LWV Membership & Leadership Development (MLD) Program: Membership Outreach

1. LWV Membership & Leadership Development (MLD) Program: Membership Outreach

2. What if your League had MORE members?

3. Where are they? How do we get them?

4. Best Practices for Membership 3 Types of Outreach Media Allied Direct

5. How are we most efficient?

8. Back to the question… How are we most efficient – and effective – in our outreach efforts? • We need to decide who we are trying to talk to. • We need to know what they care about. • We need to talk about it a lot.

9. No general public JOIN VOTE

10. Caution! Are modifications needed? If so, is your League ready?

11. GROW ME: G = Goal What do we want to accomplish? • Be clear, be specific. For example: • What specifically do you want to accomplish? • By when do you want to have this done? • What will be different as a result of working on this? • How will you know when you’ve achieved it?

12. Membership Goal Who will your League target? What do you want to achieve? What will success look like? Our membership goal is to target the young professional women in our community. We will get and engage 5 new members in the next 9 months.

13. How do we reach new members? 3 Types of Outreach Media Allied Direct Direct Outreach

14. Direct Outreach: the ASK Direct Outreach = asking people to join • One-on-one • Addressing a group Making the ASK • A – Always be ready! • S – Show your enthusiasm! • K – Know what matters! Opportunities are everywhere!

15. Be heard! 3 Principles to keep in mind in all our efforts: • Say it consistently • Say it constantly • Speak toyour audience

16. Direct Outreach: Use Your Personal Story Personal Stories are Important • Use your story to ASK individuals to join the League • Use our stories to make League membership tangible and exciting! • Leave a lasting impression

17. Outreach: How do we reach new members? 3 Types of Outreach Media Allied Direct Allied Outreach

18. An allied organization. . . • Is an organization or group in your community that works on issues and activities that are similar to or related to those of the League. • Can offer opportunities for local Leagues to reach potential new members.

19. Plus… JOINERS

20. The Key is to Build Relationships • Be Persistent… Always look for opportunities to partner • Be Specific… Identify concrete ways to partner (and know what’s in it for them) • Be Strategic… Prioritize opportunities and partners

21. Be Strategic • What specific opportunities exist to talk about the value of League membership esp to your target audience? • What are the benefits of cosponsoring an event with this organization in terms of our priorities and/or focus? • How many members does the organization have that League might reach?

22. Outreach: How do we reach new members? 3 Types of Outreach Media Allied Direct Media Outreach

23. How to be a resource… What Reporters NeedWhat LWV Offers • Information • Access • Context • Personal stories • Contacts • Credibility • Information • Access • Context • Personal stories • Contacts • Credibility

24. Messaging

25. Pitch – a hook to grab them • What is new or unique? • Is there a link to a current event happening? • What unlikely spokespeople might present? • Are there good local and/or human interest angles?

26. Making it Mediagenic What is Mediagenic? • Helps the media make the issue/activity something they can use • Vivid or Visual • Tells a SIMPLE story • Easily remembered • Becomes the “Quotable Quote” • 1-2 (short) sentences • 3-5 seconds to say (shorter is better)

27. Promote us… Points to stess - • We are real people: volunteers, local community leaders. • Our work has an impact. • We educate and inform. • We provide facts. • We don’t endorse candidates; we aren’t affiliated with political parties.* • We have a history of achievement. • We work to get candidates to participate.

28. Where do we share our message? Traditional Media: Social Media: Blogs Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn • Print (daily & weekly newspapers, magazines, etc.) • Radio • Television • Blogs

29. The Key is Building Relationships Pick a few key outlets & foster those relationships – rather than do them ALL Always include alternative media outlets. . . especially if your League is in lots of competition for airtime.

30. Social media is a tool – it is not a silver bullet • Good product/Compelling cause • Integrate into your comms streams Not all social media channels are right for every League • Pick and choose • Quality over Quantity

31. It is NOT the Field of Dreams….

32. What’s the “It”? What are we adding our outreach efforts to? What is the “it” that will get individuals to participate and to join?

33. Program! What does a good League program have?

34. GOOD PROGRAMS… • Look OUT, not in • Attract new (non-League) people! • Give our neighbors something that they want • Have show-and-tell (photos! Media!) • Get people talking & coming back • Make volunteers happy and energized

35. GOOD PROGRAMS ALSO… • Include diverse partners • Require (some) resources. You get what you pay for. • Have some show and tell (Media! Photos! New friends!) • Give attendees a next step (email sign-up, volunteering) • Get people talking to friends & family • Help reinforce League priorities at all 3 levels • Include evaluation– how do we improve for next time? …And they make League members feel great! A happy volunteer is a future leader

36. Example: Rockford, IL League • The Ingredients • Hardworking, positive team • Good partners in schools • A legislative “hook” • Small LWVEF grant • The Results • 300+ voters registered in 11 schools • Local media stories about the League • LWVUS Blog featuring their work • Award ceremony at local college - LWV volunteer registrars honored

37. Opportunity: Election 2014 • Guidance on National Voter Registration Day • State-specific opportunities How do we look at “traditional” League work with new eyes?