Open Forum

Hello,

We are a small, nonprofit museum located in the isolated, Florida Keys.  We have been trying to figure out ways to retain our members at the end of their annual membership period.  All members regardless of level receive: unlimited admission for one year, 15% off in the Museum Store, membership gift, 25% additional guest admission, free or reduced admissions to special events, and advanced notice for Museum-hosted events.  As the membership levels go up it includes more unlimited admissions and other benefits.

What do your museums do to retain members?  

I appreciate the feedback!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Hi Emily,
Sounds like you have a good set of benefits there! You may need to be sending out more renewal reminders than you are currently. We generally recommend 2-3 mailed letters (sometimes 4), accompanied by email reminders as well. Also, you should reach out to lapsed members at least once a year to invite them to rejoin again. You could also consider giving renewing members a discount--say 10% off--when they renew. You might also try to host a few small-scale member-only events, such as early morning coffee with one of your staff members there to talk about some aspect of the museum's displays. Hope this helps!

------------------------------
Tabetha Pund MPA
Account Manager
Membership Consultants
Earth City MO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-31-2019 12:03 PM
From: Emily Kovacs
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hello,

We are a small, nonprofit museum located in the isolated, Florida Keys.  We have been trying to figure out ways to retain our members at the end of their annual membership period.  All members regardless of level receive: unlimited admission for one year, 15% off in the Museum Store, membership gift, 25% additional guest admission, free or reduced admissions to special events, and advanced notice for Museum-hosted events.  As the membership levels go up it includes more unlimited admissions and other benefits.

What do your museums do to retain members?

I appreciate the feedback!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Hi Emily - We are also small and the last couple of years we added something onto our membership level "choices." Three of our membership levels include NARM benefits. North American Reciprocal Museum program benefits has over 1,100 members and if you are a NARM member, you receive free or reduced admissions and gift shop discounts when you visit any other member museums. Here is a link to their page: https://narmassociation.org/   We pay $300 for a two year institutional membership. Our folks really like this!


------------------------------
Diane Ingram
Museum Supervisor
Manatee County Agricultural Museum
Palmetto FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-01-2019 09:52 AM
From: Tabetha Pund
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hi Emily,
Sounds like you have a good set of benefits there! You may need to be sending out more renewal reminders than you are currently. We generally recommend 2-3 mailed letters (sometimes 4), accompanied by email reminders as well. Also, you should reach out to lapsed members at least once a year to invite them to rejoin again. You could also consider giving renewing members a discount--say 10% off--when they renew. You might also try to host a few small-scale member-only events, such as early morning coffee with one of your staff members there to talk about some aspect of the museum's displays. Hope this helps!

------------------------------
Tabetha Pund MPA
Account Manager
Membership Consultants
Earth City MO

Original Message:
Sent: 07-31-2019 12:03 PM
From: Emily Kovacs
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hello,

We are a small, nonprofit museum located in the isolated, Florida Keys.  We have been trying to figure out ways to retain our members at the end of their annual membership period.  All members regardless of level receive: unlimited admission for one year, 15% off in the Museum Store, membership gift, 25% additional guest admission, free or reduced admissions to special events, and advanced notice for Museum-hosted events.  As the membership levels go up it includes more unlimited admissions and other benefits.

What do your museums do to retain members?

I appreciate the feedback!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Thank you Diane for the suggestion!  My director  and I decided this was worth looking into and we decided to join NARM.  I appreciate the help!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-02-2019 09:57 AM
From: Diane Ingram
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hi Emily - We are also small and the last couple of years we added something onto our membership level "choices." Three of our membership levels include NARM benefits. North American Reciprocal Museum program benefits has over 1,100 members and if you are a NARM member, you receive free or reduced admissions and gift shop discounts when you visit any other member museums. Here is a link to their page: https://narmassociation.org/   We pay $300 for a two year institutional membership. Our folks really like this!


------------------------------
Diane Ingram
Museum Supervisor
Manatee County Agricultural Museum
Palmetto FL

Original Message:
Sent: 08-01-2019 09:52 AM
From: Tabetha Pund
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hi Emily,
Sounds like you have a good set of benefits there! You may need to be sending out more renewal reminders than you are currently. We generally recommend 2-3 mailed letters (sometimes 4), accompanied by email reminders as well. Also, you should reach out to lapsed members at least once a year to invite them to rejoin again. You could also consider giving renewing members a discount--say 10% off--when they renew. You might also try to host a few small-scale member-only events, such as early morning coffee with one of your staff members there to talk about some aspect of the museum's displays. Hope this helps!

