2017: Membership Matters

This year's Membership Recruitment and Engagement Award goes to the Junior League of Birmingham's Membership Matters program.

After a historically low provisional class of 80 in 2013, Junior League of Birmingham leadership saw a problem…and an opportunity.

The problem was the need to attract and retain new members…the opportunity was looking beyond admissions to develop a strategic approach that addresses each aspect of membership – Provisionals, Actives and Sustainers.

The program is called Membership Matters, and here are some highlights. The opportunity with Provisionals came with reducing the admissions age to capture recent college graduates before they commit to other groups while also changing the focus of admission sessions from membership requirements to demonstrating the benefits of joining the League.

For Actives, the opportunity came in strengthening first- and second-year members’ bonds with the League by re-assigning membership advisors to membership years rather than placements and creating a monthly membership advisor check-in program.

For Sustainers, the opportunity came with creating a stronger bond through a Sustainer advisory group and outreach to Sustainers who have recently resigned while adding events aimed at attracting and retaining younger Sustainers.

And by the way, JLB’s provisional class has doubled in size.