More Related Content Similar to Staying Relevant to Members and Donors in a Constantly Changing World (20) Staying Relevant to Members and Donors in a Constantly Changing World2. Cathi Hight, The Retention Specialist
• President of Hight Performance Group
• The nation’s member retention specialist
• Developer of the Member Retention Kit
• National instructor for the U.S. Chamber’s
Institute for Organization Management
• Previously was Vice President of Operations
for the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
• Serves on the Member Relations Council for
the Austin Chamber
• Past-President of the Boulder Area Human
Resources Association (BAHRA)
• Is a member of the:
– American Chamber of Commerce Executives
(ACCE)
– American Society of Association Executives
(ASAE)
– Austin Chamber of Commerce
© 2013 Hight Performance Group
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 2
3. Change is All Around Us
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 3
4. Driving Forces Create Challenges
• The Recession and the Recovery
o Housing meltdown
o Wall Street tumbles
o Massive layoffs
• Demographics
o Aging Boomers exit the workforce
o Millennials dominate the workforce
o Different generations, different values
• Technology
o Social media revolution
o Cloud computing
o Mobile society
• Time Poverty
o People are busier than ever
o ROI expectations for time invested
o Board size, volunteers and attendance
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 4
5. How This Relates to Fundraisers and Donors
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 3
6. GENERATION DIFFERENCES (Generations and the Future of Association Participation report)
1946 - 1964 1965 - 1980 1981 - 2000
Baby Boomers Generation X, Gen X, Xers Generation Y, Gen Y,
Millennial, Echo Boomers
Characteristics • Hard work leads to success
• Loyal to brands
• Confident
• Competitive
• Rebellious to status quo icons
• Anti-authority
• Self-reliant and autonomous
• Family-focused
• Cautious
• Limited loyalty
• Digital Society
• Feel entitled to a “seat at the table”
• Lateral, collective problem solving
• Globally and diversity inclusive
• Immediate ROI and feedback
Their Experiences Grew up in time of affluence. Reared to
pursue the American Dream.
Children of workaholics and divorce,
cable TV. Reared to be self-sufficient
(latch key kids).
Micro-managed by parents, born with
technology, always rewarded for
participation. Reared to be high
achievers.
Communication Style • Prefer detailed face-to-face dialog or via
phone
• Appreciate in-person meetings
• Believe no news is good news
• Prefer concise communication
without over-explaining
• Clichés or corporate jargon
• Prefer e-mails
• Prefer frequent feedback and problem
solving via technology instead of
phone calls or meetings
• Collaborative
Problems They Are
Facing Right Now
• Dwindling retirement funds
• Job dislocation
• Rising health care costs or inadequate
health care coverage
• Debt
• Caring for young children and aging
parent
• Balancing life and career
• Stuck in middle management
• Debt
• Unemployment
• Difficulty transitioning from college to
career
• Negative stereotypes
• Being taken seriously
Why They Join • Opportunities to lead and leave a legacy
• Support social causes
• Opportunities to further careers and
upper leadership positions
• Opportunities to learn from others
• Support social causes
Volunteer Styles • Want to lead and manage others
• Serve on committees and teams
• Like to hold regular meetings and
discuss strategies
• Want autonomy
• Opportunity for key leadership role
• Hate being micromanaged or
meeting just to meet and waste time
• Work on teams for outcomes
• Lack of hierarchy
• Recognition of teammates
• Collaborative content, decisions
Flaws • “Been there done that” attitude
• Not always open to new ideas
• Difficulty committing
• Tend to have a “wait and see”
approach
• Short attention spans
• Expect immediate responses
• Asks “what’s in it for me?”
Turn-offs • Constant change
• Lack of respect for past loyalty
• Chaos, distrust, loyalty that goes
unrewarded
• Dismissing new ideas because of
their lack of experience
6
Different Generations, Different Values
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance
7. Are the Millennials Joiners?
“Younger people seek and demand a return for
membership, including tangible member
services, high levels of accountability,
identifiable career advantages, a sense of
professional community, and opportunities to
serve within associations.”
