Building a Membership Campaign to Scale

1. Building a Membership Campaign to Scale Suzi Carter Director of Programs and Partnerships

2. What’s this training going to cover? Introduction to Public Narrative and Organizing Components of a Membership Recruitment Campaign Planning your Membership Campaign to Scale

3. What’s this training going to cover? Introduction to Public Narrative and Organizing Components of a Membership Recruitment Campaign Planning your Membership Campaign to Scale

4. What’s your experience with member recruitment? How would you describe your experience planning and implementing membership campaigns? • Novice • Beginner • Intermediate • Expert

5. Why domember campaigns fail?

6. Why does this happen? • 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?

7. The secret to successful campaigns?

8. What if I told you that… • Storytelling = More Members ?

9. Four Cornerstones in Three Stages

10. LEADERSHIP Taking responsibility for enabling others to achieve shared purpose, in the face of uncertainty

11. Intro to Public Narrative

12. What is Public Narrative? What is Public Narrative?

13. Storytelling A princess sends two robots to find a veteran warrior. A farm boy blows up a space station.

14. CHALLENGE OUTCOME MORAL CHOICE

15. STAGNATION URGENCY Inertia ANGER Apathy MOTIVATION HOPE Fear Isolation SOLIDARITY Self Doubt YCMD

16. Is it worth it? Can I do it? Your presentation needs to answer these questions! • 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? • 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?

17. Uncovering the root through dialogue Uncovering the root through dialogue

18. The Job of the Organizer That’s you! Identify and recruit the people needed to do the work of starting the co-op, and keep them working together effectively

19. Intro to Planning a Membership Recruitment Campaign

20. Membership growth?

21. Membership (fantasy?)

22. Membership plateau

23. Endowed Relational Capacity Endowed Relational Capacity

24. Low hanging fruit

25. Adoption curve Adoption curve

26. … vs. Earned Relational Capacity …vs. Earned Relational Capacity

27. In the long run… In the long run…

28. I have the most experience with this part of recruitment: • Identifying goals, strategies and measurement tools • Designing and creating campaign materials/templates • Talking with friends and coworkers about the co-op • Presentations and tabling at community events • Recruiting and managing volunteers • Data management, numbers, quality control

29. Campaign Planning Graph Resources + Intensity Time

30. Food co-op campaign Stage 3D Stage 3A Stage 2A Stage 1 Stage 0 Resources + Intensity Stage 3B,C Stage 2B Time

32. Building a Membership Campaign Shifting to Operations Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Get ready for opening! Pre-level Level 3 PLAN Level 2 PLAN Level 1 PLAN

33. Fun! Time to build your own campaign!

34. What yours might look like…

35. Color Guide PINK  Membership Goal BLUE  Approach and Strategies YELLOW Activities ORANGE  Tools and Resources WHITE Talent PURPLE  Measurements

36. Go us! One next step!

37. 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)

38. 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?

39. 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

40. Stage 1: Level 1 Recruitment cont’d • Talent: • 8-15 core ambassadors • 1-2 member trackers • 1-2 media updaters • Budget: • Printing $ • Web hosting $ • Postage $ • Travel & mileage $ • Volunteer Appreciation $ • Computer $ • Recruitment Training $ • Office (opt.) $ • Phone (opt.) $ • Member Recruitment $ • Coordinator (opt.) • 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.

41. 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

42. 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

43. 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 • 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

44. 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)

45. Stage 2: Level 2 Earned Relationships (cont’d) • Budget: • Printing $ • Web hosting $ • Postage $ • Travel & mileage $ • Volunteer Appreciation $ • Computer $ • Recruitment Training $ • Office $ • Phone $ • Memb. Recr. Crdtr. $ • Promo (electronic) $ • Parties $ • Measurement: • Deadline: 6 months • 65 new members/mo. • 10 house parties/mo. • 1 event/wk. • 1-2 presentations/wk. • At least 2 emails/mo. • 1-2 Fb posts/day • 1 mass media coverage/wk. • At least 15 core volunteers • by kickoff

46. 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

47. 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

48. 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

49. Stage 3: Level 3 Leveraging the 500-700 (cont’d) • Budget: • Printing $ • Web hosting $ • Postage $ • Travel & mileage $ • Volunteer Appreciation $ • Office $ • Phone $ • Memb. Recr. Crdtr. $ • Site Tours $ • Sponsorships $ • 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.