HOW TO EFFECTIVELY ACTIVATE AND INCREASE MEMBERSHIP
Where to find potential members:
- Confirmation and 8th grade class lists
- Templemembership list
- Jewish friends of current members
- Put notices in temple bulletins and make announcements at Friday night dinners – the more places a parent can see youth group recruitment material, the more they can encourage their children to go (it’s easy to hook them once there here)
NOTE—some people aren’t interested so don’t push them into joining
(For more, See “Three Steps of Membership” on the Membership Communication Resource Page.)
COMMUNICATION WITH POTENTIAL MEMBERS
Flyers:
- Send out flyers (by mail and email) that are innovative, are eye-pleasing, and stand out from the rest of the mail
- Use brightly colored paper, drawings, clip art
- Include all necessary information such as:
- Times
- Dates
- Location
- Cost
- To whom to respond to and a deadline (usually a week to two weeks before actual event)
- To whom to ask any questions
- Keep the overall flyer brief and to the point
- Mail the flyer 2-3 weeks in advance of event
- Sometimes send it out more than once (2nd notice can be a postcard or reminder email)
- Show final copy to the Youth Advisor to proofread BEFORE copies are made and mailed!
What DOESN’T work when making flyers:
- Don’t just type out info, BE CREATIVE
- Don’t make the flyer more than one page
- Don’t go crazy with design, it will be too confusing
- Don’t go over budget
- Don’t send it out 4 days before an event—people need advance notice (at least two to three weeks in advance)
NOTE—People love to get fun mail so be sure to make fun flyers!
Also, be sure to e-mail out an electronic version of all flyers so that you can reach your potential members through several different avenues.
(For more, see “Making Great Flyers” on the Membership Communication Resource Page)
Phone Calls:
- Remember to call all potential members; they may feel more comfortable coming if they know someone ahead of time
(Try to assign calls to people who know the potential member so there is an automatic connection).
- Those that seem the least likely to come tend to end up being the most dedicated members.
- Personal phone calls show that you care if they come or not and almost always result in higher participation.
- Establish a phone system from one of the following three options:
- Phone trees—one person calls two people who each call two people, etc.
- Phone circles—divide group into circles, one person starts the calls until the call gets back to the originator
- Phone committees—a chair organizes a committee and gives each person a list of people to call
- Have a master list of members and callers
- Delegate calls to board members
- Give callers advance notice so that they can call both far in advance and the day before the event
- Be sure all callers have all the information they need
- Be enthusiastic but straightforward
- Remember—everyone doesn’t necessarily know what a TYG or NFTY region is, so be sure to explain it to them
- Use freshmen and non-board members later in the year to help make calls when they become active
- Remind people to be responsible! If one person doesn’t make their calls, you lose potential members/event participants
- Keep the phone system consistent!
- Consider setting up a text-messaging tree to reinforce the information and RSVP dates.
NOTE—talking on the phone is fun—don’t treat it like a chore!
(For more, see “Phone Calls –Dos and DON’Ts” on the Membership Communication Resource Page)
MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMMING
- Plan an enticing, non-threatening program to hook potential members.
- Explain what a TYG and NFTY region are and how they relate.
- Explain what shul-in, institutes, and kallot are to your members.
- Everyone, especially the Board, should show their enthusiasm about the event and the new members. Remember that you’re the role models, and if you’re psyched, they will be too!
- Beware of cliques—they are a definite turn off
- Be especially outgoing and get people into the swing of things
- Make it fun so people will want to come back
- Plan way ahead
- Make sure everything is set and ready to go
- Make sure everyone involved in the planning is well informed
If the program isn’t going well…
- Have a back-up plan (movie in the youth lounge, games, mixers, etc.)
- End the program when enthusiasm is starting to die down
- Remember that not all programs go well, so just make sure to follow a not-so-hot program with a really great one!
- Try cheap or free events to cut down on costs
- Tailor programs to fit your group – you know what people like, so give it to them, but don’t
- Sacrifice social action or ritual because people aren’t as enthusiastic about them
- Food is always fun
ACTIVATING MEMBERSHIP:
- Follow-up program with continued communication and programming throughout the year
- Motivate people to come back by acting like the TYG is best thing in which to be involved
- The board should always be enthusiastic despite how they may really feel—they are role models and enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm
- Talk about the TYG outside of events and other Temple activity—build relationships with the new people, make them want to come back
MIXERS:
As an MCVP, you will be responsible for creating mixers for events. (For ideas and guidance, check the “Mixers and Icebreakers" section of the Membership Communication Resource Page)
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