any successful member communication strategy is having accurate, relevant information about your members. The software makes it easy – just schedule profile update requests at key intervals and the member will have a link that takes them straight to their profile. Simplified, simplified, simplified! Thoreau would be pleased. Start making your database fantastic by signing into your memberplanet dashboard today. The Pennsylvania Society of Radiologic Technologists (PSRT) is an affiliate of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), a professional association for people who work in medical imaging and radiation therapy. As the world’s largest radiologic science organization, ASRT guides policy and public awareness to promote patient safety. PSRT offers significant value to its members, but the process of joining the association was inconvenient for prospective members and cumbersome for administrators. Even processing renewals for current members was tedious, and contributed to the association’s declining membership. Once PSRT switched to memberplanet, membership began to pick up – it boosted paid membership by 91% and membership revenue by 55% in just one year. New Challenges for a New Generation Millennials are the first generation of digital natives, and their expectation to access information online and via mobile quickly and easily poses significant challenges for membership associations. Many associations do not have the recruitment, retention, and engagement tools that can meet the demands of the new generation of members. According to the Brookings Institution, by 2020, millennials will comprise more than one in three of adult Americans, and by 2025 could comprise 75% of the U.S. workforce. Associations need to recruit, retain, and engage members locally to thrive. Members seek a community, as well as information about developments in the industry and exclusive access to conferences, events, and other networking opportunities. Expecting administrators to provide all this with limited time, staff, and budget is a lot to ask. Streamlining Group Registration Leads to a Boost in Membership At the start of PSRT’s new member and renewal cycle in September 2016, it had just 165 paid members and 852 general (free) memberships. Interest in the association is high among schools and medical offices – they frequently request to have students and staff register for PSRT’s events as a group. However, PSRT’s inability to streamline group registrations made it difficult for groups of students and active professionals to join the association. The inconvenient registration process was a major deterrent to membership. To prepare for its 2016 membership and renewal cycle, PSRT began to utilize memberplanet’s member management features to process and track group memberships. By the end of the cycle, paid membership had increased 91% and general membership saw a boost of 23%. Membership revenue jumped by 55%. More Features and Better Benefits The ability to process group invoices has been particularly beneficial to PSRT, which looks to attract both professionals and students as members through its events. “Using memberplanet, we were able to register members and event attendees so easily. It took virtually no time for us to set up, and we received great feedback letting us know how easy it was for a group to register together instead of individually, and pay on a single invoice. Members really appreciated the convenience,” Max Maxwell, PSRT’s Treasurer, explained. Additionally, the platform made it easier to manage event RSVPs and attendance records. “Keeping track of new members, event registration, and attendance was greatly simplified and much easier to manage with memberplanet,” Maxwell continued. The ability to schedule email and text message reminders to the entire member roll also simplified communication tasks for administrators. Before, PSRT had multiple distribution lists that required frequent updates. Now they can create dynamic distribution lists and send email and text communications to all members from one platform. PSRT administrators are also able to track how their members engage with emails and have maintained an impressive average open rate of 44%. Members increasingly expect easy access to and quick dissemination of association information. PSRT’s board decided to address this requirement by utilizing memberplanet’s engagement, communication, and payment processing functionality. Using the platform’s invoice feature allowed PSRT admins to send invoices via email for any type of charge, including group enrollment fees. Members have multiple convenient payment options that can be accessed directly from a link in the email. Staff can promote recurring payments, log offline payments, and process payments on-site, such as at an event. The platform has reduced administrative overhead and streamlined PRST’s processes while providing utility and flexibility in the association’s communication, payment processing, and member management. A Solution for Future Growth
When PSRT’s executive board was looking for a membership management solution, they evaluated several providers before choosing memberplanet. The board believed that the platform’s functionality would be easily understood by administrators, and the SaaS-based, all-in-one solution would also be the easiest to implement. “We contacted many membership management solution companies, but ultimately chose memberplanet because they were the most informative and clearly explained the features. I’ve been surprised and pleased by just how easy the software is to use. Their customer service is great. Any time I’ve had a question they’ve been extremely helpful,” Maxwell said. Maxwell knows PSRT is just getting started with memberplanet. There are features, such as the mobile app, that they haven’t yet utilized. He and the other admins look forward to learning more and exploring how else the platform can support PSRT’s growth. Contact memberplanet today to see how the platform can help your organization grow. Simplifying membership is what we do best – and we’ve been improving our platform’s features so group leaders like you don’t have to sweat this stuff. This quarter we’ve added the ability to further optimize how admins can utilize the tiers of membership that make up their group’s member levels, added installment payment reporting, updated the permissions admins can assign to group leaders to delegate their workload, and enhanced other useful member management features.
