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TopClubsRevealTheirAllAboardtheMemberSHIPSuccessStoriesByNicoleSimmons,Membership&LeadershipDevelopmentManager

Asmembers,youaretheheartbeatofourorganization!Withinyourclubs,youcarryoutourmissioneverysingledayandaremakingadifferenceinyourcommunitiesandthroughouttheworld.But,imaginehowmanymoreliveswecouldtouchifwehadevenmoremembers.ThemoreSoroptimistswehave,thebetterweareabletoincreaseourcollectiveimpactfordisadvantagedwomenandunderservedgirls!

Toassistmembersinincreasingtheirimpact,theAllAboardtheMemberSHIPcampaignwaslaunchedin2015.ThroughoutSIA,clubsworkedtobuildmembershipandaddnewclubswitharenewedsenseofexcitementandteamwork.

Duringourlastfiscalyear(FY15/16)wesawsuccessbyachieving3,761newmembers(anincreaseof1percentoverFY14/15)and22newclubschartered(anincreaseof38percent)!

Curiousabouthowclubswereabletoaddnewmemberstotheirrosters?Weweretoo!Weaskedthetopclubineachregionattheendofthefirstphaseofthecampaigntosharethesecretsoftheirsuccess.Here’swhattheyhadtosay:

GoldenWest:SI/GoldCanyon,AZ,USA—57percentincreaseinnewmembers2015-2016ClubPresidentMelodyHigginssharedanumberofwaystheyincreasedtheirmembership.Monthlyarticlesweresentandpublishedinthenewspaperabouteventsandfundraisers,andguestswereputonamailinglistandinvitedtoattend.Formermembersandco-workerswereaskedtojointheclub.Morefocuswasgiventofollowing-upwithprospects,whichincludedbuildingrelationshipswiththemfirstbycallingonthephone,meetingforadrinkorlunch,etc.beforeaskingthemiftheywereinterestedinmembership.SI/GoldCanyonusedaprocessontheirwebsitetoreceiveinquiresandthenprovidedfollow-uptoengageprospects.Theirclub’scommunicationsteamgotinvolvedtoobysharing

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eventswithdetailsandphotosontheclub’sFacebookpage.Plus,oncenewmembersjoined,clubmembersimplementedawelcomeplanandorientednewmembersbyprovidingmentorsandguidance.Finally,theclubdidanassessment.“Thishelpedusrecognizeareastochangeorimproveon,”saidMelody.Theassessmentshowedthreeareasofimprovement:beingmoretransparentbyprovidingallmembersaccesstoclubdocumentslikebylawsandthetreasurer’sreports;providingmorerecognitionandpraisetomembers;andchangingthevenueoftheirmeetingstoeliminatemealexpenses.Byconductingtheclubassessment,thecurrentmemberswereengagedandprovidedresponsestocreateahealthyclubatmosphere.

JapanHigashi:SI/Kokubunji,Japan—33percentincreaseinnewmembersWiththehelpoftheJapanHigashiRegionOffice,2015-2016ClubPresidentKiyokoTakadacommunicatedthesuccessfulstrategiesusedbySI/Kokubunji.Theclubheldvariousevents,forexample,charityconcerts,bazaars,andfriendshippartiesinordertoattractnewmembers.Additionally,theyusedthecelebrationoftheirclub’s20thanniversaryasamarketingtooltopromotetheirlongevityinthecommunity.Recruitingnewmemberswastakenonbyeachmemberwhotargetedrelatives,acquaintancesofotherorganizationsand/orcommunities,formermembersandcharityconcertperformers.“Eachmemberalwayslooksforpotentialmemberswhowouldjoinintheactivitiesofourclub,inherownworkplace,othervolunteergroup,friends,andacquaintances,”saidKiyoko.Additionally,theyshowedhospitalityandtookthetimeduringtheirclubmeetingstoexplaintheproceedingsonewmemberscouldeasilyunderstandandfollowalong.

JapanMinami:SI/Miyazaki-Higashimoro,Japan—43percentincreaseinnewmembersSI/Miyazaki-HigashimorocommunicatedtheirrecruitmentstrategywiththeassistanceoftheJapanMinamiRegionOffice.Theclub’srecruitmentapproachwastotalktopotentialnewmembersdirectlyone-on-oneandproduceaclubbrochurethatintroducedSoroptimistandtheclub’sactivities.Theclubcreatedaslogantoboostmembershipthatincorporatedtheirmilestoneanniversary:“CelebrateOur20thAnniversaryWith20NewMembers.”Prospectivememberswerewelcomedtoattendmonthlymeetingsasaguestsotheycouldgettoknowmembersandseetheclubatmosphere.Theclubalsoreliedonpublicawareness.“Weusedtheradio.Wewereontheairandhadagoodopportunitytointroduceouractivities,”said2015-2016ClubPresidentReikoMurata.Additionally,theclub’scharityconcertinvolvedmanypeopleinthecommunityandlocalcompanies,whichresultedinsixnewmembers!Oncenewmembersjoined,theywerewelcomedatseveralpartiesandeventsthroughouttheyear.Theclubalsoconsiderednewmembers’timebyencouragingthemtogetinvolvedandparticipatewiththeclubasmuchastheirpersonalschedulewouldallow.

