Nurturing Chapter Growth—A Resource for Chapter Membership Chairpersons
*Developing a Recruitment and Retention Program
*Roles and Responsibilities of the Chapter Membership Chair
*Strategies to Help Your Chapter Recruit and Retain Members
Table of Contents
Introduction
ONS Regions
Roles and Responsibilities of the Chapter Membership Committee
List of Membership Categories
Model for Developing a Member Recruitment and
Retention Program within an ONS Chapter
A Checklist of Strategies to Help your Chapter Recruit
and Retain Members
How ONS Can Help
Introduction
This resource for Chapter Membership Chairpersons has been developed to provide information, ideas and direction to those responsible for recruitment and retention activities. We hope that it is helpful to you in your role as Chapter Membership Chairperson.
If you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact the Membership/Marketing Team by calling the National Office at 412-921-7373. The role of the team is to support chapters in ongoing growth and development.
We wish you good luck in your recruitment efforts and offer our thanks and appreciation for helping both our Chapters and ONS grow.
ONS Membership/Marketing Team
ONS Regions
Northeast Region
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New York
Rhode Island
Vermont
South Central Region
Alabama
Arizona
Louisiana
Mississippi
New Mexico
Texas
Southeast Region
Florida
Georgia
North Carolina
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
Great Lakes Region
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Ohio
Wisconsin
Midwest Region
Arkansas
Colorado
Iowa
Kansas
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Dakota
West Region
Alaska
California
Hawaii
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
Oregon
Utah
Washington
Wyoming
East Central Region
Delaware
District of Columbia
Kentucky
Maryland
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Roles and Responsibilities of the Membership Committee
Membership Committee
a.Purpose
1)Promote initial and renewal membership in the national Oncology Nursing Society and chapter.
2)Assure currency of national Oncology Nursing Society membership as a criterion for membership in the chapter.
b.Composition
1)The Chair of the Membership Committee is elected or appointed by the President and the Board of Directors as described in the Standing Rules for the chapter.
2)The members of the Membership Committee are appointed by the Chair in consultation with the President and the Board of Directors.
3)The President is an ex-officio member of the Membership Committee.
4)The number of members on the Membership Committee is determined by the goals and objectives of the chapter, the committee, and the size of the chapter.
5)The term of the appointment as a Committee Chair or member is determined by the Board of Directors.
6)Appointments to the Membership Committee are renewable annually.
c.Responsibilities of the Membership Committee Chair
1)Select members of the Membership Committee in consultation with the President and the Board of Directors.
2)Establish meeting dates, times, and locations for the Membership Committee.
3)Prepare an agenda for Membership Committee meetings.
4)Preside at all meetings of the Membership Committee.
5)Submit a report on the current membership status and activities of the Membership Committee at all meetings of the Board of Directors and the general chapter membership.
6)Submit a report to the Board of Directors to be included in the chapter Annual Report.
7)Assure that the records of the Membership Committee are maintained according to the procedures established by the national Oncology Nursing Society.
d.Responsibilities of the Membership Committee
1)Participate in strategies to recruit and retain membership in the national Oncology Nursing Society and the chapter.
2)Implement a plan to assure that all members of the chapter are current members of the national Oncology Nursing Society.
3)Maintain a current chapter membership roster that includes, but is not limited to:
i.National Oncology Nursing Society membership number and expiration date
ii.Name
iii.Address
iv.Home telephone number
v.Work telephone number
Operating Guidelines for the Membership Committee
1. Meetings of the committee should be held. Options include: telephone conference calls, meetings.
2. Membership Committee members should be notified of the date, time, and location of the meetings two weeks in advance. Any changes shall be made known to the members as soon as possible.
3. Agenda and minutes should be prepared and distributed to the committee prior to each meeting.
Membership Categories
1. Active Membership – open to registered nurses, nationally and internationally. Allowed to vote.
2. Physically Challenged Membership – open to nurses who qualify for active membership and who receive long-term disability benefits. Allowed to vote.
3. Senior Membership – open to individuals who qualify for active membership and who have reached the age of 62 years. Allowed to vote.
4. Student Membership – open to individuals enrolled full-time in a nursing education program leading to eligibility for licensure as a registered nurse or registered nurses enrolled in a full-time degree program. Not allowed to vote or hold elected office.
5. Associate Membership – open to healthcare professionals who do not meet the qualifications for other categories of membership. Associate members receive full benefits but cannot vote or hold elected office.
Model for Developing a Member Recruitment and Retention Program within an ONS Chapter
Membership recruitment and retention programs are custom built, based on:
• the professional and personal needs of individuals who are eligible for membership within the Chapter;
• the benefits that the Chapter is capable of providing; and
• the mission and resources of both the Chapter and ONS.