Automatically sort members into a distribution list based on member level Once initially set up, this admin feature allows you to automate the process of sorting new and renewing members into a distribution list for each member level in your group. This makes tailoring level-specific communications a breeze. Now precious time won’t be lost to allocating new and renewing members into a distribution list - it’s all done automatically as new people join your group or renew their membership. Learn how to automatically sort members into a distribution list based on levels. New report to track installment payments The increased flexibility of installment plans for members is a feature that helps groups grow and retain membership. The ability for admins to accurately track and monitor the progress of installment plans as it relates to fundraising goals or membership dues will help you keep your group on target. Learn how to view all your group’s transaction reports, including installment. Toggle on/off missed payment collections for lapsed group members Members may come and go within your group, and one way to encourage those looking to re-join is to not charge them for the payment cycles that passed while they were in lapsed status. Admins can now toggle this collection function on and off, so they have absolute control of the amount a returning member owes. Admins can waive those passed payments or decide to collect every payment from the date they left up to their return date. The choice is yours. Collect wisely. Learn how to enable or disable missed payment collection. New admin permissions to assign member levels and record offline payments Share your workload by assigning other group leaders permission to add member levels and record offline payments. This is incredibly beneficial if you’re accepting cash or checks for event tickets, merchandise, or any other donation or payment. Assigning leaders the ability to record offline payments within the group helps avoid inaccurate recording. You also don’t have to worry about them editing any of the other group accounting settings since this permission is specific to member level settings and offline payment recording. In essence you get all of the benefits and none of the worry. Find out more about admin roles and permissions. Updated membership level history report to display payment date and time This is an improved visibility feature for admins. This update essentially creates a log of all the actions taken within a member’s account. For example, the history tab will show when the last payment was made. or if the member was assigned a new member level. The update includes the ability to see when a payment was made, not just when the next is due for a given member. Overall, this allows admins to see all the actions taken within a member’s account, as well as showing you the results of that action. Learn how to view member level history for all members. To view the full release notes, please visit the memberplanet Support Center. You can share your thoughts with us on how we can further improve the customer experience by emailing suggestions@memberplanet.com. It’s hard to imagine that a casual meeting over a short stack of pancakes at IHOP turned into one of the most innovative, autistic support groups in Southern California. Or how a parent became involved with an Indiana-based nonprofit when his life changed forever following the diagnosis of his 5-year-old son.
“It’s very hard for these individuals in that they feel really isolated,” said Uttal. “They have difficulty making friends and communication struggles. By having a group, they can find each other and have a reference point that they’re not alone. By leveraging the power of many, we are able to address some of the underlying problems the community is facing and work to resolve them.” Uttal’s journey with autism began when her son was diagnosed more than 20 years ago. At the time, there was no awareness, no support, and most schools were not properly equipped. She knows it can be scary as a parent to worry that your child might not be able to financially support him or herself. A Long Road The problems people with autism face range from social skills, to finding a job, and living independently after standard school years. Unfortunately, Uttal said many resources and educational needs virtually evaporate after a child with autism reaches 18. This is why OCASG works on providing support through shared experience, as well as a range of activities for members. Activities are broken into three categories: social, educational, and support. Social activities are held to build connections and encourage organic friendships. Uttal said it is very isolating for a parent when everyone else’s child is getting invited to parties, and your child isn’t because they are different. Which makes this unique pocket of support in Orange County so crucial for children and their families. Another activity is a monthly support meeting for parents of children with autism, and adults with autism. The group plans activities from an educational standpoint such hosting speakers who help to educate on topics like government services and qualifications. There is also a series on essential skills that will focus on three different topics throughout the year, such as moving out of a parent’s home, finding a job, and building relationships. “It’s so hard for them to be successful in our society and to find a job, either because they don’t have the social skills, or companies don’t feel comfortable hiring them. If you think about two percent of society being un-hirable, you realize how scary that is.” There is a lot of work to be done, and that is what Uttal focuses on. She wants to work on expanding job opportunities in her community. She urges parents who have children with autism to find a support system. Bond with other families, lean on, share problems, and seek solutions together, but above all else, be hopeful. Thrown for a Loop For Arrick Garringer, autism didn’t enter his life until his youngest twin was diagnosed with autism at the age of 5. That’s when his world was thrown for a loop. “For me personally, I didn’t know anything about it,” Garringer said. Luckily, he and his wife found Interlock, which helped put them in contact with local service providers in the area and gave them people to lean on for support. Now, as a board member, Garringer works with the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Interlock East Central Indiana is run by parents and educators of individuals with autism. According to Garringer, Interlock’s goal is to assist and educate families in East Central Indiana who are affected by autism spectrum disorder. The group also works to aid local special education classrooms and accommodate the needs of the students. Interlock is currently working on its 12th annual fundraiser. Its main event is an Autism Awareness Fest, which includes a 5K race and fundraiser. “We’re really excited about the 5K and acceptance walk because it helps provide resources and information to parents,” said Garringer. “Families can learn what’s available. There will be refreshments, face painting, and bounce houses for the kids. It’s really become a celebration.” All funds raised during the month of April are spent back in the local autism community. The group has established a grant program that provides special equipment or software needed for classrooms. These tools help remove social barriers and aid children with autism in navigating the world. Another mission is to provide support and build connections. "We go to the YMCA on special days,” Garringer said. “It may seem like a normal thing to walk into a YMCA, but for our small group it means a lot. We have trips to the movie theater, and the theater will turn down the lights and sound. We go swimming in the summer. It’s a support organization and we also try to build connections and friendships.”
