2012 Honorable Mention: Membership Advisor Placement

To head off a fall in membership from 192 at the start of the 2006-2007 year to 158 at the end of 2008-2009, The Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties developed a new mechanism for tracking membership requirements, providing mentoring and creating a feeling of connectedness among members.

The League replaced placement advisors with a new membership advisor program that guaranteed a close connection between committed Actives and members at the committee level, an intersection where the work is done, but where it’s sometimes easy for some members to get lost.

The solution incorporated the following innovations: standing committees were condensed and combined; and membership advisors were placed on each committee where they participated fully in committee work and tracked committee member requirements while mentoring committee members.

In addition a membership advisory committee was formed to serve all of the other committees in a human resources capacity.

As a result, Active membership is now more than 215, up from 162 in the first year of the program. Members are happier because they now have mentors who can help them make the most of their time in the League. Advisors get closer to their members and can offer better insight into placement opportunities, including potential leadership roles.