A nonprofit membership program is a highly effective way to build a loyal donor community, generate sustainable revenue, and advance your organization's mission.
If you're curious about how to start or enhance a donor membership program, you've come to the right place. We've got you covered with ideas and inspiration to structure your program and maximize its value as your nonprofit scales.
Our comprehensive guide provides practical tips and strategies for success, empowering you to launch your program confidently.
Here’s what you can dive into below:
- Nonprofit membership benefits
- A step-by-step guide to creating your program
- How to increase membership in nonprofit organizations
- Tips to retain members and scale your program
- A successful nonprofit membership program example
- Answers to the most frequently asked questions
What is a nonprofit membership program?
A nonprofit membership program is a type of recurring donation that asks individuals to pay a regular fee in exchange for a unique value and experience. Supporters typically pay a membership fee for access to benefits, perks, and community engagement with a cause they are passionate about.
Membership programs offer a cost-effective way to give back with the same appeal as popular for-profit subscription models. Automated monthly payments will only continue to appeal to modern donors, as the subscription industry is now worth $3 trillion worldwide.
What are the benefits of membership programs?
- Predictable income: Membership models estimate income from donors far more than one-time and one-off donations. You can rely on a community of members who support you and watch that sustainable income grow as you attract more.
- Creativity: Membership programs can be whatever you need to reach your fundraising goals. You can customize what you call your program, members, and the value they receive to align with your unique donor base. (Example: Become a leader by joining our Changemaker Circle and represent our cause in your local schools)
- Relationship building: Members are highly engaged donors who want to be involved more deeply. You can create meaningful interactions with these donors to establish long-term loyalty to your mission.
- Increased engagement: Members who feel involved and special may expand their engagement into more campaigns, volunteer work, and advocacy. People who enjoy their experience will spread the word and attract more members.
- Credibility with stakeholders: Membership programs show stakeholders and your community that people are committed to your cause. This can help you secure sponsorships, pitch ideas to your board members, and secure essential funding.
How to create a nonprofit membership program
Now that you know the benefits of a nonprofit membership program, let's discuss the steps to maximize its potential.
Identify a purpose and goals
The heart of your membership program and what will attract people to want to join is your purpose. When you reflect on your vision and mission, your program should be a natural extension to invite people in to offer an even more significant impact.
As you become grounded in your purpose, you can become more tactical about the goals you set out to achieve. Your program should invite members to participate actively in your annual fundraising plan.
A few questions to help you define your goals include:
- What is the total amount you hope to raise from your membership program?
- How many members will you need to recruit each month?
- How many members should be new to your organization? How many current donors can you upgrade to a membership?
- What is the ideal timeline to launch your program?
Assign roles and responsibilities
With your goals in mind, it's time to gather the crew to help you bring your nonprofit membership program to life.
Sometimes, you only need one point person to run the program. In other cases, you might want a few team members to manage your program's success and scalability actively.
Here are a few key responsibilities you can allocate among one or many team members:
- Leader: Coordinates decision-making and organizing various aspects of your nonprofit membership program's success
- Marketing: Promotes your program to attract new members and build awareness among current donors who may decide to upgrade to members
- Communication: Onboards new members, keeps people engaged, and builds relationships that retain donors
- Support: Answers member questions, solve technical issues, and confirm the program is running smoothly
- Accounting and finances: Manages membership payments, budget for perks, and strategize fee and membership tier structures
Create valuable member benefits
Members will benefit from being involved on a deeper level, but you'll also want to entice them with additional benefits. The little things draw people in and help them feel special as they join your community.
Don’t be afraid to get creative based on your cause and mission. Benefits don't always need perks or paid elements to be valuable to passionate supporters.
Some membership benefits to consider are:
- Educational resources
- Physical swag like a welcome bag, t-shirts, mugs, or branded items that signify their commitment
- Discounts on event tickets or merchandise
- Networking opportunities with your team or beneficiaries that are exclusive to members
- Community meetups to gather with likeminded philanthropists
- Recognition and awards to spotlight engagement with the cause
- Access to new research and data
Establish membership levels
Membership levels will help you allocate benefits and offer various involvement options. Your base level can help your membership program become accessible to more donors, while your higher levels can be a source of revenue growth.
Levels help donors understand exactly what they're getting for their monthly fee and see a clear way to advance. The key to membership levels is to make them all feel included while building an appeal to upgrading.
The magic lies in naming your levels. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:
- Individual, Pair, Family, Community
- Beginner, Explorer, Insider
- Dreamer, Believer, Achiever
- Seed, Tree, Forest
- Semi-Annual, 1-Year, Lifetime
Define membership fees
With each membership level, you'll need to establish fees to charge that match the value. The fees will guide revenue potential, so choosing the right amount to charge is vital to success.
Aim for cost-effective pricing that welcomes people into your program with an amount that makes an impact. Examining what other nonprofits charge and the standards across the sector is helpful.
You can create a realistic structure by gathering data on average donation size from your donor management system.
