Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired
THE FOUR R’S OF
AER MEMBERSHIP
RECRUITMENT
RECOGNITION
RETENTION &
REACTIVATION
A GUIDE FOR AER DIVISIONS AND CHAPTERS
Adapted 2008
From a document issued in April 1999
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RESPONSIBILITIES ON KEEPING
A HEALTHY MEMBERSHIP

Identify a chapter and/or division membership committee and/or chair.

Maintain a list of current and non-current members received quarterly from
AER.

Maintain copies of all membership data in a file to pass on to future
committees.

The Membership chair or delegate from the membership committee should
attend chapter/division board meetings.

Include membership recruitment in your chapter/division budget.

Determine the needs and desires of your individual chapter and division.

Distribute a monthly or quarterly newsletter to all members.

Welcome all members each quarter with a personalized letter or “thank you”
for joining note.

Send recent communication, newsletters or other chapter-specific information
to new members.

Offer creative benefits above and beyond what is offered at the international
level: mini-grants, conference stipends, chapter/division membership
directories, reduced rates on conference and workshop registration fees.

Participate in the international “Member-Get-A-Member” program.

Hold membership drives at the chapter/division level.

Recognize members with thank you notes, thank you columns in newsletters,
chapter/division awards.

Communicate your successes with AER for recognition in AER Report.

Develop written policies for recognition and recruitment procedures to ensure
carry over from term to term.

Make sure all chapter and division officers hold current memberships.
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NON-MEMBER
RECRUITMENT TIPS
Generated from Prior AER-Lift Conferences and
“Membership Development: 101 Ways to Get And Keep Your Members”

Offer student discounts. Pay half of a student’s membership each year they
are a student.

Offer free membership to non-current member by drawing at a
state/provincial Chapter conference.

Offer reduced rates for new members who join at a chapter function. Chapter
pays a percentage of the fee. Develop a communication plan to make contacts
with the member throughout the first year in order to ensure retention.

Conference or workshop registration “free” or at a reduced rate for members
who join.

Send newsletters to members who are not current. Make sure you also include
an application with an invitation to rejoin.

Send empty newsletter (just front and back) and tell them they will get the rest
when they join AER.

Sell AER at university programs in your chapter. Attend student chapter
meetings and get the “younger” members involved.

Host a membership table, hospitality room, etc. at a local workshop,
state/provincial conference or conference related to our field (PR for AER).

Use administrators as leaders. Encourage administrators to speak highly of
and promote AER. Encourage agencies to offer memberships for their
employees.

Send a personal invitation-written as an invitation-from the Chapter or Division
President or membership chair.

Invite non-members to attend a chapter function by calling them on the
telephone (personal contact).

Develop electronic meeting notices and e-mail them to members and nonmembers.

Offer new members perks – special nametags, designated table, introductions,
publications, etc. during prime time events (annual meetings, conferences,
division workshops).

Hold social functions as well as mini-seminars periodically throughout the year
and in different locations through the state/province. Some suggestions
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include: breakfasts, luncheon or dinner meetings, happy hour, hospitality
rooms, or wine-cheese party.

Contact and recruit corporate members (large agencies, school programs,
rehabilitation centers, etc.) in your chapter.

Explore atypical members and recruit them as regular members (associate and
support members, optometrists, ophthalmologists, occupational therapists,
teaching assistants, etc).

Participate in the international “Member-Get-a-Member” and “Chapter-Get-aMember” campaigns and/or design your own.

Co-sponsor an event or educational program with agencies serving people who
are blind and visually impaired. Create a partnership that opens the door for
feedback.

Rally around local issues, a great time to get non-members involved and see
what a difference a grassroots network can make.

Provide a list of non-member meeting attendees to the AER office for
follow up.

Establish an “AER-branded” speaker’s bureau and seek speaking engagements
before educational groups, schools for the visually impaired and others
throughout your chapter. Bring breakfast or lunch and share it with the
group.

Create missionaries for your organization. Create excitement among current
members so that they will talk to potential members and convince them to
join.

