The key to achieving sustainable growth is retaining members for the long term. Many membership organisations strive for continuous growth but fail to achieve it. In this blog, we’ll explore ten actionable strategies to enhance membership retention  for your organisation. 

Why Membership Retention Matters

Membership retention is just as much about building a strong foundation for your organisation’s growth as it is about preserving revenue. Retaining members creates a stable income stream for attracting new members with:

  • Effective planning.
  • Investment in marketing.
  • Outreach.
  • And seamless onboarding.

Moreover, with a solid and growing membership base, your organisation can focus on the success of its mission and long term goals.  

1. Personalised Member Onboarding

Begin by making a lasting impression through a personalised onboarding experience. Frustrating onboarding forces 74% of new customers to switch to competitors. 

To prevent losing members the same way, create a seamless and engaging onboarding process:

  • Personalise welcome messages.
  • Personalise onboarding support.
  • Tailor content to individual needs and interests.

2. Engaging Communication

Consistent and quality communication drives member engagement. Create a well-defined communication strategy that aligns with the core values of your organisation’s values. 

Highlighting achievements and milestones in your mission is a great place to start. 

3. Relevant Value-Driven Benefits

Offer benefits that align with your organisation’s mission. Educational resources and networking events work well for professional associations. Whereas nonprofit benefits focus on initiatives that align with the personal values of their members. 

Aligning and tailoring benefits to your mission and the interests and passions of your members, strengthens their sense of value and commitment to your organisation.  

4. Member Feedback and Surveys

Gather feedback from members to further improve your organisation and its chances of succeeding its mission. Asking members to share their feedback is inviting them to help shape your organisation. Thereby nurturing a sense of belonging, shared ownership and commitment. 

5. Member Recognition and Rewards

Loyalty programmes can be used to offer value added rewards and incentives to members as part of their membership. The moment they sign up, your members should gain access to all the benefits your organisation has to offer. 

Your reward and recognition programmes should offer:

  • Exclusive content
  • Awards
  • Invites to special events
  • Relevant rewards that align with your members preferences for a personalised experience
  • Triggered incentives to encourage membership renewals
  • Mobile optimised user interface to maximise engagement

6. Content Creation and Education

Provide unique and high-quality content that reminds members of your organisation’s positive impact. This reinforces the idea that their membership is making a difference. A powerful incentive to stay with your organisation.

7. Exclusive Events and Networking

Create a sense of community using exclusive networking events which also offer highly personalised experiences. After all, what’s more personal to a members’ journey than making their own connections and experiencing in-person events? 

8. Data-Driven Decision Making

Use a customer relationship management (CRM) system to leverage data and manage your members effectively. CRMs and similar software can help you collect and analyse member data for making informed, data-driven decisions and innovations. 

9. Member Support and Engagement Teams

Build a dedicated support and engagement team that provides positive experiences. They need a clear mission, diverse skill sets, ongoing training, and access to technology and tools (like CRMs to streamline interactions with members).  

10. Continuous Adaptation and Improvement

Define SMART objectives, gather member feedback, and develop action plans to meet evolving challenges and member needs. Regularly assessing and adapting your organisation encourages a culture of innovation. Particularly if improvements are consistent and involve your members. 

That’s a wrap

There we have it! Ten strategies that when effectively applied, could transform your organisation into a membership retention powerhouse. For more tips for membership retention, engagement and acquisition, download our guide.


Contact us for more information.

Dylan McCallum
Dylan McCallumContent Executive, Propello