California Survey Results October 18, 2014

1. California Survey Results October 18, 2014

2. Initiative Features: Pilot in Washington, Oregon, California & New York Surveys in four states sent to chapter/ council leaders and members to identify what’s working and what isn’t Initiative Goals: Apply lessons learned from survey results broadly to all chapters/ councils Codify tools, methods and resources accordingly to support and grow engaged, effective and sustainable chapters and councils Chapter/ Council Effectiveness Initiative

3. CA TU Leader SurveyOverview

4. 37% of CA TU’s Leaders Took the Survey 78 = the total number of volunteers listed in the Leaders Only Tools section of tu.org • 70 chapter leaders • Eight council leaders 29 = the total number of CA volunteer leaders that took the survey (37%)

5. Profile of CA Volunteer Leaders Who Took the Survey • ~80% are long-time TU members of six or more years • ~41% are over age 65 • 100% are men • The top three reasons cited for joining TU are: • Opportunity to work on conservation projects (82.76%) • Environmental and water quality concerns (82.76%) • Opportunity to advocate for important coldwater causes (65.52%)

6. CA Volunteer Leaders Find their Roles Rewarding • “Like marriage and parenting, chapter leadership is sometimes rewarding and sometimes frustrating.”

7. CA Volunteer Leaders Face Some Challenges At the chapter level, CA leaders are challenged by: • Recruiting members to leadership positions (84%) • Leaders balancing this volunteer position with other life commitments (68%) • Other (36%) At the council level, CA leaders are challenged by: • I don’t know (44%) • Recruiting members to leadership positions (36%) • Getting chapter buy-in (28%) Other: • “Members have no time for activities.” • “We do lots of projects – but it is always the same people who participate.” • “Member engagement/participation.” • “8,000 square mile chapter geography.”

8. Succession Planning Council 24% Of CA volunteer leaders report that the council practices succession planning • Chapters • 48% • Of CA volunteer leaders report that their chapter practices succession planning

9. Defining Leadership Roles Chapters Council 32% Of CA leaders believe that the roles and responsibilities of council leaders are clear or very clear • 48% • Of CA leaders believe that the roles and responsibilities of chapter leaders are clear or very clear • 44% Of CA TU leaders report that they would be more likely to serve in other leadership positions if roles and responsibilities were more clearly defined.

10. CA TU Member SurveyOverview

11. CA’s TU Membership of 10,084 is Not Easy to Reach • Total members: 10,084 • Total e-mail addresses on file: 6,583 • Bad e-mail addresses on file: 304 • “Do not e-mail” flags: 290 • Total members able to be reached by e-mail: 5,664 (56% of total membership) • Strong bulk email open rate: 20% Therefore, it is fair to assume council-level bulk e-mails are only reaching ~1,133 members. *Note that only council level communications reach at-large chapter members at present. A typical email is only seen by ~11% members

12. 6% of CA TU’s Membership Took the Survey* *660 out of 11,151 members at time of survey

13. How long have you been a member? Less than a year 12.27% 1 - 2 years 13.64% 3 - 5 years 19.09% 6 - 10 years 21.36% Over 10 years 33.64% Whatis your gender? Male 94.33% Female 5.67% CA TU’sMembership Make-up What is your age? • Under 18 0.30% • 18 – 35 3.81% • 36 – 55 24.70% • 56 – 65 31.25% • 66 – 75 31.10% • 76 or older 8.84% ~56% of members are between 36 - 65 years of age

14. How Members Think Chapters Are Doing * Reported by leaders, not members

15. Top Three Reasons for Joining TU? * Opportunity to advocate for important coldwater causes was not in the top three for WA and NY, instead WA and NY members joined TU for fishing information.

16. Comparative Survey Results

17. Chapters fulfill the TU mission by: Councils fulfill the TU mission by: • I don’t know (48%) • Advocacy (28%) • Protect (24%) • Restore (88%) • Protect (80%) • Reconnect (60%)

18. What Leaders Think Members Want What Members Want Nearly half of members report that they are unaware of when chapter and council activities are happening.

