Unit Level Membership Recruitment and Retention

Recruitment

1. UNIT MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
   1. Composed of at least one person from diverse membership segments — 20 - 40 years olds; 40 - 55 year olds, 55+, professionals, associates, students, new members, senior members)
   
   
2. MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT:
   1. Lunch meeting at SAF member's office
   2. "SAF" Program
      1. Membership recruitment program at monthly meeting
      2. Unit members target this meeting to invite potential members
      3. Present presentation — overview of SAF membership
      4. Program — one-hour discussion on forestry-related or business-related topic (See Forestry Source for topic ideas)
      5. Members can invite prospects to attend with them (or ask the national office for a list of prospects in your area to invite)
   3. Membership Blitz
   4. Schedule a phone-a-thon
   5. Host a webinar in a member's office conference room
   6. Student Recruitment
      1. Make contact with appropriate faculty at local university that has a forestry-related program
      2. Schedule monthly meeting there — invite students to attend the meeting.
      3. Offer special incentive if they join that night.
   
   
3. IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE
   • Incoming membership chair meets with outgoing membership chair to facilitate transition
     
     
   • Incoming unit president meets with membership chair to review goals for membership
     
     
   • Unit membership chair assembles membership committee
     
     
   • Membership committee meets to plan retention/renewal programs
     
     
   • Opening unit meeting — membership chair makes short presentation about renewing
     
     
   • Host a webinar in a member's office conference room
     
     
   • Host a Brown Bag Meeting
     
     
   • Holiday event
     
     
   • February: Unit Phone-a-thon
     
     
   • Schedule monthly meeting at local university. Coordinate with Student Chapter Liaison
     
     
   • Final push for membership committee contacts all prospects who have not yet joined, invite them to become a SAF member
     
     
   • Have a special "thank-you" lunch for membership committee, and thank them for their hard work
     
     

Retention

1. OBJECTIVES:
   1. Connect with new members immediately to SAF
   2. Help new member take advantage of all member benefits
   3. Get them to become involved at the unit level
   
   
2. STRATEGIES:
   1. Hold New Member Reception as a local meeting
   2. Communicate all SAF membership benefits and resources
   3. Send new member packet within two weeks of joining
   4. Welcome phone call from unit representative or membership chair within one month of join date
   5. National Office assigns "Ambassador" to new member
   
   
3. IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE
   • New member orientation event at unit level
     
     
   • Join month: Receive new member packet and welcome call from National Office
     
     
   • Receive welcome phone call from unit representative or membership chair
     
     
   • 2nd month: Follow-up call from "Ambassador" to encourage their unit SAF experience
     
     
   • Receive personal invitation to go to next meeting
     
     
   • 3rd month: Email from National Office — ("Did you know about the member benefits — affinity program?")
     
     
   • Membership chair calls to say hi, and to ask new member to help out at check-in for next meeting
     
     
   • 4th month: Email check in from "Ambassador" — ("Have you attended your local meetings?)
     
     
   • 6th month: Email from National Office — reminder to take advantage of member benefits — career center, CFE, certification, etc…
     
     
   • 8th month: Unit leadership evaluates what committee or project the new member could best serve
     
     
   • Invitation to the New Member Reception at National Convention, meet the SAF Council