------------------------------
Tabetha Pund MPA
Account Manager
Membership Consultants
Earth City MO

Original Message:
Sent: 07-31-2019 12:03 PM
From: Emily Kovacs
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hello,

We are a small, nonprofit museum located in the isolated, Florida Keys.  We have been trying to figure out ways to retain our members at the end of their annual membership period.  All members regardless of level receive: unlimited admission for one year, 15% off in the Museum Store, membership gift, 25% additional guest admission, free or reduced admissions to special events, and advanced notice for Museum-hosted events.  As the membership levels go up it includes more unlimited admissions and other benefits.

What do your museums do to retain members?

I appreciate the feedback!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Thanks Tabetha for the advice!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-01-2019 09:52 AM
From: Tabetha Pund
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hi Emily,
Sounds like you have a good set of benefits there! You may need to be sending out more renewal reminders than you are currently. We generally recommend 2-3 mailed letters (sometimes 4), accompanied by email reminders as well. Also, you should reach out to lapsed members at least once a year to invite them to rejoin again. You could also consider giving renewing members a discount--say 10% off--when they renew. You might also try to host a few small-scale member-only events, such as early morning coffee with one of your staff members there to talk about some aspect of the museum's displays. Hope this helps!

------------------------------
Tabetha Pund MPA
Account Manager
Membership Consultants
Earth City MO

Original Message:
Sent: 07-31-2019 12:03 PM
From: Emily Kovacs
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hello,

We are a small, nonprofit museum located in the isolated, Florida Keys.  We have been trying to figure out ways to retain our members at the end of their annual membership period.  All members regardless of level receive: unlimited admission for one year, 15% off in the Museum Store, membership gift, 25% additional guest admission, free or reduced admissions to special events, and advanced notice for Museum-hosted events.  As the membership levels go up it includes more unlimited admissions and other benefits.

What do your museums do to retain members?

I appreciate the feedback!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Hi Emily, 

This is an unending question for all of us!  I agree that you should look at the number and timeliness of your renewal notices.  You also want to make sure that your active members are using their benefits throughout their membership year before they get that notice.  We find first year member rates are the lowest, so designing new member programs and socials has been effective for us.  

There is also a google group for museum membership professionals.  https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/museummembershipforum  You will get a lot of great ideas there.

Good luck!

------------------------------
Aidan Vega
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-31-2019 12:03 PM
From: Emily Kovacs
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hello,

We are a small, nonprofit museum located in the isolated, Florida Keys.  We have been trying to figure out ways to retain our members at the end of their annual membership period.  All members regardless of level receive: unlimited admission for one year, 15% off in the Museum Store, membership gift, 25% additional guest admission, free or reduced admissions to special events, and advanced notice for Museum-hosted events.  As the membership levels go up it includes more unlimited admissions and other benefits.

What do your museums do to retain members?

I appreciate the feedback!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Thanks Aidan for the suggestion!  I will defiantly look into the google group.

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-05-2019 09:16 AM
From: Aidan Vega
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hi Emily,

This is an unending question for all of us!  I agree that you should look at the number and timeliness of your renewal notices.  You also want to make sure that your active members are using their benefits throughout their membership year before they get that notice.  We find first year member rates are the lowest, so designing new member programs and socials has been effective for us.

There is also a google group for museum membership professionals.  https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/museummembershipforum  You will get a lot of great ideas there.

Good luck!

------------------------------
Aidan Vega
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 07-31-2019 12:03 PM
From: Emily Kovacs
Subject: How to Incentivize Museum Membership Renewal

Hello,

We are a small, nonprofit museum located in the isolated, Florida Keys.  We have been trying to figure out ways to retain our members at the end of their annual membership period.  All members regardless of level receive: unlimited admission for one year, 15% off in the Museum Store, membership gift, 25% additional guest admission, free or reduced admissions to special events, and advanced notice for Museum-hosted events.  As the membership levels go up it includes more unlimited admissions and other benefits.

What do your museums do to retain members?

I appreciate the feedback!

------------------------------
Emily Kovacs
Community Outreach Coordinator
History of Diving Museum
Islamorada FL
------------------------------