19. CA TU Members Want Conservation & Fishing

20. 78% of Members Do Not Know about Chapter Meetings 9% of respondents report that they regularly attend meetings

21. Reasons Why CA TU Members Attend Chapter Meetings 21

22. Why CA TU Members Do Not Attend Chapter Meetings, By Age Sample “Other” Responses “Chapter stopped having meetings” “New member” “Didn’t know there were membership meetings” “I am deaf/hard of hearing”

23. 42% of CA TU Members Surveyed Said They Would Participate in Online Affinity Groups • “All of the above” • I do not know • Water conservation / policy • Surf, harbor and ocean bite 20% of CA TU chapter and council leaders are interested in hosting an internet-based affinity group (an online community) on a topic that is of importance and interest, while 72% were not sure.

24. Reported by members* Reported by leaders * Note: The survey was sent out via e-mail, so respondents to the survey had both a valid e-mail on record with TU and were responsive to e-mail. Therefore, the actual percentage of members who receive regular communication is assumed to be much smaller.

25. Methods of Communication Preferred by CA TU Members* * Note: The survey was sent out via e-mail, so respondents to the survey had both a valid e-mail on record with TU and were responsive to e-mail. Therefore, this question is significantly biased.

26. Leaders Shared What They Think Chapters and Councils Do Best Chapters Councils

27. Members Shared What They Think Chapters and Councils Do Best • “Chapter doesn’t do anything” • “Just joined” • “Collect dues” • “I am not impressed with my chapter and am thinking of ending my membership.” • “How can I answer? They do nothing.” • “What Chapter???”

28. Leaders Shared What Chapters and Councils Could Improve Upon Chapters Councils

29. Members Shared What Chapters and Councils Could Improve Upon • “Improve board of directors” • “Timely communication” • “Brand new to Chapter” • “Keep doing what you’re doing” • “Provide information about local fishing spots” • “Increase membership and active involvement of 20-50 year olds”

30. CA Leaders Describe a Well-Functioning TU Chapter • Communication • “Easy to use, yet thorough financial and communications systems that support the educational and conservation efforts of the chapter.” • “Regular communication to members and partner organizations.” • Fishing/Conservation • “An actively engaged membership (~20%) that works together to accomplish the strategic plan, and has some fun along the way, working on projects beyond simple one-day creek clean-ups.” • “Strong pipeline of volunteer conservation and engagement opportunities for members.” • Diversity • “Sufficient younger members willing to take on leadership roles so serving in one does not become a life sentence.” Community “Members led by committed leaders with capacity to reach out to multiple community levels including resource agencies to fulfill a modest strategic plan while seeking fundraising efforts to sustain the chapter, and creating a sense of fun and accomplishment.”

31. CA Members Describe a Well-Functioning TU Chapter Communication “One that keeps members informed of interests regarding TU’s goals and mission” “One that communicates to members in a timely manner” Diversity “Have large diverse membership, hold regular meetings, have conservation projects, fishing activities, fundraising Community “Works cooperatively within and without the chapter to fulfill TU mission in a local context” “One that communicates with its members, gets retired members involved and has outings for vets and kids” “Local issues should be important” • Fishing/Conservation • “Works with local communities to conserve and protect clean waters” • “Lots of activities related to trout fishing” • “Money spent towards conservation and environment and less towards social funds” • “One engaged with fishing and conservation community at a local and regional level”

32. CA Leaders Describe a Well-Functioning TU Council • Member Engagement • “Supports the member chapters, encourages member participation, cultivates new chapters to break-up large geographical chapters.” • “Develops and executes a proactive strategic plan which helps to grow the chapters and integrates actions of TU within the state.” • Approximately half of respondents are not sure what the council does. • Communication • “Provides communication and guidance to chapters” • “Encourages cooperation between chapters and with other organizations / agencies” • Leadership • “Develops and executes a proactive strategic plan which helps to grow the chapters and integrates actions of TU within the state” • “Inspires meeting delegates to bring back to the chapter ideas for their respective missions and strategic plan. Every chapter is different in culture, but the same in organizational structure.”

33. 12% of Respondents Would like to Serve As a Volunteer Leader CA TU has untapped leadership potential in its members. Many are waiting to be asked to step up or to be shown how they can get involved.

