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Strategies for Getting and
Keeping Members
No matter how comprehensive your education programs, most graduates
want to learn even more about such issues as housing, available services
and benefits and current drugs and treatments. With their interest
and motivation at its peak, NAMI education course graduates represent your
affiliate's best new member prospects.
Visitors to family support group meetings represent a second important
source of new members. Your affiliate's ability to manage
relationships with course graduates and family support group visitors
determines your affiliate's quality and growth potential. To
interest prospective members in joining and remaining active in your
affiliate:
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Make
sure all your members are aware of the critical importance of new
member recruiting to your affiliate. Help them understand the
potential of the family educational and support programs to membership
growth.
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Encourage
affiliate members to drop in on education program session.
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Have
membership forms available at all meetings.
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Plan
an educational meeting related to course content soon after a course
ends and invite all graduates to attend.
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Invite
all course graduates to join your affiliate's family support group.
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Invite
all support group visitors to enroll in upcoming courses.
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Plan
social events such as pot luck dinners, picnics, luncheons and awards
dinners throughout the year and invite prospective members to attend.
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Add
visitors' and course graduates' names to the newsletter mailing list.
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Follow
up invitations with telephone calls to remind the prospective member
of the event.
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Arrange
for designated affiliate members to greet visitors and make sure they
feel welcome.
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Pair
established members as partners with new members to be sure they get
the most benefit from their involvement in your affiliate and your
affiliate gets the most benefit from their interests and skills.
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Involve
new members early by personally asking them to complete a specific
task.
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Continue
to provide meaningful opportunities for participation and involvement
for members at all levels.
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Avoid
making general calls for project and program volunteers.
Instead, get to know your members and ask one-on-one for their help
with specific tasks suited to their interests and skills.
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Survey
all affiliate members annually about their needs and interests and set
priorities accordingly.
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Member recruiting and retention require a concerted effort
by all members of your affiliate. In particular, board members,
support group facilitators and course instructors need to work
cooperatively to create and maintain an ongoing recruiting and retention
program for your affiliate.
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Illinois'
Voice on Mental Illness - NAMI Illinois