Maintaining Your Membership

Groups often report difficulty in maintaining membership, and this can be a source of disappointment or loss of momentum for a group. You should not assume that members leave as a result of something your group did wrong. As individuals come to your group they may be in one stage, and after receiving your services they may be in another stage.

Some individuals seeking information may be satisfied and disappear from sight. Other individuals might find that after the information is digested, they really want support. Still other individuals may not come to you for either information or support but because they want to participate in research. Some feel they know what they need to know, have adequate support structures, or have integrated the condition into their lives to their satisfaction. They may want to contribute to furthering the science and understanding of the condition.

Needs Assessment

You must continually assess the needs of your members. This is a difficult job, particularly for a small group. Usually members consist of adults and children, grandparents, significant others, friends, funders and health care providers. The affected individuals in the group may have a wide range of phenotypes, or characteristics of the condition. Their needs may vary tremendously depending on how the condition affects them. In addition, psychosocial aspects of the condition may convey greater burdens and needs of the members may be even more complex. Needs assessment can be used to spur ideas or assist with planning of any activity, from tine-tuning conference offerings to overhauling the way your members communicate with each other.

Surveys

Surveys can be a good way to assess the needs of your members. Keep the survey short and to the point. Make sure the survey questions aren't misleading or suggestive that you might provide services you cannot provide. Make sure you leave room in the survey to find out the needs of a broad range of your members.

Recognizing Their Talents

Sometimes retaining members is as simple as getting them involved. Membership really comes alive for some individuals when they can contribute something to the cause. Find out what skills, talents, and connections your membership possesses - you may get some volunteer help, enliven the membership, and generate resources, all at the same time.

Recognizing their talents doesn't end after they complete the task. Make sure your volunteers feel appreciated. take some time out to say thank-you This could be as elaborate as a volunteer-appreciation event or as simple as a heartfelt email at the end of a project or after a period of service.

Helping Them to Be Involved

Communicating with your members is perhaps one of the most important services you can offer them. If your members hear about advances in research, new methods of treatment, new services and other items of interest, they will feel connected and involved.

You can communicate with members in many ways - through print media such as newsletters, postcards, and announcements, and through digital communications such as the website, bulletin boards and e-mail.

Providing New Avenues for Commitment

It is important for some members that there be a variety of functions and new activities. Some organizations notice that after receiving support for a while, some individuals want to engage in social activities with fellow support group members. You may chose to offer such activities, offer an opportunity for these social events to occur without your direct involvement, or chose to ignore this need. In the context of a variety of organizations, all are valid options. It is imperative that you indicate respect for a variety of needs within your organization. There are many ways to do this. Do you have a great story about a creative new avenues that rededicated your membership, and especially your volunteers? Let us know, and we can share it here.

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