Make it easy to become a member
After you've laid the groundwork, it's time to secure your members. Many people will head right to your nonprofit's website to explore membership opportunities.
You'll want to offer the most straightforward path to sign up, from initial interest to a completed first payment. Any initial friction points can turn away potential members looking for a simple way to get involved.
Check out these tips to optimize your membership registration process:
- Keep your membership form brief
- Accept a variety of payment options, including popular digital wallets
- Clarify membership levels and the benefits of each
- Add custom questions that help you gather essential information for relationship-building
- Customize your membership form to match your website and nonprofit branding
- Offer forms in various languages, such as Spanish or French
Attract new members
Your thoughtful nonprofit membership program, clear goals, and simple joining process will help you attract loyal members. Start by establishing an impressive promotion strategy that reaches ideal donors.
Your program promotion might include:
- A social media presence and engagement strategy
- Bold call-to-action buttons and a dedicated page on your nonprofit website
- An email launch plan and automated nurture strategy
- Making a big splash at live events to convert attendees to members
- In-person advertisements and brochures featuring a QR code to access the membership form easily
Upgrade one-time donors
When growing your nonprofit membership program, you don’t need to stop at acquiring new supporters. Current or past donors who traditionally make one-off donations can also make great members and are sometimes easier to recruit.
You can build an email marketing plan that helps supporters see the value of upgrading their involvement with your cause. It's important to reiterate your appreciation for the impact they have already made and personalize an invitation to join your membership community.
Master your outreach strategy
Engagement is crucial to a robust membership program that retains donors and attracts new members. Outreach should go beyond occasional touchpoints and help supporters feel highly involved in meaningful change.
A standout outreach strategy will have:
- A personal touch, noting details like the member's name, location, history, or interests
- A timely message that feels intentional based on the time of year or milestone in the member's journey with you
- Clarity and detail that help members understand precisely how they're making a difference
- Added elements like photos, videos, and graphics that bring it to life
Points of outreach may include:
- A warm welcome email series
- A members-only newsletter
- Updates on fundraising goals
- Celebration around milestones and membership anniversaries
- Personal notes of appreciation
Establish reliable tracking and nonprofit membership management
The last step to setting up the best nonprofit membership programs is to have a clear way to measure performance. It's important to track members' interactions over time, the levels they choose to sign up for, and any details that help you build stronger relationships.
Equally important, you want a clear view of payment information and membership levels.
A strong membership database will help you:
- Manage contact information
- See transaction history
- Import and export member information
- Identify donor segments with custom tags and smart filters
- Engage target donors with automated emails
5 retention tips to grow your membership program
1. Keep communication creative and consistent
Any great nonprofit membership program will keep the future in mind. That means building in regular engagement to retain members.
Every new supporter who signs up has an opportunity to apply retention strategies from the beginning. Doing so helps you scale your program and maximize revenue potential with a community of donors you can count on.
2. Show membership appreciation
A thank-you message goes a long way, and for your members who contribute regularly, that gratitude should extend further than a one-time gift.
Consider membership appreciation ideas like:
- Public recognition
- A hand-written letter in the mail
- Members of the month
- An awards ceremony
- Membership appreciation events
- Acknowledgment at events
- Shoutouts on social media
3. Gather feedback regularly (and implement it)
Part of growth is listening to the people who make up your membership program. Asking for feedback gives your nonprofit essential insight into areas of improvement and effectiveness.
It also offers members a seat at the table to share ideas and thoughts that improve their experience. Try going beyond the annual feedback survey and checking in regularly to capture thoughts in real time.
As you review the results, be open to making adjustments quickly and sharing how your members are helping to craft the program they're part of.
4. Automate renewals
Memberships inevitably come with renewals, which may be a chance for someone to opt out if they're disengaged. Retaining members is easier when you allow people to automate their renewal.
It's also a good idea to send renewal reminders that pair appreciation with proof of your members' impact in a year. This way, you're showcasing value for anyone on the fence.
5. Always give more ways to get involved
Help your members see how they can continue to get involved with your nonprofit. Share new campaigns and events with your members first, creating excitement within your community.
They might get involved or advocate for their friends and family to participate.
Some ways that you want to keep members in the loop include:
Successful nonprofit membership example
So, what is an example of an organization's membership? Austin Women's Club has a thriving membership model that adds $22,500 in funding to its mission.
On the nonprofit's website, supporters can easily find a sign-up form to become members or propose a new member they think would be a great fit. New members are also featured with a special shoutout to create a community feel.
With the help of Zeffy's nonprofit membership software, Austin Women's Club can:
- Offer donors the simplest, customized registration form
- Automatically send tax receipts
- Enable easy form sharing
- Generate membership cards
- Automate renewals
- Mobile-friendly forms
- Ask custom questions
- Accept all payment methods
- Automate thank you emails
- Manage contact information
The organization also saved $1,125 in fees because of Zeffy's 100% free pricing model.
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