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Originally published 3/31/17
We’re always trying to better help groups achieve their membership goals, and with that comes new additions to our favorite glossary terms. Take a look at our updated glossary and see how these normal terms take on a whole new life here on our ‘planet.' Member Circle What it normally means: The circle in which members stand. What it actually means: A type of membership level that allows administrators to create subgroupings within your organization and allows one person to manage the membership account for a group of people such as a family or company account. Variable pricing What it normally means: A business strategy of offering different prices at different points-of-sale. What it actually means: The ability for admins to assign special pricing for event tickets based on member levels rather than a flat price. Member levels What it normally means: The ranking of an individual’s membership. What it actually means: Member levels define each member’s benefits within the group. Examples include paid or free membership, or levels that feature tiered ticket pricing for events and merchandise. History report What it normally means: A dreaded school project on a topic you’ll likely forget once it’s turned in. What is actually means: The section on the platform where admins can view the membership history of a group member. This allows admins to easily see what that member has participated in, what member levels they’ve been and are at, as well as other related membership information. Contacts What it normally means: The list of people in your mobile phone, most of whom you’ve probably forgot about. What it actually means: People you’d like to keep in the loop on the happenings of your group. They aren’t actual members and can’t log into your group’s member portal. Mobile App What it normally means: Any application on your phone. What it actually means: A free custom-branded app, specific to your group, that facilitates communication and allows for on-site payments. You can also upload photos, share updates, and view member activity. Smart Lists What it normally means: Being practical and writing down a list. What is actually means: Smart Lists let you generate distribution lists for specific subsets of people based on member status or other variable data (Example: You may want to send a message targeted to everyone who donated over $100 to your fundraising campaign). Broadcasts What it normally means: A transmission via radio or TV. What it actually means: Simultaneously draft and send a text message and/or email communication blast to all members via desktop or mobile app. Donation Site What it normally means: A website charities use to collect donations. What it actually means: A custom-branded interactive giving site to raise funds online for your group. Our variety of templates makes each Donation Site easy and fast to create. Document Storage What it normally means: A file cabinet where you keep important papers. What it actually means: Use cloud software to upload and share documents and files with admins and members. Send emails with file attachments. Surveys What it normally means: Creating a survey on a word document. What it actually means: Create branded forms with unlimited flexible fields that makes it simple to gather and compile online feedback from members. Packets What it normally means: A huge amount of printed paper copies stapled together. What it actually means: All of your group’s mandatory forms and surveys assembled in one place electronically. Photo Albums What it normally means: A huge album that sits on your bookshelf filled with old photos. What it actually means: Seamlessly collect and share photos. Crowdsource photos with email and mobile uploading. Reporting What it normally means: The work done by a newspaper journalist. What is actually means: Real-time online reporting generated on demand for everything on the platform, including membership stats, email tracking, funds raised, and RSVPs. Member Cards What it normally means: An ID for a gym or club. What is actually means: Digital E-cards can be accessed online or via the mobile app. For some groups a member card even allows access to special perks. Want to learn more about the ins and outs of memberplanet? Check out our platform.
Originally published 2/28/17
If you did something great with your group on memberplanet in 2017, we applaud your success! Whether you raised funds, got volunteers together to do philanthropic work, or sent out a couple newsletters, it all adds up to accomplishing your mission. We at memberplanet are thrilled to be part of that. Take a look at our key platform stats for 2017. Click the infographic below to view the full-resolution image. We look forward to your continued success!
There are many different ways to tackle the role of leader. It’s the first down at the big game and you’re in charge of it all. How do you maneuver your team to victory, and what strategy do you use to make sure there aren’t any fumbles? Take our quiz to find out what type of leader you are. Whether you’re scoring a touchdown in the end zone, or rushing your team on a two-minute warning, we know you’ll go for it on and off of the field. (View full-resolution image.) Originally published 1/28/2017
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