Expanding Organizational Membership

National Association of the Deaf 2015 National Leadership Training Conference

Birmingham, AL

Presenters: Pamela Lloyd-Ogoke, Jerry Nelson

Organizational Leadership – What’s That???

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you

are a leader

Organizational Leadership

•  Good leaders must first become good servants.

•  ROBERT GREENLEAF

Organizational Leadership

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go but ought to be.

ROSALYNN CARTER

Common Reasons Why Members Leave an Organization

! Pettiness of leaders

! Not feeling respected

! Not feeling they had value

! Not being motivated

! Not seeing organization progress

What Makes An Organization Successful?

Expanding Membership - Considerations

" DEFINE YOUR STAKEHOLDERS

" DEFINE RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACH STRATEGIES

" LEARN FROM THE PAST BUT NOT BE BOUND BY IT

" THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Expanding Membership - Challenges

•  Most challenging situations your organization faces is the need to expand.

•  Also an exciting challenge •  Growth is a good thing •  With expansion comes growing pains •  To significantly increase membership requires a huge

commitment on the part of the leadership, members, volunteers, and in some cases staff

•  When your organization is faced with opportunities that scream “Take action!”, there are critical things you must consider

Organizational Culture

•  Culture is the pattern of values and beliefs shared by the organization’s members.

•  Exists at two levels: –  Surface level of symbols, stories, heroes, slogans, and ceremonies –  Deeper level of values and norms

•  Culture needs to be aligned with strategy

Assessing Your Organizational Situation

Ask yourself these questions…

" Is your organizational culture VIBRANT or STAGNANT? #  Often nonprofits prefer to stay small and easily manageable…

" Has your board discussed the need to expand your membership? " Who is driving behind the need to expand your organizational

membership – board, stakeholders, or community? " Do you know why there is a lack of members?

#  Internal assessment done? #  External assessment done?

" What strategies did your Board come up with? " While ideas are great, did your board map out an executable action

plan? " Who were assigned to lead and execute the action plans?

Changing Demographics

•  Who are your members today? –  Likely to be older, retired? –  Membership base dwindling? –  Long-time supporters of NAD and your State

Association?

•  Your assessment… –  Likely to identify need for involvement by

younger generations

•  Do you know or understand the generations?

Generations

" Baby boomers #  1946 – 1964

" Generation X #  1965 – 1980: Baby Busters #  1975 – 1985: MTV Generation /Boomerang Generation

" Generation Y #  1982 – 1994: Millennials, or jokingly a "Generation Why?“ #  Grew up with many world-changing events including the rise of mass

communication and the Internet.

" Generation Z #  1990 – 2007: "Internet Generation", the "Homeland Generation", or even the

"Google Generation“ #  Digital Globalization

Bridging Generations

•  Challenge is to bridge your organization with the different generations

•  Tools: –  Dynamic website

•  Varied in breadth and depth

–  Social networking sites •  MySpace •  Facebook •  LinkedIn (more geared to professional) •  Text messages (SMS) •  Latest to scene – Glide

Themes Which Unite People

•  No man is an Island

•  It takes a Village to raise a child

•  You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar

•  Actions speak louder than words

Motivating the Masses

Communicating Your Organization’s Vision/Plan

TYPICAL MISTAKES

" Information overload " Disorganized thoughts " Lack of passion " Not taking time to individually get

buy-in " Being unrealistic

Situational Assessment #1

You are President of an organization that has been in existence for 40 years. During the last five years, membership dropped by 35%. What will you do?

Situational Assessment #2

A new Parent organization for Deaf Teens has been established. The mission is to support parents who have Deaf & Hard of Hearing teenagers. There was strong interest but only 5 of the 60 people showed up for the last meeting. What is your next step?

Situational Assessment #3

You want to establish an organization for Native American Deaf survivors of domestic violence. You have a friend who has inspired you and supports your vision. You are not Native American. What are your next steps?

EXPANDING…

! Motivate ! Evaluate ! Mentor ! Believe ! Explore ! Respect ! Sustain

Expanding Organizational Membership

THANK YOU!

BEST WISHES IN YOUR EFFORTS!