Building a Membership
Campaign to Scale
Suzi Carter
Director of Programs and Partnerships
What’s this training going to cover?
1. Introduction to Public Narrative and Organizing
1. Components of a Membership Recruitment
Campaign
1. Planning your Membership Campaign to Scale
What’s this training going to cover?
1. Introduction to Public Narrative and Organizing
1. Components of a Membership Recruitment
Campaign
1. Planning your Membership Campaign to Scale
What’s your experience with
member recruitment?
How would you describe your experience planning and
implementing membership campaigns?
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Novice
Beginner
Intermediate
Expert
Why do member campaigns fail?
Why does this happen?
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Too much information
Death by leaders
Didn’t plan
No training
Didn’t engage the community
No momentum
No systems of accountability
No rewards
Lack of communication
• What else?
The secret to successful
campaigns?
What if I told you that…
Storytelling = More Members ?
Four Cornerstones in Three Stages
LEADERSHIP
Taking responsibility for enabling others to achieve
shared purpose, in the face of uncertainty
Intro to Public Narrative
What
is
Public
Narrative?
What is Public Narrative?
Storytelling
A princess sends two robots to find a veteran
warrior.
A farm boy blows up a space station.
CHOICE
MORAL
URGENCY
Inertia
Apathy
Fear
Isolation
Self Doubt
ANGER
HOPE
SOLIDARITY
YCMD
Is it worth it?
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Am I inspired by this vision?
Is the leadership credible?
Do I have these interests?
Do I think a co-op will solve them?
Do I think this team and
organization will be able to achieve a
new co-op?
Do I trust and respect the speaker?
Do I know other people who have
joined?
Am I like the people who have
joined? Is this for people like me?
Do I see the need to join before it
opens?
Will I actually shop at the co-op?
Can I do it?
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Am I financially able to join for the full
amount?
Is there an installment plan?
Do I need to get permission from my
spouse first?
Can I pledge to join?
Will I be able to afford the food at the
co-op?
Can I learn more about the co-op and
team at a meeting, or talking with
leadership 1:1?
Your presentation needs
to answer these questions!
Uncovering
dialogue
Uncoveringthe
theroot
root through
through dialogue
Why are you starting a
co-op?
When was the
moment of decision?
What values motivate
you to do this?
Where did you learn
those values?
Growing up?
The The
name Job
of the game:
Grassroots
Organizing
of the
Organizer
Identify and recruit the people needed to do
the work of starting the co-op,
and keep them working together effectively
Intro to Planning a
Membership Recruitment Campaign
Membership
growth?
Membership
growth?
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Membership
(fantasy?)
Membership
(fantasy?)
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Membership
plateau
Membership
plateau
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Endowed
Capacity
EndowedRelational
Relational Capacity
Low hanging fruit
Adoption
curve
Adoption curve
…vs.
…
vs. Earned Relational Capacity
Capacity
In
run…
Inthe
the long
long run…
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
I have the most experience with
this part of recruitment:
1) Identifying goals, strategies and measurement tools
2) Designing and creating campaign materials/templates
3) Talking with friends and coworkers about the co-op
4) Presentations and tabling at community events
5) Recruiting and managing volunteers
6) Data management, numbers, quality control
Resources + Intensity
Campaign
CampaignPlanning
planning
Graph
graph
Time
Food
Foodco-op
co-opcampaign
campaign
Stage 3D
Resources + Intensity
Stage 3A
Stage 2A
Stage 1
Stage 0
Stage 3B,C
Stage 2B
Time
Building a Membership Campaign
Shifting to
Operations
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Pre-level
Level 3 PLAN
Level 2 PLAN
Level 1 PLAN
Get ready for opening!
Fun!
Campaign
What yours
planning
might graph
look like…
Campaign planning
Color Guide
graph
PINK  Membership Goal
BLUE  Approach and Strategies
ORANGE  Tools and Resources
PURPLE  Measurements
Go us!
More guides, webinars, toolkits, grants, and more available at:
FoodCoopInitiative.coop
Thank you!
Suzi Carter
Food Co-op Initiative
suzi@fci.coop
540-416-2667 (COOP)
Stage 1: Level 1 Recruitment
Endowed Relationships
Goal: 200-300 members
Approach: Friends, family, those closest to steering
committee; grassroots feel
Strategy:
• Deadline: 6 months (spring or fall of year 1)
• Co-op as the hero: name the problem, present the co-op as
the solution
• Invite: you can be the first!
• Attainable goal: With your vision, we can work on feasibility
• Ask/Listen/Follow up: How would you like to be involved?
