1. The McNay Art Museum engages a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the visual arts.
2. History & Overview
• McNay Patroness, Marion Koogler McNay,
died in 1950 and left her art collection, 24-
room residence, and an endowment to open
the first private modern art museum in Texas.
• Museum opened to the public in 1954.
• Grown from 700 works of art to over 20,000
objects.
• The McNay was a free museum from 1954-
2008.
• In 2008, the 45,000 square foot, Jane and
Arthur Stieren Center for Exhibitions addition
opened.
• Transitioned to paid when the Stieren Center
opened.
3. Operations
• Endowment covers less than 40% of annual
operating budget
• Expense budget $7.1 million annually
• General admission pricing:
• Admission upcharges are applied depending
on the cost of the exhibition – no opt out
• 125,000 visitors annually
• 5,100+ membership households
McNay Members FREE
Children 12 and under FREE
Teens FREE
Adults $10-20
Students with I.D. $5-15
Seniors $5-15
Active Military $5-15
4. Thinking about change…
• 2008 transition to paid admission
• Membership growth stagnate
• No on-site membership sales presence
• Visitor Services lacked skills to sell memberships
• Membership and Admission pricing models
needed updating
• Visitation and admission flat year-to-year
• Membership budget goals set arbitrarily
• Departmental turn over
5. How could we build a successful
membership program?
• Increase renewal rates
• Continue annual acquisition and
recapture/upgrade campaigns
• Increase on-site sales and presence
• Update membership prices and benefits
• Increase overall museum visitation annually
• Set budget goals based on data
• Staunch departmental turn over
7. Continue annual acquisition campaign
New Sales
Total Paid Attendance Eligible Paid Prospects Onsite Direct Mail Website Office Other Total
FY12 74,433 32,212 54% 18% 10% 4% 14% 100%
FY13 52,273 21,838 42% 20% 13% 9% 16% 100%
New Membership Sales by Origin
• Considered skipping acquisition campaign for a year to cut costs
• Found we could not make up the difference in membership sales
by another means
• Direct mail makes up too great a percentage of new/rejoins to take out of
membership plan
11. Update membership rates
Levels:
• Individual $45 increased to $55
• Dual/Family $75 increased to $85
• Supporting $150 same
• Contributing $250 increased to $275
• Sustaining $500 increased to $550
• Patron $850 increased to $1,000
12. Update and simplify membership benefits
• Joined and offer more reciprocal programs
• No more gift memberships as a benefit
• Replaced “free tickets” with “free admission”
• No more “discounted admission for guests”
• Renamed “Family” with “Dual/Family”
13. Increase overall museum visitation annually
• Still working on this…
• July 2015 reorganization
• Group Sales rep?
• New VIA bus line and museum stop
• San Antonio has 26 million visitors
annually
• Membership visibility – plan to
implement dedicated social media
15. Using data to prove necessity of
Performance Based Budgeting:
• Used monthly membership tracking system implemented in FY11
• Finally, in FY14 had enough data to prove goals set for membership
were unobtainable
• Membership goals were adjusted as a result of Performance Based
Budgeting, HOWEVER, what could not be made in membership was
absorbed by the Major Gifts goal
16. Membership: Slow/Steady
Did not meet goal in FY11, FY12, FY13
Membership growth was not enough
to support budget expectations
FY14 – membership tracking in place
FY14 – first year Performance Based
Budget approved and implemented
Achieved renewal rate and
membership HH all-time high in 2015
17. Staunch departmental turn over
• Chief Development Officer in her sixth
year leading Development
• My fifth year leading Membership
• Effective reorganization
• Annually update job descriptions
• Recent title changes
18. Lessons Learned: Impact of Change
• Met FY14 and FY15 Membership goals
• On track to meet FY16 goal
• Finance better understands
Membership
• Financial goals set based on data
• Realization that we MUST have
annual acquisition campaign
• Effectiveness of informed and
empowered Visitor Services staff
• Departmental stability has huge
impact on success
• Advocate for membership, be
consistent, set high standards
19. Jessica M. Anderson
Director of Membership & Visitor Services
McNay Art Museum , San Antonio, TX
210.805.1755 | jessica.anderson@mcnayart.org
• February 2012-Present
• Supervise Visitor Services Manager, Membership Coordinator,
Membership & Development Operations Manager
• Manage Membership program and Visitor Services – staff and
operations
• BS Journalism & Mass Communications – Kansas State University
• MA Arts Policy & Management – Birkbeck, University of London
• Prior to working at the McNay, was the Manager of Advertising &
Promotions for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Editor's Notes
Stieren Center opened 2008 = 2,612 membership HH
In 2012, HH were at 2660…stagnant growth
Opening of Stieren Center = transitioned from free to paid admission
Post-opening membership growth was stagnating
Virtually no on-site membership sales presence
Visitor Services lacked skills/training to sell memberships (stuck in belief that asking visitors to join was tacky)
By 2012 Membership and Admission pricing models both in need of updates (membership had not been updated since 1998!)
Visitation and admission flat year-to-year
Membership budget goals set arbitrarily - not based on data - fell short of goals year after year
Department experienced a lot of turn over
Ideas we considered…
We make small tweaks to the renewals, R1-R2, each year when we reorder supplies.
We update the letters every month to reflect current museums programming as well emphasize the most enticing exhibitions, events, and programs. Occasionally, we will offer additional incentives to renew – like tote bags or free passes when we are particularly vulnerable – in the months corresponding to a big show in the year prior.
In 2013, we added an E1 – prior to R1, E2 – on expiration date, and EFT – reminder email for recurring payments.
