Your board is authorizing a 50% increase in individual
memberships and a 33-1/3% increase in family
membership.  Though "small dollars" in the long-run,
that's a rather steep incremental increase.

One of the things you learn in development/memberships
is that you are NEVER going to please anyone.  Some
will gladly pay and take it in stride; others are
absolutely strident about any kind of increase
whatsoever.

I think a small, WIIFM (what's in it for them) kind of
explanation may save you a lot of heartache.  I think
it's probably wise to include a few cost-of-living
factoids to which they can relate.

When was the last time membership rates were
increased?  If it has been a while, I'd be sure to
couch the news with that info.  Membership rates have
held for xx number of years while the cost of living
has increased by xx%.  Can you show that the
adjustment is less than cost of living?  Don't forget
to add incrementals in O&M expenses.  If you can,
factor in other ways you've attempted to meet the
bills before coming to them for an increase.

What's the demographics of your current membership?
Are you dealing with the blue-haired set and/or the
young families?  Fixed incomes are going to be less
likely to take the increase in the "oh well" fashion.

Would the Board be amenable to phasing these increases
in over a period of say two years?

Instead of simply breaking it down by individual and
family, would the Board consider an Individual-Plus or
Family-Plus membership where the additional benefits
go to the higher level and make them something that
folks would really like to have?

Sometimes the problem with Boards is that they're
chosen from the well-to-do.  They may not understand
that many in the membership sector don't have but will
still support you if you let them and don't make it
cost-prohibitive.

Then again, in my fund-raising solicitation days, I
dealt with many well-to-do who were thrifty.  The
other side of that picture is that "their pockets are
picked" by a plethora of philanthropical
organizations.

The problem you risk by raising this with no notice is
that, beyond the gripe factor, you may well lose some
of your backbone members.  They may decide, instead to
just visit from time to time instead of supporting you
with their membership.  Does the Board have plans to
backfill those lost sheep?

Could you have some sort of bifurcated giving program
where NEW members are charged the new rate, and
renewals to old memberships are mailed with the teaser
that longevity pays off and that by renewing their
memberships on a timely basis, they will avoid the
increase, but charge them half the increase for
memberships ($25 for individual, and round it to $38
for family)?  That way, they think they're getting a
bargain and may squawk less.  The catch-22 is that, if
they don't renew on time (remember that thread?), they
become eligible for the new price of membership (and I
think I'd probably go with a 30-day grace period to be
safe).

In any event, it seems your Board has left you in a
rather unenviable position, and thinking of the horror
stories when we raised parking fees one year without a
lot of advance publicity, you have my sympathies.


--- Karen Smith <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> My board just raised our membership rates from $20
> to $30 for an
> Individual and from $30 to $45 for a Family
> membership and added some
> additional benefits. They want me to just change
> these amounts on the
> return form without any explanation of the rate
> change in the renewal
> letter. They maintain that people don't know how
> much they have paid in
> the past and they won't even question it. I think
> this is rather sly - I
> think we should be upfront with our members and
> explain the rate increase
> and the benefits. What does everyone think?
> Thanks, Karen Smith
> Chadds Ford Historical Society
>
>

=====
Indigo Nights
[log in to unmask]

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