Generations and the Future of Association Participation
published by the William E. Smith Institute for Association Research
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 7
9. Member/Donor Profile Matrix
Get Something Done Through You
Community/Industry Investors
•Mission funders
•Long-term vision, strategic direction
•Business-friendly environment
•Support sustainability for all
•Do the right thing (civic-minded)
Community/Industry Builders
•Sustainable, thriving economy
•Business-friendly environment
•Seen as a leader, strong brand
•Execute on corporate initiatives
•Workforce development
D
E T S E Business Investors
V •Lower operational costs, regulations
N •Advertising and marketing to drive
I traffic and sales w/out involvement
•Attract and retain skilled staff
•Access to experts, best practices
Get Something for Their Business Business Builder
•Just-in-time needs (leads=sales)
•Immediate ROI w/ limited investment
•Exposure, connections
•Personal visibility
•I am the brand
I N V O L V E D
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 9
10. Top Membership Model Trends
and what fundraisers can learn too
• Customized
– Members custom-build their membership
packages to suite their interests and needs
(base membership + add-ons)
– Pros: Members choose what they want, which
leads to higher engagement
– Cons: Members may not value benefits
• Electronic (virtual)
– Membership restricted to web-based
resources and programming
– Pros: New streams of revenue are added with
incurring expenses (e.g., printing)
– Cons: Memberships provide limited access so
they generate less revenue
• International
– Membership is accessible worldwide
– Pros: Membership expands into new markets
– Cons: Benefits may need to be developed and
engagement be more difficult
• Multitier
– Menu of membership options based on
interests, professional designation, budget
– Pros: Members like being able to choose
which options best suit their needs
– Cons: Requires the ability to manage
multiple benefits for multiple audiences
• Open (freemium)
– Membership does not require the payment
of dues
– Pros: Leads to substantial membership
growth (more people in the playground)
– Cons: People perceive there’s no value
because there’s no cost to join
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 10
11. Transformation
Old New
Financial Model: Multi-Revenue Sources
Boards: Small, Experts, Diverse
Members: Local businesses Members: Local & global businesses
Programs: Strategic, multi-media,
solution/cause-oriented
Financial Model: Fair share dues & events
Boards: Large, CEOs, Boomers
Programs: Add++, in-person, variety
Motto: Get involved, get results
11
Motto: Access, Resources, Solutions
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance
12. 3 Strategies to Consider
Offer What Matters
to Members and Donors
Know What Keeps
People Up at Night
Identify Your Roles
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 12
13. • Find out about
member/donor
challenges
o Surveys
o Interviews
o Quick Polls
o Phone Calls
o Focus Group
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 13
14. Strategy #2 Identify Your Roles
Global
Competency
Community
Development
International
Development
Mission
Sustainability
Advocacy/
Political
Action
Workforce
Development
?
Leadership
&
Development
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 14
15. • Ask members if they
value what you offer
o Surveys
o Interviews
o Quick Polls
o Phone Calls
o Focus Groups
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 15
16. Align Your Benefits for Access,
Resources & Solutions
• Access for the specific needs
of the type of member/prospect
• Resources that are available
through people, partners,
publications, and virtually
• Solutions that matter to the
member/prospect
– Strengthening the local economy
– Building corporate brand
– Education/skills development
– Mentoring, counseling, experts
– Information (FYI, Just in Time)
– Visibility (marketing, exposure)
– Connections to the right audience
• Tiered benefits model that align with
interests, needs, budgets
• Unique opportunities through your
relationships and expertise
• Web sites with self-serve opportunities
(portals to members-only sections)
• Social networking (Special Interest
Groups with exclusive access, collective
content development)
• Virtual events (e.g., webinars, webcasts,
podcasts, conferences, forums, expos)
• Partnerships that deliver resources &
value for specific business needs
– Online, virtual education
– Buy/sell portals (for RFPs, quotes, barters)
– GIS services
– Talent portals, assessments, internships
– Commercial property listings
Benefit Areas Solutions
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 15
20. It’s Time to Think Strategically
FROM TO
LOCALIZED
SINGLE ENTITY
GLOBAL ACCESS
COLLABORATIVE
EVENT-FOCUSED SOLUTION-FOCUSED
TRANSACTIONAL TRANSFORMATIONAL
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 20
21. Are You Ready for the New?
Future of Being Relevant
Future
of
Business
Future
of Associations
and Charities
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 21
22. Summary
• Trends are changing the landscape for our
members and communities
• Know the concerns of constituents and realize that
different types of members/donors have different
values and interests
• Consider your role and how to serve the
community and members/donors
• Associations and charities need to adapt what they
offer and how they engage to meet the changing
needs of their target markets or they’ll become
non-essential
© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance 22
Editor's Notes Different interests/values, different conversations. Use the Matrix to sell to prospects.