We have a consultant who has helped up to thoroughly track renewals since 2011 – as the data builds we increase our ability to serve members by staying informed on how they are renewing. Goal is to stay up-to-date on tracking every month. Falling behind is a beast. Plus, the reports help with renewal projections tremendously.
In 2013, we considered skipping the annual acquisition campaign to save money.
Thinking we could make it up with on-site sales only.
Realized this would not be possible due to flat visitation rates.
Without an increase in visitors we would not be able to generate the on-site sales necessary to make up for member attrition, let alone increase membership household totals overall.
New membership sales from direct mail make up approx. 20% of new membership base annually.
We have executed either a lapsed/recapture/upgrade campaign since 2013.
Last year, we executed an upgrade only campaign – entirely in-house.
Resulted in 105 upgrades, 3.37% response rate, and a $13,000+ profit.
Currently in the process of executing our own lapsed/recapture/upgrade campaign for the first time – b/c this is such a cost effective campaign for us and our team is strong enough to carry out.
Hired Membership Sales Associate in 2014 – gave us back office time – I was covering or the Memb. Coordinator were often manning the membership table – having an associate gave us back the time we needed in the office and increased job satisfaction for the Memb. Coordinator especially.
Increased our on-site presence - every Thursday evening, Saturday, and Sunday, and special events – b/c of dedicated MSA
Increasing time and presence in the lobby also engaged Visitor Services staff to start promoting and selling more memberships - Increased membership presence = increased membership sales
Finally allowed signage for membership in the lobby – light sign
In July 2015, Visitor Services was integrated into my department. Has increased communications, has benefitted VS and Membership because I am there to advocate for both areas as well as creates synergy especially regarding membership.
Our lobby is devoid of signage. There are a few banners hung from the ceiling and couple of very easily overlooked standing banners.
Our membership light sign was finally approved, though. Definitely drew attention and got noticed!
Pricing had not been updated in 15 years.
Kept Supporting the same b/c that is the level Affiliate Groups members have to join at – then they pay a fee on top of their membership – kept it simple.
We joined Mod/Co and ROAM and offered Mod/Co at $150 Supporting level to increase tangible benefits at the mid-range giving levels.
Got rid of complimentary gift memberships at some of the upper levels
Got rid of free “tickets”, which we don’t even have or offer, at upper levels for events – replaced with “free admission” for additional guests
Got ride of “discounted admission for guests” at Supporting level and above – this was a tracking nightmare b/c of Patrons Edge
Renamed “Family” with “Dual/Family” to be more inclusive. Family can seem exclusionary to some people. Also helps us upsell individuals
Last summer, Visitor Services, the Museum Store, and Marketing/PR were integrated into the Development Department – change to an external affairs model
We are hoping this will streamline communications, give these departments the support they need, and create much more synergy across the museum.
Hoping that this more efficient org structure will also enable us to be more effective in the community by pooling resources, communicating, and strategizing – in effort to increase visitation.
Also considering adding a Group Sales rep.
VIA bus/city bus line will begin a new museum route this summer – an effort to increase accessibility to the museum for locals and visitors – bus line will actually run through our campus – including a stop near the museum entrance – should greatly increase visitation (hopefully!)
Museums will also be given advertising space on buses serving the museum route.
SA has 26 million visitors annually – the McNay needs to capitalize on the number of visitors to our city.
Membership growth is contingent, at this point, to increasing visitation. We have a 3% on-site conversion rate. Can’t increase on-site sales until we increase visitation.
Side note really – we are in the midst of strategic planning, which is going to include more social media dedicated to membership.
Most boring slide ever.
Basically, this shows that it was impossible to make membership goals b/c the goals were arbitrarily – set according to what we “needed” to make and not what we actually could or were going to make.
And this was how it was for my first two years in my position…and for all the years prior.
Tracking system for news, rejoins, renewals.
Allows us to compare apples to apples, year to year.
Chief Development Officer in her sixth year leading Development.
My fifth year leading Membership – before me, there were four people in my position in four years. Impossible to gain traction with so much turnover.
Departments recently incorporated into Development are lead by staff who have been with the museum between 8 and 15 years.
With those people included we have gained very deep institutional knowledge.
We more effectively communicate and build programs together.
Everyone is happier b/c departmental outliers now have a home.
Annually update job descriptions – this has helped empower my staff by clearly and concisely outlining their jobs, which leads to greater satisfaction by giving them ownership of particular duties.
Over the summer, we finally approved some title changes – Visitor Services Coordinator to Manager, full-time VSA became Assistant Manager – this empowers staff and makes them feel more appreciated and respected.
Changing minds and dynamics -Onsite signage -Onsite sales presence -Visitor Services was integrated into Membership/Development -Altering the view of Membership in the eyes of museum staff -Exposing major role Membership plays financially and operationally
Departmental Stability -Entering my fifth year leading Membership -CDO in her sixth year leading Development
Membership HH growth: 6/30/2012: 2,660 6/30/2013: 2,885 (8.5% growth) 6/30/2014: 3,250 (12% growth) 6/30/2015: 4,116 (27% growth) Today: 5,100 (24% growth)
Our growth from 6/30/2012 to present is 91.7%. We have worked really hard to get there, and we have almost doubled membership over four years.
Advocate for membership – show your org how important membership is.
Be consistent – advocate consistently, be consistent in your membership communications to members, prospective members, AND museum staff.
Set high standards – for yourself and staff. Challenge yourself and staff to do better and be better – and empower them to do so. Always strive to be a good example and mentor.
