Building a Membership Campaign to Scale

Suzi CarterDirector of Programs and

Partnerships

What’s this training going to cover?

1. Introduction to Public Narrative and Organizing

2. Components of a Membership Recruitment Campaign

3. Planning your Membership Campaign to Scale

What’s this training going to cover?

1. Introduction to Public Narrative and Organizing

2. Components of a Membership Recruitment Campaign

3. Planning your Membership Campaign to Scale

What’s your experience with member recruitment?

How would you describe your experience planning and implementing membership campaigns?

Novice Beginner Intermediate Expert

Why do member campaigns fail?

Why does this happen?

• Too much information• Death by leaders• Didn’t plan• No training• Didn’t engage the community• No momentum• No systems of accountability• No rewards• Lack of communication

• What else?

The secret to successful campaigns?

What if I told you that…

Storytelling = More Members ?

Four Cornerstones in Three Stages

LEADERSHIP

Taking responsibility for enabling others to achieve shared purpose, in

the face of uncertainty

Intro to Public Narrative

What is Public Narrative?What is Public Narrative?

A princess sends two robots to find a veteran warrior.A farm boy blows up a space station.

Storytelling

CHALLENGE

CHOICE MORAL

OUTCOME

STA

GN

AT

ION

MO

TIV

AT

ION

Inertia

Apathy

Fear

Isolation

Self Doubt

URGENCY

ANGER

HOPE

SOLIDARITY

YCMD

• Am I inspired by this vision?• Is the leadership credible?• Do I have these interests?• Do I think a co-op will solve them?• Do I think this team and

organization will be able to achieve a new co-op?

• Do I trust and respect the speaker?

• Do I know other people who have joined?

• Am I like the people who have joined? Is this for people like me?

• Do I see the need to join before it opens?

• Will I actually shop at the co-op?

• Am I financially able to join for the full amount?

• Is there an installment plan?

• Do I need to get permission from my spouse first?

• Can I pledge to join?• Will I be able to afford the

food at the co-op?• Can I learn more about the

co-op and team at a meeting, or talking with leadership 1:1?

Can I do it?

Is it worth it?

Your presentation needs to answer these questions!

Why are you starting a co-op?

When was the moment of decision?

What values motivate you to do this?

Where did you learn those values? Growing up?

Uncovering the root through dialogueUncovering the root through dialogue

The name of the game: Grassroots OrganizingThe Job of the Organizer

That’s yo

u!

Identify and recruit the people needed to do the work of starting the co-op,

and keep them working together effectively

Intro to Planning aMembership Recruitment

Campaign

Membership growth?

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Membership growth?

Membership (fantasy?)

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300

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500

600

Membership (fantasy?)

Membership plateau

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300

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500

600

Membership plateau

Endowed Relational CapacityEndowed Relational Capacity

Low hanging fruit

Adoption curveAdoption curve

… vs. Earned Relational Capacity…vs. Earned Relational Capacity

In the long run…

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200

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In the long run…

I have the most experience with this part of recruitment:

1) Identifying goals, strategies and measurement tools

2) Designing and creating campaign materials/templates

3) Talking with friends and coworkers about the co-op

4) Presentations and tabling at community events

5) Recruiting and managing volunteers

6) Data management, numbers, quality control

Campaign planning graphRe

sour

ces

+ In

tens

ity

Time

Campaign Planning Graph

Food co-op campaign

Stage 0Stage 1

Stage 2A

Stage 2B

Stage 3A

Stage 3B,C

Stage 3D

Reso

urce

s +

Inte

nsity

Time

Food co-op campaign

Pre-level

Level 1

Level 2

Level 2 PLAN

Level 3

Get ready for opening!

Shifting to Operations

Building a Membership Campaign

Level 3 PLAN

Level 1 PLAN

Time to build

your own

campaign!

Fun!

Campaign planning graph What yours might look like…

Campaign planning graph Color Guide

PINK Membership Goal

BLUE Approach and Strategies

YELLOW Activities

ORANGE Tools and Resources

WHITE Talent

PURPLE Measurements

One next

step!

Go us!

FoodCoopInitiative.coop

Suzi CarterFood Co-op Initiativesuzi@fci.coop540-416-2667 (COOP)

More guides, webinars, toolkits, grants, and more available at:

Thank you!

Stage 1: Level 1 RecruitmentEndowed Relationships

Goal: 200-300 members

Approach: Friends, family, those closest to steering committee; grassroots feel

Strategy: • Deadline: 6 months (spring or fall of year 1)• Co-op as the hero: name the problem,

present the co-op as the solution• Invite: you can be the first!• Attainable goal: With your vision, we can

work on feasibility• Ask/Listen/Follow up: How would you like to

be involved?