Midwestern:SI/Fremont,OH,USA—20percentincreaseinnewmembersSI/Fremonttooktheapproachofinvitingfriendsandbusinesscontactstomeetings.Thentheirmembershipcommitteemadecertaintofollow-upwitheachprospect,whothenbecamemembersintheclub.2015-2016ClubPresidentPaulaHeckelnoted,“Verysimple,noformaleventormarketingcampaign.[Wedid]conductaclubassessmentattheendof2015,andbasedonthe

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feedback,beganimplementingsomechanges.”Thosechangesinvolvedconcernsoverfinancialobligations(didnotraiseclubduesandbudgetedfundstosupportserviceprojects);theneedforstrongervisibilityinthecommunity(participatedincommunityevents,updatedtheirwebsiteusingtheSIAwebtemplate,andbecamemoreactiveontheirFacebookpage);memberrecruitment(eachmemberisencouragedtobringguestsandacommitteememberfollows-upwiththem);andpromotingafriendlierclubatmosphere(mixedupseatingarrangementsandincludedteambuildingactivitiesatmeetings).

NorthAtlantic:SI/TheAdirondacks,NY,USA—24percentincreaseinnewmembers“Ourmembersareourbestresourceinrecruitingnewmembers.Ourmonthlymeetingsareattendedbyguestsofmembers,andbywomenwhohaveheardaboutusandareinterestedinwhatwedo,”said2015-2016ClubPresidentAliceCrotty.ShealsoreportedsharingtheAllAboardtheMemberSHIPcampaignemailsandinformationsentbySIAheadquarterswiththeclub’smembershipcommittee.AnotherstrategySI/TheAdirondacksusedwastowelcomeguestsbyofferingeachoneapacketwithinformation.Packetscontaineddetailsabouttheclub,specificallyhighlightingtheirmanyprojectsandprogramsandhowprospectscouldgetinvolved.

RockyMountain:SI/Cody,WY,USA—29percentincreaseinnewmembersSometimes,allyouneedtodoismakeapersonalask.That’sjustwasSI/Codyusedasitsstrategytotargetnewmembers—theyaskedanyandeveryonetheyknewtocometotheirannualrecruitmentlunchandtotheirafter-hoursrecruitmentevents!Accordingto2015-2016ClubPresidentLynnAnglesey,“Weareoutinthecommunityandinvolvedinalotofprojects.”Bydoinghands-onwork,thisledtomoreprospectsbecominginterestedinSoroptimist.Shealsonotedwhilenoteveryprospectwhocametoaneventjoined,theyindicatedtheymaydosointhefuture.Regardless,eachlearnedaboutSIA’smissionandmadeconnectionswithmembers.SI/Codyalsohonoredandrecognizedtheirseasonedmembersfortheirserviceandpracticedengagingnewmembersrightaway.Committeechairspersonallyreachedouttoeachnewmemberandmostofthemparticipatedinoneormoreprojects.

Finally,wealsowanttocelebratetheKoreaRegion,whichwerecognizedduringthefirstphaseofthecampaignforhavingtheregionwiththehighestpercentageofnewandchartermembers(+250tobeexact)!DuringSIA’s44thConvention,2014-2016GovernorOhranChoe’ssharedthefollowingregardingtheirsuccess.

KoreaRegion—41percentincreaseinnewandchartermembers2014-2016GovernorOhranissuedachallengetoaddfivenewmemberstoeachexistingclubandmadepersonalvisitsacrosstheregiontoclubsthathadshowedlittlerecruitmentactivitytoencouragegrowth.TheregionalsocharteredSIXnewclubssuchasonewithNorthKoreanrefugeesandonewiththreegenerationsofmothers,daughters,andgranddaughters.GovernorOhrannotednewlycharteredclubsmaintainedasister/mentorclubandfocusedonourDreamPrograms.MemberengagementwasalsohighlightedintheKoreanRegion.GovernorOhranencouragedclubs

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tohavefunandmeaningfulmonthlymeetingsinordertoattractnewmembers.Orientationandleadershiptrainingwasprovidedandmemberswereencouragedtosharetheirexperienceswitheachother.Variousnationwideeventswereorganizedsuchasacharitygolftournament,mountainclimbing,concert,andabazaarandauction.Theseeventshelpedraisefundsandprovidedopportunitiesformemberstostrengthenbondswitheachother.

Allinall,theseabovestrategieshelpeduniteandbuildcamaraderieamongcurrentmemberswhilealsoattractingnewonesthroughoutSIA.Congratulationsandthankyoutoallofourclubsforrecognizingtheimportanceofrecruitingnewmembersandaddingnewclubs!

WhileweareclosingoutthesecondphaseoftheAllAboardtheMemberSHIPcampaignandonthecuspofthethirdphase,thinkabouthowyourownclubcanuseoneormoreofthesestrategiestorecruitmembersorevenstartanewclub.Perhapsyouwillhaveabestpracticetoshareattheendofthecampaign!

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