In the last six months, I’ve joined five associations. All five associations sent me the customary new member welcome email, and all five welcome emails began with various versions of this:
“Volunteer!”
“Join a committee!”
“Attend this webinar! Registration is only $135!”
This was the very first message I received after I’d trusted these associations enough to lay my money down, and the message was, “Give us more. Give us your time. Give us your labor. And yes, give us more money.” After the third time this repeated, it made me so frustrated that I shouted at my laptop screen, “I’m not your employee!” That’s the moment when the problem snapped into focus.
These associations were talking to me as if I’m their resource, rather than their customer. But the main reason I joined wasn’t to staff and fund their operations. I joined because I believed they could help me get the life I want from the work I do, and their industry expertise could help me do it better and faster than I could on my own. While it’s true that myself and many other members find value in volunteering and purchasing non-dues products, that’s not what we want most from our membership.
While most members have several reasons for joining an association, the bottom line on their motivations is this: members join to get more than they give. Also, members join to get, even if they don’t give. There’s nothing wrong with that, because members are not our resources. They are our customers. This thinking accepts the fact that the era of compulsory membership has passed. Members will not join and renew simply because our associations exist, which means that, “We can’t exist without you,” is no longer a viable membership strategy.
Our misunderstanding of members’ core motivations goes far beyond the welcome email. It shapes all aspects of the member experience, and is a primary factor in the membership crisis that our industry is facing today. What makes it a particularly pesky problem is that tweaking our strategy, communications, and programs won’t get it solved because it’s not a tactical issue. It’s a matter of perspective, and the path forward is lit by a fundamental shift in our concept of what a member is for.
The thinking that is putting our industry in danger says, “Members need to engage with our programs, products, and people so that they are less likely to leave.” The thinking that will ensure our future says, “Once members are so deeply delighted by getting what made them want to join in the first place, they will be far more likely to engage more deeply and renew their membership.”
Do you see the differences? One thinks a member’s primary purpose is to nurture the association. The other thinks associations thrive when they put their greatest efforts into nurturing their members. Now, the truth is that both sides often get nurtured at the same time. Rather than unfolding as a rigid series of one-sided steps, the give and get weave together like a dance and serve the member and the association simultaneously. However, if serving the association is required in order for a member to get what they joined to get, that’s not membership. That’s employment. Even worse, it’s a job that you pay to have.
This article is the first in a short series exploring the vital perspective shifts we must make to ensure that the association industry survives past the year 2035, particularly as generational factors in the workforce are making it harder to bring in young members. Next time, we’ll dig into the details of what members want most from their associations and how we can align our value props and offerings to it. Until then, we can chew on this:
Today’s members choose to join once they believe that we have the expertise and experience to help them navigate the professions we represent. They join so that we will help them get what they can’t get without us. Delivering on that is how we earn their trust, their business, and their money.
With genuine humility and a heart of service, we ask them what we can help them accomplish, and once we have, we don’t say, “Now here’s what you can do for us.” No. That’s the membership of yesterday. Today’s membership says, “We’re thrilled we have helped you succeed. What can we do for you next?”
At Holmes Corporation, we think Phil couldn’t have said it any better. And we often see our own association partners facing the same challenges to ensure they are providing experiences to help their members and professionals in their industries get the life they want from the work they do. If you’re thinking through how to provide the best possible value to your members, let’s talk.
P.S. If you’re interested in hearing more from Phil, you’re in luck! This is the first in a series of articles on the HC blog, and he will also be taking the stage as the Keynote Speaker at the upcoming PAR RevUP Summit in National Harbor, MD November 3 – 5, 2026. Interested in learning more or registering for the summit to hear Phil speak? Check it out here.