Stage 1: Level 1 Recruitment cont’d

Activities: • One-on-ones• Steering Committee as

ambassadors and recruiters

• Phone calls• Create web presence• Build email list• Send regular emails• Create FAQs• Have a party! (not a

festival)

Tools/Resources: • Website• Email template• Calling script• How to do a ‘one-on-

one’• Brochure & generic

poster• Budget• Member database• Member prospect

tracking tool• Photos• Outreach report

Stage 1: Level 1 Recruitment cont’d

Talent: • 8-15 core ambassadors• 1-2 member trackers• 1-2 media updaters

Budget: • Printing

$• Web hosting

$• Postage

$• Travel & mileage

$• Volunteer Appreciation

$• Computer

$• Recruitment Training

$• Office (opt.)

$• Phone (opt.)

$• Member Recruitment

$ Coordinator (opt.)

Measurement: • Deadline: 6 months• 35 new members/mo.• 100 1-on-1 contacts/mo.• At least 2 emails/mo.

(30%)• Daily Fb updates• 100 new Fb Likes/mo.

Stage 2: Level 2 Earned Relationships

Goal: 500-700 members

Approach: Build mid-level support from core members’ networks; friends of friends

Strategy: • Deadline: 6 months (fall of year 1 or spring

of year 2)• Co-op as the hero (cont’d)• Exploring and refining message and image• Attainable goal: you will help to secure the

site!• Train/Follow Up: building out the snowflake

model

Stage 2: Level 2 Earned Relationships (cont’d)

Activities: • Everything from Level 1• Presentations to orgs and small groups• Private house parties• Small public events• Press releases• Recruit talented core volunteers• Get your story in others’ communications• Personal follow-ups with prospect list

Stage 2: Level 2 Earned Relationships (cont’d)

Tools/Resources: • Everything from Level

1• Event in a bag• How To templates• Inexpensive swag• PR templates (story,

event)• House party toolkit• Formalized thank you

process• Volunteer member

recruitment training

• PowerPoint template• Invitations template to

events• Co+op video, poster,

recipes• Thermometer graphic

(sign?)• Photos of other co-ops• “I’m a member

because”• Tabling Like a Pro• Write up of your co-op

Stage 2: Level 2 Earned Relationships (cont’d)

Talent: • Everyone from Level 1• Paid outreach/member recruitment

coordinator• Private parties coordinator• Small events Coordinator• General volunteer coordinator• Presentations coordinator• PR/Media Team (1-4 people)• Photographers (on-call pipeline)

Stage 2: Level 2 Earned Relationships (cont’d)

Budget: • Printing

$• Web hosting

$• Postage

$• Travel & mileage

$• Volunteer Appreciation

$• Computer

$• Recruitment Training

$• Office

$• Phone

$• Memb. Recr. Crdtr.

$• Promo (electronic)

$• Parties

$

Measurement: • Deadline: 6 months• 65 new members/mo.• 10 house parties/mo.• 1 event/wk.• 1-2 presentations/wk.• At least 2 emails/mo.• 1-2 Fb posts/day• 1 mass media

coverage/wk.• At least 15 core

volunteers by kickoff

Stage 3: Level 3Leveraging the 500-700

Goal: 700-1,200 members

Approach: Building on the reciprocators networks; people you don’t know and late adopter friends of members

Strategy: • Deadline: 6 months (prioritize spring and

fall)• Professionalizing all that has been built; less

labor intensive• We’re strong and this is really happening!

Join before the store opens!• Store as ‘carrot’• Mass media as best friends

Stage 3: Level 3Leveraging the 500-700

Activities: • Everything from Level 1 and 2• Include membership message with Member Loan

Campaign• Small public events• Participation in larger community events• Telling confident story of success• Enhanced communications, refined voice; regular

press releases• Brand all materials, photos• Update website and brochure(s) with store and

shopping• Site tours monthly with ownership message• Be more selective with presentations• Email and social media updates• Canvassing to surrounding communities and

residents

Stage 3: Level 3 Leveraging the 500-700 (cont’d)

Tools/Resources: • Everything from Level 1

and 2• Updated PowerPoint

presentation• Store/site renderings• “How to” store tour

templates• Press release template

for story and event• “Hey Neighbor!”

packets• New pro logo/brand kit*

Talent:• Everyone from Level 1

and 2• 3 trained tour guides• Site tour coordinator• Photographer (on-call

list)• 2-3 one-on-one follow

up volunteers• 1 media writer• 1-3 bloggers• 1-3 social media

volunteers

Stage 3: Level 3 Leveraging the 500-700 (cont’d)

Budget: • Printing

$• Web hosting

$• Postage

$• Travel & mileage

$• Volunteer Appreciation

$• Office

$• Phone

$• Memb. Recr. Crdtr.

$• Site Tours

$• Sponsorships

$

Measurement: • Deadline: 4 months• 80 new members/mo.• 1 site tour/mo. with goal

of 100 people at each• 1 mass media

coverage/wk.• 3-4 presentations/mo.*• 10 Fb posts/wk.

minimum• 20 follow up calls/wk.• 1 email/wk.