1. Good morning and thank you for joining me today!
Membership

2. Do you know what fellow members across our federation have identified as one of the most important issues facing Soroptimist? Membership. After all, it’s the membership that is out there working on the mission. It’s the members who are helping women and girls to live their dreams.

3. – +
Every year, about 4,000 women join Soroptimist. Where are they coming from? Mainly they join us because of the work and strategies of clubs. Recruitment is happening at the local level.
While 4,000 women is an impressive number, it’s not enough. Why? Because historically, we lose more members than we gain. For every 6 who join, we lose 9.
This needs to change – and we can do it! Membership is an experience. It’s important to provide a meaningful experience to our members. The membership experience Soroptimist provides is helping to empower women and girls to live their dreams.
On average, one club helps 15 women and girls. With more members, imagine how many more women and girls could be helped! 

4. Despite tremendous strides, women still do not enjoy equal economic or social status with their male counterparts. As an organization of and for women, we are uniquely qualified to tackle the challenges facing today's women and girls.
But we need more members to do this.

5. To assist clubs, the federation kicked off a member recruitment campaign called All Aboard the memberSHIP in September. Designed to support Soroptimist clubs in recruiting new members, the campaign will increase our ranks to further our mission of improving the lives of women and girls.

6. November September October 2015 2015 2015 February December January
Because this is a new initiative, the campaign is running from September 1, 2015 through May 31, At the end of the campaign, the top-performing region and the top five clubs in the federation will be recognized and announced at the 44th Biennial Convention in Orlando, Florida in July 2016.
February
2016
December
2015
January
2016
March
2016
April
2016
May
2016

7. So … you are asking yourself: how is our region going bring in more members? Because members are the ones who recruit members into their clubs, it’s important that we have the right tools and information to help us succeed. The good news is, the federation has put together a special website with a number of resources so clubs and members can do just that!

8.
Let’s look at what campaign materials are available to help us turn our ship around. If you haven't accessed them yet, they are all centrally located on the web at
Or you can type in “All Aboard the Membership” in the SIA website search box on the SIA homepage.
There is an introductory page which leads to five key areas.

9. Target Market Information
Baby Boomers Ages
51-69
First, there is the Target Market Information. These resources are dedicated to recruiting and engaging women based on their generational attributes. The generational target markets are broken down into Baby Boomers (ages 51-69); Generation X (ages 34-50); and Millennials (ages 15-33).
Remind members that each generation has an expectation of their experience that needs to be exceeded.
There is a lot of research out there on these age groups which is why we are using their nicknames, but the ages are noted so if you prefer, you can always use the age ranges as a guide. For example, if you want to target women in their 40s, then you would simply refer to the Generation X materials.
Another key group to recruit are those already in your circle – Family and Friends.
Prospective members and current members repeatedly tell us they heard about Soroptimist or joined because of someone they know. And that someone they know ASKED them to join.
The target groups have a profile so you can get to know that group a little better; a listing of notable world events that shaped their perspectives along with several prominent women in that group; and how to communicate and market Soroptimist to each of these groups.
Gen X
Ages
34-50
Millennials Ages
15-33
Family
&
Friends
Generational Profile
Notable Events & Prominent Women
Communicating & Marketing Soroptimist

10. Target Market Information
Baby Boomers Ages
51-69
This last piece is loaded with tips and suggestions clubs can use to market themselves and attract new members. For example:
Baby Boomers like to be coaches and mentors. Sharing their life experiences makes them an asset to your club. Coordinating a Dream It Be It program, for instance, is an excellent way to engage both current and potential Baby Boomer members.
Generation X will like social events like wine tastings for example. They will not respond as well to something called a “recruitment” event because it doesn’t sound fun—it sounds like a sales pitch. They want to get something back from their investment, be it the actual cost or the value of their time.
Millennials have just begun, or are about to begin, the chaotic stage of starting young families. They expect convenience and customization. They’ve been given more choices and access than any other generation, so they have never had to settle for what they deem inadequate, irrelevant or anything that makes them unhappy—and they aren't going to start now.
And finally, family and friends trust you and may just need to be asked to join! Because we are bombarded with information and advertisements from the moment we wake until it’s time for bed, we tend to tune out and ignore most of these plays for our attention. But when someone we know, trust, and respect gives a positive review or recommendation, we generally pay attention and listen.
Gen X
Ages
34-50
Millennials Ages
15-33
Family
&
Friends

11. GI & Mature Generations
While we are talking about generations, we also want to honor two other generations that are part of the Soroptimist profile.
These are the GI Generation (sometimes called the Greatest Generation) and the Mature Generation. The GI Generation were born and the Matures were born They represent members who are in their early 70s to those who are 100 plus!
Some of these members were just being born around the time Soroptimist was founded and were growing up right along with our organization. They have paved the way and continue to help further our mission.
They are also potential prospects! One of the most distinctive qualities of women in these generations is their concern for the plight of others. They value responsibility, tend to be team players, plus they are no strangers to hard work and sacrifice.   
Take for example Lee Meyer of SI/Grosse Pointe, MI who celebrated her 100th birthday in Her club celebrated with her and fellow member Amanda Duda noted:
“Everybody loves Lee. She has been a leader in the club. She was the person (behind) our most successful fundraiser. She’s a special member that truly cared about Soroptimist and gave a lot of herself to the organization.”
Remember, having a variety of generations in Soroptimist clubs enables us to be more inclusive and fosters diversity. All generations have the ability to support Soroptimist’s mission of improving the lives of women and girls!
Lee Meyer of SI/Grosse Pointe and Roseanne Horne, club president, look over birthday cards from other clubs.
(Photo by Deb Jacques, C & G Newspapers)

