You want to introduce a membership campaign, preferably as part of the Annual Fund Campaign. Your objective is an expanded and reliable base of donors who renew their support year after year.
Good thinking. Give yourself a pat on the back: An effective membership campaign can be one of your greatest assets and building it requires little more than a dose of common sense and strategic approach.
The Purpose Of a Membership Campaign
Philanthropy-driven, recognition-based, membership campaigns are proven and effective tools used to convert prospects into donors, to increase the size of gift, and to build and strengthen relationships. They are one of the most useful solicitation methods fund-raising managers have.
Such campaigns can work with corporate and even foundation donors, but let's stick with where the membership campaign works best, and where most of the money is to be found. Individuals. (Of the $350 billion given to charities annually in the USA, approximately 84% comes from individuals.)
Donation Levels = Membership Levels
You want to attract as many donors as possible to make their respective donations which they may choose from a number of various giving levels you provide in your campaign
Membership levels need to be structured around what you believe is, or close to, the giving potential of your prospective "members." As you will discover after rating each of them, capacity will vary widely.
Plugging into your campaign a wide range of membership levels allows you to provide each donor a giving opportunity he or she will recognize as appropriate to personal circumstances and the depth of his or her connection to your mission. In addition, the more giving levels you offer, the greater flexibility you will have in securing support at even higher levels as solicitations continue.
Determining Membership Levels: The Backbone of Your Campaign
You'll need to analyze your existing donor base in order to establish the membership levels you'll offer. You do this by (1) charting the gifts you currently receive and (2) estimating the capacity of current donors and viable prospects. Remember, there's no point in offering membership at levels beyond the giving capacity of your organization's donors and prospects.
You could begin to work with preliminary gift levels along the following lines:
- $50 to $99
- $100 to $249
- $250 to $499
- $500 to $999
- $1,000 $2,499
- $2,500 to $4,999
- $5,000 and over
Some organizations offer special rates for students or senior citizens. The practice of offering reduced membership levels to both young and old is commendable, but organizations that do so must also create benefits that meet the specific needs of each group. Before you employ this strategy, you'll want to consider the number of such gifts needed to make a meaningful dent in your campaign's goal and the time and expense of processing them.
Of course, all donations are welcomed and important. However, I suggest your bottom level fall no lower than $50; organizations of size might want to begin at the $100 level.
Odds are, some whom you've solicited at higher levels will send donations at those lower levels anyway. I don't think it's good practice to solicit them intentionally. Of course, you'll welcome any and all donations – - and use the time between membership and renewal to cultivate and engage such members toward upgraded support.
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