AAUW Exploring the “Me” in Membership! Christy Jones, CAE AAUW Director of Membership Krys Wulff, AAUW Membership Committee Chair April 14, 2012

Every Member Survey 2010: Satisfaction Levels AAUW Every Member Survey How satisfied overall are you with your AAUW membership?

Contact with AAUW National Office

Why Join AAUW? Top Five Reasons AAUW Every Member SurveyProspective Member Studies

Why Joined

Branch Participation

Why Stay a Member? Top Five Reasons AAUW Every Member SurveyProspective Member Studies

Members Views of AAUW

Level of Program Familiarity

Social Media Usage

Member Education Level

Non-Member Studies American Association of University Women Findings from Studies of Prospective Members, Young Women, and Activists

Non-Member Studies If women know AAUW, they like the organization. However, many women are unfamiliar with the organization. Activists and those most likely to join like AAUW, but still lack familiarity. Environmental, other women’s rights, animal rights, health and disease related organizations, and children’s organizations compete for activists, joiners of other organization, and likely members’ attention. Other women’s groups are better known. AAUW tends to be associated with education. However, equality is the value that often gets women to join. There is a lot of competition from better known women’s organizations on that value. Linking equality and education may be an unique spot for AAUW.

Non-Member Studies Prospective members are more motivated by specific advocacy programs that impact women than more broad descriptions of the organization. The national-local link is also appealing to activists and prospective members. Online activities and outreach, as well as friends engaging friends, offer opportunities to grow members. Activists are already heavily engaged online for AAUW. Younger women are heavy social media and Internet users and want to engage online with the organization. Those most likely to join are also very engaged and interested in online activities. They also respond with particular intensity around self-improvement skills, especially in learning how to be an advocate.

Non-Member Studies What would you say are the biggest issues facing women and girls today? (Open-ended) Prospective Members Women of Color Young WomenActivists Members of other orgs Likely members Equality/Equal pay Health/Reproductive health Self-esteem Economy/Jobs Bullying/Abuse/Violence against women Work/Life balance Family or relationships Education Morals/Immodesty335742

Non-Member Studies As we have seen in the past, campus sexual assault programs are very popular to engage women, especially joiners and those most likely to be members. Other popular descriptions are AAUW using their powerful voice to speak out on issues like pay equity, education, civil rights, reproductive rights, affirmative action, and sex discrimination, conducting national get out the vote efforts for young women, and providing educational grants and fellowships. Activists also like AAUW’s involvement in the Wal-Mart case. The strongest messages echo the strongest program descriptions. They include groundbreaking research on women’s issues, being a leader on fair pay, the sexual assault efforts, and funding for education. These appeal to activists, members of other organizations, and those most likely to join AAUW. People are most interested in signing a petition. Activists and those who are likely to join are also interested in writing their member of Congress.

Non-Member Studies AAUW receives net favorable ratings among prospective members overall, as well as among women of color and young women, though large proportions of these groups have no opinion or have never heard of the organization. In contrast, activists and likely members are overwhelmingly favorable toward AAUW. However, even among activists, familiarity with AAUW is low. The key is to move from vague favorable recognition to familiarity. Across the board, women feel AAUW’s work is very relevant to women and girls today. Over nine in ten women across potential membership groups hold this view. There is particular intensity among activists and likely members. Bottom line? VISIBITLITY IS KEY. If they don’t know about AAUW, they won’t join/donate!

Non-Member Studies There is a strong preference – particularly among young women, members of other organizations, and the activists – to engage with AAUW online versus offline. Signing a petition and writing to a member of Congress elicit the strongest responses for getting involved with AAUW, especially among the activists and likely members. Young women and likely members also express interest in posting on Twitter or Facebook. Likely members are intensely interested in improving advocacy skills. Majorities of prospective members, women of color, young women, and activists are interested in improving their advocacy skills. Majorities of women of color and young women are also interested in public speaking skills and training to be community leader. Activists are less interested than likely members, perhaps reflecting the feeling they have that they have these skills already.

Non-Member Studies In the focus groups, sharing an organization’s vision and interests is a strong motivator for deciding to become a member. Activists and prospective members alike say that their motivations for joining or supporting organizations derive from a strong interest in the organization’s work, their desire to learn more about an issue, and as a way to engage with other like-minded people – either as a way of sharing knowledge or as a way of being part of a community. A prospective member summed up this sentiment, saying, “the groups I belong [to] I gain some knowledge from it and then hopefully I would share some of my knowledge and I would gain knowledge from others.” “Common passions and things that I am passionate about that others have the same passion for and causes mostly, and again, like interests like the others have said. But it’s usually something that I will feel very passionate about.” - Activist “I was saying if the organization represents what I stand for and my ideas once I investigate it, then absolutely I join, as I have many organizations in that sense, both for animal rights and for women’s rights and politically.” - Activist

From the Field!

Membership Resources Online Database Services –Member Services Database (MSD) –Membership Payment Program (MPP) Online Program Resources –Programs in a Box (PIABs) –AAUW Experience –AAUW blogs, FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest Web site development: SITE Resources –Corresponding websites to –Free for basic service; $120 annually for an AAUW to maintain the site –Contact: or –If you sign up for site resources by next week, you’ll be entered to win a year free maintenance – tell them you are signing up via the California Convention.

Membership Resources Chapter Leaders Playground Member Center on the AAUW website –Membership Matters, MVP Newsletter –AAUW Membership Online Resources & Tools WebinarAAUW Membership Online Resources & Tools Webinar –Annual Starter Kit

Contact AAUW Or Krys Wulff at The “Me” in Membership