Stage 1: Level 1 Recruitment cont’d
Activities:
• One-on-ones
• Steering Committee as
ambassadors and recruiters
• Phone calls
• Create web presence
• Build email list
• Send regular emails
• Create FAQs
• Have a party! (not a festival)
Tools/Resources:
• Website
• Email template
• Calling script
• How to do a ‘one-on-one’
• Brochure & generic poster
• Budget
• Member database
• Member prospect tracking tool
• Photos
• Outreach report
Stage 1: Level 1 Recruitment cont’d
Talent:
• 8-15 core ambassadors
• 1-2 member trackers
• 1-2 media updaters
Measurement:
• Deadline: 6 months
• 35 new members/mo.
• 100 1-on-1 contacts/mo.
• At least 2 emails/mo. (30%)
• Daily Fb updates
• 100 new Fb Likes/mo.
Budget:
• Printing
• Web hosting
• Postage
• Travel & mileage
• Volunteer Appreciation
• Computer
• Recruitment Training
• Office (opt.)
• Phone (opt.)
• Member Recruitment
Coordinator (opt.)
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
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$
Stage 2: Level 2
Earned Relationships
Goal: 500-700 members
Approach: Build mid-level support from core members’
networks; friends of friends
Strategy:
• Deadline: 6 months (fall of year 1 or spring of year 2)
• Co-op as the hero (cont’d)
• Exploring and refining message and image
• Attainable goal: you will help to secure the site!
• Train/Follow Up: building out the snowflake model
Stage 2: Level 2
Earned Relationships (cont’d)
Activities:
• Everything from Level 1
• Presentations to orgs and small groups
• Private house parties
• Small public events
• Press releases
• Recruit talented core volunteers
• Get your story in others’ communications
• Personal follow-ups with prospect list
Stage 2: Level 2
Earned Relationships (cont’d)
Tools/Resources:
• Everything from Level 1
• Event in a bag
• How To templates
• Inexpensive swag
• PR templates (story, event)
• House party toolkit
• Formalized thank you process
• Volunteer member
recruitment training
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PowerPoint template
Invitations template to events
Co+op video, poster, recipes
Thermometer graphic (sign?)
Photos of other co-ops
“I’m a member because”
Tabling Like a Pro
Write up of your co-op
Stage 2: Level 2
Earned Relationships (cont’d)
Talent:
• Everyone from Level 1
• Paid outreach/member recruitment coordinator
• Private parties coordinator
• Small events Coordinator
• General volunteer coordinator
• Presentations coordinator
• PR/Media Team (1-4 people)
• Photographers (on-call pipeline)
Stage 2: Level 2
Earned Relationships (cont’d)
Budget:
Measurement:
• Printing
• Deadline: 6 months
• Web hosting
• 65 new members/mo.
• Postage
• 10 house parties/mo.
• Travel & mileage
• 1 event/wk.
• Volunteer Appreciation
• 1-2 presentations/wk.
• Computer
• At least 2 emails/mo.
• Recruitment Training
• 1-2 Fb posts/day
• Office
• 1 mass media coverage/wk. • Phone
• At least 15 core volunteers • Memb. Recr. Crdtr.
by kickoff
• Promo (electronic)
• Parties
$
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$
Stage 3: Level 3
Leveraging the 500-700
Goal: 700-1,200 members
Approach: Building on the reciprocators networks; people
you don’t know and late adopter friends of members
Strategy:
• Deadline: 6 months (prioritize spring and fall)
• Professionalizing all that has been built; less labor intensive
• We’re strong and this is really happening! Join before the
store opens!
• Store as ‘carrot’
• Mass media as best friends
Stage 3: Level 3
Leveraging the 500-700
Activities:
• Everything from Level 1 and 2
• Include membership message with Member Loan Campaign
• Small public events
• Participation in larger community events
• Telling confident story of success
• Enhanced communications, refined voice; regular press releases
• Brand all materials, photos
• Update website and brochure(s) with store and shopping
• Site tours monthly with ownership message
• Be more selective with presentations
• Email and social media updates
• Canvassing to surrounding communities and residents
Stage 3: Level 3
Leveraging the 500-700 (cont’d)
Tools/Resources:
• Everything from Level 1 and 2
• Updated PowerPoint
presentation
• Store/site renderings
• “How to” store tour templates
• Press release template for story
and event
• “Hey Neighbor!” packets
• New pro logo/brand kit*
Talent:
• Everyone from Level 1 and 2
• 3 trained tour guides
• Site tour coordinator
• Photographer (on-call list)
• 2-3 one-on-one follow up
volunteers
• 1 media writer
• 1-3 bloggers
• 1-3 social media volunteers
Stage 3: Level 3
Leveraging the 500-700 (cont’d)
Measurement:
• Deadline: 4 months
• 80 new members/mo.
• 1 site tour/mo. with goal of
100 people at each
• 1 mass media coverage/wk.
• 3-4 presentations/mo.*
• 10 Fb posts/wk. minimum
• 20 follow up calls/wk.
• 1 email/wk.
Budget:
• Printing
• Web hosting
• Postage
• Travel & mileage
• Volunteer Appreciation
• Office
• Phone
• Memb. Recr. Crdtr.
• Site Tours
• Sponsorships
$
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