34. Members Report That Chapters Could Increase Member Engagement through: • “I felt like the youngest person in the room by 30 years” • “Improve the Board of Directors” • “Earlier notice and a reminder the day before would help” • “I’m a brand new member” • “More hands-on conservation projects”

35. Summary Observations: Overview • Today, the experiences of members vary greatly, depending on the chapter to which they belong. • Some geographies in California are underserved by TU chapters, forcing TU members to depend upon council communications to know what’s happening. • Virtual affinity groups and the formation of new chapters could greatly improve the sense of connection and access for these remote members. • There is significant confusion regarding chapter membership that is likely closely related to the number of people in the At-Large Chapter. • Nonetheless, there are a few areas of opportunity for CA chapters and councils: 1) succession planning, 2) diversity/ inclusion, 3) communications, and 4) creating externally focused events.

36. Summary Observations: Succession Planning The quality of leadership is one of the most important factors in predicting the success and sustainability of a TU chapter or council. • Less than half of respondents report their chapter practices succession planning and only one quarter believe the council does. • Yet, 12% or the members who took the survey want to serve as a TU volunteer leader • 84% of chapter leaders felt their largest challenge was recruiting members to leadership positions. • Current leaders reported they would like training on: • Chapter/council management (76%) • Succession planning (52%) • And strategic planning (52%)

37. What Stops TU Members from Accepting Leadership Roles? - Fear of commitment. - Doesn’t sound exciting. - Insecure about skills. - ‘Old guard’ unfriendly to newcomers/ too exclusive. - Lack of understanding of programs/ unclear, general goals. - They have watched others before them burn-out/ don’t know how much time it will take/ not enough time.

38. Board Succession Planning The Role of Board Leadership -> Find your replacement as your first task in the job The Role of Officers -> If your VP isn’t intending to step into the role of president, get a new VP Role of Committees -> Nominating committee, past presidents committee, etc… Electing Officers -> Take this process seriously, be open and transparent Term Limits -> adhere to them as they help avoid stagnation, undue concentration of power, or continuous inadequate leadership

39. Summary Observations: Diversity and Inclusion • From survey remarks (open ended questions) it’s clear members would like to see more diversity and inclusion in their chapters/ the council. Diversity includes: • Multi-generational • Women • Racial minorities • We can also see that older members and younger members share the need for meetings and events that fit into their lives. • Long drives to meetings can be difficult • Meetings need to feel “welcoming” to all • Accessibility – hearing impairments was mentioned several times

40. Summary Observations: Diversify Communication

41. Summary Observations: Members Want Externally Focused Events

42. Moving Forward • Consider how the results of this survey apply to your chapter/ the council. • Can you identify three to five actions or priorities that would strengthen your chapter? The council? • What steps can you take right away to begin to make this happen?

43. Questions?

44. Volunteer Operations Staff Beverly Smith,Vice President for Volunteer Operations bsmith@tu.org or (307) 734-2814 Jeff Yates,Acting Director of Volunteer Operations jyates@tu.org or (203) 216-7078 Rob Keith,Volunteer Operations Coordinator rkeith@tu.org or (703) 284-9425

45. Future Reporting

46. The New Chapter and Council Effectiveness IndexesComing Soon…

47. 8 Grassroots Trustees 22 At Large Trustees 1 NLC Chair 1 NLC Secretary Board of Trustees (BOT) 1 Elected Chair 1 Elected Secretary 36 NLC Representatives National Leadership Council (NLC) 36 Councils, each with a Chair Chairs have no collective elected representatives Councils Chapters Organized into Councils Membership Organized into Chapters

48. Summary Observations: Overview A “good” chapter described by members included the same elements described by leaders: • Regular, engaging, welcoming meetings with great speakers • Excellent communication from leadership • Presence and involvement in local community • Women and minorities feel welcome • Friendly and fun! • More use of social media and website • Quarterly paper newsletter/communication • Active in volunteer conservation projects with big enough scope to have impact • Fun outings and trips, including programming for young people • Fly fishing and fly casting classes

49. IRS Requirements for TU Chapters & Councils TU is a 501(c)(3) organized under a group exemption which requires: • Each entity (each chapter and council) under the exemption has their own employer identification number (EIN) and file their own tax forms with the IRS by Feb. 15, 2015 • Gross Receipts under $50,000 on average over 3 years: File Form 990N at [http://epostcard.form990.org/]

50. Annual Financial Report: Due Nov. 15 www.tu.org >> Member Login >> Leaders Only Tools >> Financial Report