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Potential sponsors don’t sit at their desks all day waiting for your proposal to arrive on their desk. For many, sponsorship is one part of a larger role which keeps them very busy. This means your proposal isn’t just competing with other sponsorship proposals (of which there will be many) but also with many other distractions for a share of their attention. Having a well-crafted, compelling partnership document is a critical first step in getting the attention of a potential partner…&nbsp;<a href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698639269563_WHITEPAPER_-_Creating_Compelling_Sponsorship_Proposals.pdf" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" data-mce-href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698639269563_WHITEPAPER_-_Creating_Compelling_Sponsorship_Proposals.pdf" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">click here to read the whitepaper.</a>

Creating Compelling Sponsorship Proposals

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P&amp;Cs face demise as structures alienate younger members. P&amp;Cs need to adapt to the changing nature of membership associations. Those that do will emerge stronger and more powerful than every before. It’s time to focus on developing a powerful sense of purpose and developing ad hoc volunteering opportunities that cater to all parents (even those who don’t have the time to show up) …&nbsp;<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-16/are-parents-and-citizens-groups-dead/8526974?pfmredir=sm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-mce-href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-16/are-parents-and-citizens-groups-dead/8526974?pfmredir=sm">read the full article on ABC News.</a>

P&CS Face Demise As Structures Alienate Younger Members

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Sitting in a class room surrounded by other parents I was appalled by the list of chores we were being given. As a full-time working mum of four children, my free time is already limited to how long I can stay locked in the toilet before my 3-year-old grabs his chair and tries to break the door down. So, I asked two simple questions …&nbsp;<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-07/what-our-schools-just-dont-get-about-parent-volunteers/9230670" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-mce-href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-07/what-our-schools-just-dont-get-about-parent-volunteers/9230670">read the full article on ABC News</a>.

Volunteering in Schools is a Tough Ask of Parents, But There’s A Smart Way To Do It

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It is impossible to make informed decisions regarding your membership strategy without knowing your membership statistics. At the most basic level you should know your Retention Rate, Growth Rate, Loss Rate and Average Tenure – by each membership segment. If you don’t know how to work out these statistics, please download&nbsp;<a href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698638591568_EBOOK_-_Membership_Managers_Handbook_2018_Edition.pdf" target="_blank" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" data-mce-href="https://uploads.commoninja.com/pdf_gallery/1698638591568_EBOOK_-_Membership_Managers_Handbook_2018_Edition.pdf" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">The Membership Managers’ Handbook</a>&nbsp;to get more information on how to do it.

Do You Know Your Member Retention Rate?

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I have worked with a number of associations recently who have wonderfully high retention rates but very low growth rates. After investigating further, it became apparent that all these associations have a wonderful range of services, many very happy members, and absolutely no sales function whatsoever. To fix this situation, and to effectively recruit new members, you need the have the following processes in place:A process for generating leads into your organisation.&nbsp;To create new members, you need prospective members. This means developing strategies for generating leads. This can include attending trade fairs, viral campaigns, and strong internal policies around the collection of opt-ins from prospective members with whom staff and volunteers come in contact with.A process for building a relationship with prospective members.&nbsp;Recruiting and retaining members is a bit like dating. Just because you are ready for them to join doesn’t mean they are ready to make that commitment. Having some regular non-member engagement is a great way to enable prospective members to get a feel for the organisation. This can include issuing free e-newsletter and enabling non-members to register to attend your events (at a much higher fee).&nbsp;A process for converting someone from a non-member to a member.&nbsp;There are many great sales channels for membership including direct mail, e-mail, outbound telephone calls, and/or an on-the-ground sales team. Associations who are growing the most strongly use a mix of all of these. After a heavy swing to email over the past 7 years, we are now seeing associations generating an excellent return from sending a well-crafted direct mail piece followed up by a phone call.It is vitally important that every prospective member enquiry or outbound campaign is followed up with a phone call. This is an absolutely critical element to member recruitment success. With the advent of cost-effective, outbound call centres specialising in associations (such as&nbsp;<a href="http://www.optimumcontact.com.au/about-us/" data-mce-href="http://www.optimumcontact.com.au/about-us/">Optimum Contact</a>) there is no excuse for these calls not being made. &nbsp;

You Can’t Grow Your Member Numbers if Noone Is Selling Your Membership …

I was sitting in an association board meeting recently and a discussion on the topic of “how much should we be charging sponsors” was underway.The discussion became quite robust and when I heard one person argue that they shouldn’t raise the sponsors fee because “we don’t have thousands of members” I had to step in.&nbsp;&nbsp;The conversation went something like this …<ul><li>Me:&nbsp; How many you are currently using the services of your current investments partner?</li><li>Board:&nbsp;&nbsp;Almost all of us.</li><li>Me:&nbsp; Of those using his services, how much in total do you have invested with them?</li><li>Board:&nbsp;&nbsp;[After a quick consultation around the table] Almost a billion dollars.</li><li>Me:&nbsp; Wow, that’s a seriously large amount of money. How much would that be worth in fee income to that partner?</li><li>Board:&nbsp;&nbsp;Not sure. At least a million per annum. Probably more.</li><li>Me:&nbsp; And how much are you charging them per annum for the partnership?</li><li>Board:&nbsp;&nbsp;Around $10,000 … and it’s exclusive.</li><li>Me:&nbsp; Hmmm … Do you think you might want to edge up that partnership fee just a touch?&nbsp;</li></ul>While the size of the investment was somewhat stunning in this instance, this situation is not uncommon in the association sector. Few organisations devote much time to measuring the return on investment the sponsor is gaining from the arrangement. This invariably leads to a situation where you either:a)&nbsp; Lose the sponsor because they aren’t receiving value (and you haven’t cared enough about the partnership to make sure they are); orb)&nbsp; Lose out on income because you are providing value to your sponsor that is way out of proportion to what they are investing.Talk to your sponsors. You need to know how THEY define the success of the partnership. Once you know how they are measuring success, you can track and report against those variables. I guarantee you this information will be invaluable. It will become the focus of discussions when renewing or on-boarding sponsors. And, in our exceptionally competitive sponsorship industry, it will set you apart from the competition in a very positive way.

Blog

Creating Compelling Sponsorship Proposals

P&CS Face Demise As Structures Alienate Younger Members

Volunteering in Schools is a Tough Ask of Parents, But Th...

Do You Know Your Member Retention Rate?

You Can’t Grow Your Member Numbers if Noone Is Selling Yo...

Are You Undercharging Your Sponsors?