Peer Pressure.

Sponsor a “phone blitz.” Recruit teams and gather together with lists of noncurrent members. Reward teams for each member recruited with fun gifts.

Establish a chapter/division Web site with specific chapter/division
membership benefits and with links to the AER membership page.

Offer 2 for 1 deals to agencies for use at workshops and other programs
offered. Offer a mentor to new members.

Offer conference stipends and mini-grants for projects to “members only.”
Mail to all current and non-current members. Send an application for
membership along with the non-current members’ mailings.

Be sure non-members pay a substantially high fee than members for all
functions.

Create a “most-wanted” list. Get your leadership involved in personal contacts
to make sure they renew each year.

Send sample page from your chapter or division newsletter – remind nonmembers that this is a benefit of joining.

Send a mini-survey to nonmembers to find out why they don’t belong.
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RECOGNITION OF MEMBERS

Affix stickers to name tags at chapter/division meeting that says “MEMBER
SINCE ______________”.

Use newsletters to recognize member’s longevity.

Establish a thank you column in newsletter and thank those who have worked
on committees, conferences, etc.

Send new members a member profile form. Gain valuable information and use
the information in a “New Member” column.

Recognize members’ accomplishments in newsletters. Share information
about career changes, advancements, etc. Send a note of congratulations as
well.

Recognize members for different reasons at conferences. New Members –
Ribbons, 5-10-15 Year pins, etc.

Establish chapter awards: Distinguished Service, Longevity, Employer of the
Year, “Touching Lives,” are a few examples.

Include certificates of attendance with AER logo when members complete
workshops, attend conferences, etc.

Send thank-you notes and/or AER/chapter items to members who have
volunteered their time. (Certificates, tote bags, lapel pins, gift cards, pens, Tshirts, mugs, etc.).

Give fun, small gifts away at conferences, meetings and workshops, etc. to the
first one registered, first new member of the year, the first exhibitors
registered, etc.
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RETENTION AND REACTIVATION TIPS

Send lapsed members a lottery ticket and tell them they don’t have to take any
“chances” with AER membership.

Hold a workshop or mini-conference for your chapter and invite inactive
members. Give them reasons to join.

Communicate your successes on a regular basis through newsletters, Web site,
and e-mail. Share information about grants, scholarships, conferences,
awards, and more.

Establish a communication plan to contact new members and student
members more frequently during the first year.

Establish a New Member Mentoring program. Have a current member stay in
contact with a new member throughout the first year.

Welcome all new members with a telephone call or e-mail. Tell them they
made a great decision and that you hope to see them at the next conference
or get together.

Always follow-up on members who join during a membership drive held at a
chapter conference or workshop. Encourage participation in other activities as
well.

Develop “Activity Points” – Give members points when they participate in an
activity (committee, speakers, conference attendee, etc.) Any member who
gets enough points gets a logo item or chapter perk.

Use former officers as a “Renewal Team” to call lapsed members. Update them
on what’s new since they were a member.

Have an information booth at local and state/provincial conferences. Good
visibility and physical contacts help to recruit and reactivate members.

Ask current members who are non-leaders to serve as a greeter, moderator, or
to work on a conference committee. This gets them involved to the extent
that they may feel comfortable. Ask current members to get involved in
legislative issues by asking them to write letters and make phone calls. This
works for all committees.

Send a list of non-current members to current members and ask them to bring
one colleague back to the organization.

Hold “members only” programs, and distribute flyers to all professionals in
your state/province.

Offer a special deal that will allow non-current members to attend the
workshop if they also join AER.

At the chapter level, provide incentives for the member who renews after one
year.
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
Develop a short survey to send to current and lapsed members in your division
or state/province. Find out what the members want from you and what other
benefits your chapter or division could offer.

Invite new members to a special orientation session at a chapter meeting with
chapter officers. Prepare a flier including chapter leaders’ contact information
and ways to get involved such as volunteering for a committee, Q&A time.
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