Membership

Building membership in your women’s bar is an ongoing project. Every step you take towards developing a thriving, welcoming organization that anticipates and meets the needs of its members provides the foundation for a successful annual membership campaign. Having said that, let’s turn to the mechanics.  

First, maintaining and increasing membership cannot be left to a membership committee or staff.  While they play important roles, every board member must be able to articulate the value of membership. While interacting with new attorneys or other colleagues, opportunities for inviting them to a women’s bar event or to urge them to become a member must be created.  If board members are well-informed and enthusiastic about their organization, this won’t be difficult.  It seems too simple, but just try extending a personal invitation to join.

Here are some ideas for developing a membership marketing plan. Click below to download a sample membership plan.  Remember that such plans are effective planning tools only if they are dynamic and are constantly updated as new information becomes known.

Sample Membership Plan

Analyzing the needs of your membership and thinking about the dues structure must go hand in hand.  Take a look at the links below for some thoughts:

The Guide to Membership Fees and Dues for Nonprofit Organizations

Click here for a link to membership resources from the ABA Center for Bar Leadership, including tools to help you analyze your membership dues structure.

Recruiting law students and new lawyers can create loyal members for years to come. Click here for some ideas on how to make that happen.