Message-ID: <42D58C0ACBDB4BEB8511F75F2C4CDB73@wallingford> From: "Paul Wolter" <pawolter@gmail.com> Subject: Re: membership dues Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 16:39:58 -0500
The best thing we ever did was raise our membership prices AND make
upper level categories. Our basic individual membership is $20 and then
$35 for family and then $50 for friend and up it goes to Benefactor at
$500. We offer no incentives for upper levels (no free mugs, no
gimmicks). People will rarely write you a check with $20 for membership
and $80 for a donation but they will send you a check for a $100 patron
level membership. We do invite all of our $100 and up level members to
our Christmas social and give any one who comes a free calendar but that
is it. We also list everyone in our newsletter under their membership
category. (by the way having a good strong newsletter highlighting good
strong work on the part of your society is also key) We went from around
$3000 in membership dues ten years ago to $25,000 in memberships now.
We have seen a slight fall of this year but nothing too bad. If people
like you they will support you...give them the opportunity to give more.
Also, if you want to look like a $5 membership organization then charge
$5 but if you want to look like a $20 organization then charge $20. What
you do is important and it should be reflected in your membership
prices.
Paul Wolter
Sauk County Historical Society
----- Original Message -----
From: Ruth Haglund
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2011 2:36 PM
Subject: membership dues
We are interested in knowing what your present membership dues are and
if you have more than one class of dues. Do you have a lifetime
membership class?? We are contemplating a proposed increase in dues
with our next budget. Has the downturn in the economy made a difference
in your membership retention or other monetary donations to your
organization?
Thank you for your comments.
Mt.Horeb Area Historical Society
138 E. Main St
Mt. Horeb, WI 53572