Involve the board in retention efforts. The health and growth of the organization is already among the board’s responsibilities. Divide the membership among the board and devise a retention system that awards points to board members for each member of their “team” during the year. i.e. 1 point if they attend a meeting, 25 points if they renew, etc., etc. Get commitment from the top volunteer leaders to not only talk about the importance of member participation and retention but also do something about it.
Colour code correspondence so members can quickly identify types of information. Such as one for educational info., one for legislative, etc.)
Institute a “thank you” column in publication to recognize members for involvement and leadership.
Send a member profile form to new members to gain information.
Have a special edition of your publication focus on how your organization is helping members prepare for the next century.
Be sure your Web page has hot links to individual members for business referrals and networking purposes.
Keep experienced members active through targeted involvement. Need to keep older members and new ones interested and involved. Keep the activities meaningful.