What is a membership card?
A membership card is an identification tool that can be physically printed or digital. It symbolizes an individual's inclusion in a membership program hosted by an organization, club, association, nonprofit, or other entity.
A member card can have various looks and formats, which we’ll explore shortly with some helpful design tips and templates.
The purpose of membership cards
Membership cards foster loyalty, enhance organizational identity, and strengthen engagement with an organization. Member cards serve different purposes depending on the organization that issues them and the logistics of a membership program.
Here are some common use cases:
- Identification: A member card is a quick way to obtain information such as a member's name, membership number, and photo to confirm their identity.
- Access: Facility or club membership cards can grant access to specific services, events, online stores, or discounts the organization offers.
- Validity period: A member’s card confirms the type of membership an individual has and whether it is active.
- Membership benefits: A custom membership card can be a tangible reminder of the benefits and privileges associated with membership.
6 elements you should include on your membership card
The first step to creating your personlized membership cards is understanding the most important elements you must include. You can get creative with your design and layout based on what's most important to display for your organization.
- 1. Member's name: Display each member's full name to personalize their card.
- 2. Membership number: Add a unique identification number to track each member's membership status, type, and benefits.
- 3. Membership tier: You may choose also to include the member's tier (ex., Gold Member) to see at a glance easily.
- 4. Program name and logo: Bring your branding to your membership card with the organization's logo or a unique design tied to your membership program.
- 5. Validity period: Specify the start and end dates of the membership period to see when the card expires quickly.
- 6. Contact information: Include a phone number and email address for the member and your organization to support any questions or concerns.
How to create your digital membership cards
Zeffy's 100% free membership management software (yes, actually free!) helps you automatically send electronic membership cards to new members. Below, we'll walk you through how easy it is to get started and some ways to get creative with unique templates.
Create membership cards in 3 minutes with Zeffy
Step 1: Sign up for Zeffy (100% free, always)
Step 2: Log into your Zeffy dashboard and select "+ New form" and the Membership option.
Step 3: Customize your membership form with the membership dues' length, type, and price.
Step 4: At the bottom of the page, check the box to generate your membership cards automatically based on the information you've input.
Step 5: Membership cards will be generated for you and automatically sent to your members. It's that easy!
6 digital membership card templates
You can get creative with your digital membership card design, applying your nonprofit’s unique look and feel. Here are 6 Microsoft Word membership card templates to try out.
Adding member information in minutes
To customize your membership cards with your member information, you can export your contact data to an Excel document and use the mail merge functionality in Microsoft Word to pull it into each card.
Once you have your contact data available in an Excel document, continue with the following steps in Microsoft Word:
- 1. Create a new Microsoft Word document
- 2. Select the “mailings” tab and start your mail merge
- 3. Choose the type of merge you want to run
- 4. Select “recipients”
- 5. Connect the Excel spreadsheet to your Word document
- 6. Go to “mailings” and select “address block” to insert a merge field
- 7. Add any other merge fields you need to complete your card design
- 8. Preview the results and save!
More on Microsoft Word mail merge functionality
Ready to get started?
Benefits of all-in-one membership management software
Nonprofit membership management software makes everything from organizing membership dues to creating membership cards and engaging members a breeze.
Here are a few reasons nonprofits love Zeffy's free membership software:
- Membership cards are automatically generated.
- Renewals are automatic.
- Forms are easily customized and always mobile-friendly.
- Custom questions can get you all the member info you need.
- All payment methods are accepted.
- Tax receipts are automatically sent.
- Thank you emails and other nurture opportunities are simple to set up ahead of time.
- Contact information is managed alongside all other campaigns for optimal donor management.
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