Pulse of Membership #2 by Membership Consultants - a survey of Membership Managers

1. Pulse of Membership #2
1. What type of organization does your membership serve?
Response Response
Percent Count
Art Museum 32.5% 55
Association 4.1% 7
Botanical Garden 9.5% 16
Conservation/Nature Organization 5.9% 10
History Museum 11.8% 20
Science Museum 8.3% 14
Zoo or Aquarium 23.7% 40
Other (please specify) 12.4% 21
answered question 169
skipped question 4
2. Comparing year to date membership totals in the 4th Quarter of 2009 to year to date membership totals in Q4
2008, did your membership...
Response Response
Percent Count
Increase from the previous year 39.1% 66
Decrease from the previous year 47.3% 80
Stay the same 13.6% 23
answered question 169
skipped question 4
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2. 3. In comparing membership revenues year to date in the 4th Quarter of 2009 to membership revenues year to date
in Q4 2008, have your membership revenues....
Response Response
Percent Count
Increase over previous year's
43.8% 74
revenues
Decrease from previous year's
46.2% 78
revenues
Revenues were about the same in
10.1% 17
2008 and 2007
answered question 169
skipped question 4
4. Comparing your membership expenditure budget for 2009 to the previous year's budget, has your membership
budget....
Response Response
Percent Count
Increased over the previous year's
11.2% 19
budget
Decreased from the previous
43.8% 74
year's budget
Stayed about the same as the
45.0% 76
previous year's budget
answered question 169
skipped question 4
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3. 5. If your 2010 expenditure budget has been approved, will it be....
Response Response
Percent Count
Increasing over your 2009 budget 18.9% 32
Decreasing from your 2009 budget 26.6% 45
Staying the same as your 2009
26.0% 44
budget
2010 budget is not yet approved 28.4% 48
answered question 169
skipped question 4
6. Comparing new members year to date in 2009 to new members year to date in 2008, did your membership
acquisition efforts...
Response Response
Percent Count
Acquired more new members in
42.6% 72
2009 than in 2008
Acquired fewer new members in
34.3% 58
2009 than in 2008
Acquired about the same number of
23.1% 39
new members in 2009 and 2008
answered question 169
skipped question 4
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4. 7. Membership Acquisition. Please select all of the means of acquiring members that your program utilizes.
Response Response
Percent Count
Direct Mail 73.4% 124
On site membership sales 90.5% 153
Member Get A Member Campaigns 15.4% 26
Gift Membership Program 74.0% 125
Online Membership Campaigns 62.1% 105
Employee Incentive Campaigns 26.0% 44
Membership Promotion at Events or
64.5% 109
Conferences
Other (please specify) 13.0% 22
answered question 169
skipped question 4
8. Please rate each source of Member Acquisition that you used in 2009 and 2008 and indicate if your results were
better than last year, less than last year, or about the same.
Response
More Successful About the Same Less Successful
Count
Direct Mail 33.1% (40) 41.3% (50) 25.6% (31) 121
On site Sales 54.9% (79) 25.0% (36) 20.1% (29) 144
Member Get A Member 13.2% (5) 63.2% (24) 23.7% (9) 38
Gift Membership Program 21.0% (25) 55.5% (66) 23.5% (28) 119
Promotion at Events or
22.6% (24) 58.5% (62) 18.9% (20) 106
Conferences
Other methods 36.5% (23) 50.8% (32) 12.7% (8) 63
Comments 18
answered question 164
skipped question 9
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5. 9. Comparing membership renewal rates in 2009 to those in 2008, would you say that renewal rates....
Response Response
Percent Count
Improved in 2009 over 2008 31.4% 53
Declined in 2009 over 2008 34.3% 58
Renewal rates were about the
34.3% 58
same in 2009 as in 2008
answered question 169
skipped question 4
10. What is your membership renewal rate?
Response Response
Percent Count
Over 80% 6.5% 11
75% to 80% 8.3% 14
70% to 74% 14.8% 25
65% to 69% 18.3% 31
60% to 64% 11.8% 20
55% to 59% 10.7% 18
50% to 54% 9.5% 16
45% to 49% 4.7% 8
40% to 44% 2.4% 4
Below 40% 3.0% 5
Don't know what the Renewal Rate
10.1% 17
is
answered question 169
skipped question 4
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6. 11. Please indicate the methods your program utilizes to drive membership renewals...
Response Response
Percent Count
Direct Mail letter packages 92.9% 157
Direct Mail postcards 21.3% 36
email 60.4% 102
on site renewals 74.0% 125
phone solicitations 36.1% 61
Other (please specify) 12
answered question 169
skipped question 4
12. In 2009, have staffing levels within the membership department...
Response Response
Percent Count
Increased 5.3% 9
Decreased 24.9% 42
Stayed the same 69.8% 118
answered question 169
skipped question 4
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7. 13. Please describe your organization's visitation or usage patterns this year.
Response Response
Percent Count
Visitation or usage has
47.9% 81
increased
Visitation or usage has decreased 19.5% 33
Visitation or usage has stayed the
19.5% 33
same
Do not know about our visitation or
13.0% 22
usage
answered question 169
skipped question 4
14. In your professional opinion, comparing last year to this year, is the membership climate
Response Response
Percent Count
Improving 31.4% 53
Deteriorating 35.5% 60
About the same as always 33.1% 56
answered question 169
skipped question 4
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8. 15. In 2009, were you able to....(check all that apply)
Response Response
Percent Count
Attend membership/association
18.9% 32
conferences in other cities
Attend Membership/association
26.0% 44
conferences within driving distance
Participate in webinars 58.0% 98
Could not attend conferences 45.0% 76
Other (please specify) 6.5% 11
answered question 169
skipped question 4
16. As you look towards 2010, do you anticipate...(check all that apply)
Response Response
Percent Count
Being able to attend
membership/association 34.3% 58
conferences in other cities
Being able to attend
membersship/association 43.2% 73
confrences within driving distance
Will be able to participate in
72.8% 123
webinars
Will not be able to attend
26.6% 45
conferences
Other (please specify) 5.9% 10
answered question 169
skipped question 4
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9. 17. If you were to participate in webinars related to membership topics, what topics are of greatest interest to you?
(Check all that apply)
Response Response
Percent Count
Membership audits and strategic
42.0% 71
planning
Membership acquisition 72.8% 123
Membership renewals 73.4% 124
Direct mail campaigns 54.4% 92
On site membership sales 52.7% 89
Evaluating membership benefits
66.3% 112
and dues structures
Converting members to donors 42.0% 71
Membership upgrade campaigns 68.6% 116
Membership benchmarking and
48.5% 82
reporting
Monthly and online giving programs 50.3% 85
Budgeting and forecasting 28.4% 48
Benchmarking and industry
standards: how does your program 45.6% 77
stack up?
Annual giving programs 35.5% 60
Not interested in webinars 3.0% 5
answered question 169
skipped question 4
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