12. Promo Materials & Customizable Templates
Brochure
The second key area on the website is the Promotional Materials & Customizable Templates. Look no further for professionally designed promotional materials such as several advertisements, flyers, recruitment cards, and a club brochure. Each is customizable so you can personalize them with your own club’s information.
You can simply save them to your own computer, add your club’s contact information, save again, and voila! You can it or print it for distribution around your community ! Don't worry if that sounds complex. If you need help you can contact the federation office and they will be happy to assist.
Also in this section you’ll find public service announcements, a press release and a link to our beautiful promotional video.
Ads
Business
card sized
handouts

13. Other Recruitment Resources
There is also an area for Other Recruitment Resources. Existing resources have been re-vamped such as videos and scripts, articles, recruitment tips, member benefits, and much more so that your club will have everything you need for a successful year of recruitment and engaging members in meaningful service!
Member Benefits
Testimonials
Videos & Scripts
Tips & Articles
New Club Building Kit

14. Preparing for New Members & Healthy Club Resources
Next is the Preparing for New Members & Healthy Club Resources area. Retention starts on a member’s first day! Materials here will help you welcome and orient new members and build a team atmosphere in your club. We want to welcome new members and provide them with a meaningful experience.
Plus, there are also resources to assist you and your club with facing the “tough stuff” such as breaking old habits, and dealing with conflict in your club.
Welcoming & Orientations
Team Building
Change
Civility
Club Roadmap for Success

15. Clubs & Regions Campaign Progress
The fifth section is dedicated to Clubs & Regions Campaign Progress. The top 20 clubs and region rankings will be posted and updated on a monthly basis, so be sure to check the campaign progress section regularly to see what a great job everyone is doing!
Monthly Postings
Top 20 Clubs
Region Rankings

16.
And there you have it! We can use these campaign resources and apply the tips and suggestions to welcome new members, promote teamwork in our clubs, and raise awareness of Soroptimist in the community.
Also, we are free to use other ideas and approaches to welcome members in our region! The goal is to gain more members and the campaign doesn’t require us to use every item listed on the campaign webpage. We can use the campaign materials, try something completely new, or continue with a tried and true event that has proven to be successful in recruiting new members!

17. FROM: SIA Headquarters RE: Membership Recruitment Tips & Resources!
By a show of hands, how many club presidents do we have in the room? Have you noticed you are getting more frequent s from headquarters with recruitment tips and materials? If you haven't been, you must provide headquarters with your right away! Please let them know so you can receive all the latest information to help us bring in more members.
Also, I'll be periodically checking in with the top clubs in our region and the ones that seem to be struggling. Region Membership Chairs from across the federation will be connecting with clubs to discover what is working and to offer advice to those clubs having recruitment challenges.
TO: Club President
FROM: SIA Headquarters
RE: Membership Recruitment Tips & Resources!

18. Again, by show of hands, how many in the room follow SIA’s Facebook page? Have you noticed more recruitment-related postings? There's a new post every week with tips and information. Plus there is a monthly contest too! If you like, share, or comment on the All Aboard the MemberSHIP posts, you can be entered for a chance to receive store credit to the SIA or LYD.org stores!

19. Here's something to look forward to
Here's something to look forward to. I hear the federation will be providing a special gift to the top club in our region around conference time. I wonder what it could be? Here’s a hint: report your club’s new members to SIA as soon as possible! If you are the top club in our region perhaps you will share it with us at conference!

20. Clubs & Regions Campaign Progress
$500 USD to the TOP 5 CLUBS honor LYDA Recipients
Finally, I want to take a minute to jump back to that Clubs & Regions Campaign Progress section of the website. Earlier I mentioned the top clubs and region will be recognized at Convention next year. However, there is something more to motivate us as we row our boat!
The winners will also receive cash awards to be used toward our signature Dream Programs at the region or club level! The top 5 clubs in the federation will receive $500 USD to be used for their Live Your Dream Award recipients and $1,000 USD will be given to the top region which may be used to honor an additional Live Your Dream Award region recipient or to support the Dream It Be It activities of clubs in their region!
$1,000 USD to TOP REGION for LYDA Recipient or to support DIBI

21. What do you think. Do you want our region to be number one
What do you think? Do you want our region to be number one? Wouldn't it be great if one of the clubs in our region made it to the top? I think so! It would be awesome!
Let's all work together this year to recruit more members who are committed to working on our mission that will help increase our collective impact. As an organization of and for women, we know there is more we can do to improve the lives of women girls!

22. I'm excited about this campaign and I hope you are too
I'm excited about this campaign and I hope you are too! Its designed to shape our future and to help ensure Soroptimists’ legacy!
Let’s see how far we can sail together!
Does anyone have any questions?