STEP 1: Analyze Your Market
Chapter leadership should determine and/or consider:
• The universe of people who are eligible for membership in the Chapter and ONS (i.e., pharmacists, social workers, physicians, LPNs)
• The categories of nurses and other healthcare professionals within that universe of potential members
• Where these potential members are located
• Members' needs
• Members' concerns and issues
• Members expectations of the Chapter
• The financial commitment the members are willing to make
• The time commitment members are willing to make to a Chapter
• Reasons why members decided to join the Chapter and/or ONS
• Who or what influences members' decisions to join the Chapter and/or ONS
• When potential members might be most receptive to recruitment
• Obstacles or barriers to membership in the Chapter and/or ONS
• How potential members can be addressed individually and in groups
STEP 2: Analyze the Competition
Chapter leaders should identify:
• Other organizations that compete for members’ time
• What other organizations offer (e.g., products, services, recognition) that is different from what the member receives from the Chapter and/or ONS
• Other commitments (e.g., school, work, home, children) that keep members from joining the Chapter
• How the Chapter can work around these commitments to meet the needs of its members
STEP 3: Analyze Your Chapter
Chapter leaders should determine:
• The Chapter’s goals
• The Chapter’s effectiveness in fulfilling these goals
• How the Chapter wants to be perceived by members and potential members
• How the Chapter is currently perceived
• The benefits of chapter membership that members value most and least
• Additional membership benefits the chapter could provide
• If the Chapter is fully utilizing its association with ONS
• If Chapter resources (e.g., money, manpower, materials, time, authority) are used to provide the best array of products and services for your members
• If Chapter leaders are committed to serving the interests of the members
• If the chapter is meeting the needs of all its members
STEP 4: Determining Your Recruitment Goals—Be Specific
Chapter leaders should identify:
• What the Chapter has done in the past in reference to recruitment; what has worked, and what has failed
• Which groups you want to recruit as members this year (e.g., hospice, staff nurses, minorities, other healthcare professionals)
• The number of members you want to recruit
• How long the recruitment period will be
STEP 5: Establish Your Strategy for Member Recruitment and Retention
The strategy for recruitment may differ from that of retention. The former is designed to bring new members to the Chapter and the latter is designed to encourage their involvement in the chapter and its activities.
Determine:
• Who will be responsible for recruitment and retention
• Who will be targeted for recruitment
• Who will be targeted for retention
• How you will communicate the benefits of membership to each group
• What the role of officers and other leaders will be in recruitment/retention programs
• How non-competing organizations can help you recruit (e.g., hospitals, schools)
• The economic benefit to the Chapter for each new member gained
• A responsible average expenditure per new member recruited
• The economic merits of pursuing former members
• The budget for recruitment and retention
• How the effectiveness of recruitment and retention activities will be measured
STEP 6: Develop Tactics for Member Recruitment and Retention
Tactics are the specific programs and activities that accomplish the recruitment and retention strategies. The range of possible tactics is broad—typically including such things as a recruitment brochure, personalized letters, advertisements, exhibits, reduced dues, introductory copies of your newsletter, and a recruitment slogan and logo. No matter how typical or unusual the tactics, each should communicate one or more benefits of membership, such as:
• Prestige - intangibles such as special stature bestowed on Chapter members
• Recognition - awards, fellowships
• Information - newsletter, conferences, telecommunications
• Advancement - training courses, seminars, workshops, home study, job placement services
• Representation - at national level
• Professional Resources - surveys, lending libraries, research, guides, directories
• Networking - social events, Chapter meetings, resources
• Leadership opportunities - serving on committees, holding office
STEP 7: Evaluate the Results
Determine:
• When the results will be evaluated
• Who will receive the evaluations
• How and when the recruitment or retention programs will be modified to make the best use of the results
A Checklist of Strategies to Help Your Chapter Recruit and Retain Members
Recruitment Ideas
• Sponsor a “Member-Bring-A-Member” campaign on the local level
• Encourage members to bring a guest
• Reward members who recruit new members or guests
• Plan follow-up contacts with guests and non-renewing members in a timely manner
• Welcome new members/guests at the door
• Encourage faculty to attend
• Develop and distribute a local membership directory
• Get people involved (an involved member stays with you)
• Develop a “point” system to reward involvement in chapter activities
• Give nurse managers a supply of national and local brochures
• Recruit two new members, get one membership free
• Provide self-addressed stamped envelopes for membership renewals
• Offer a free guest or hospital night
• Target subset of oncology nurses (e.g., student nurses, home care nurses)
• Use nametags at meetings
• Videotape a meeting and show it at different institutions
• Bring lunch and membership information to institutions
• Invite head nurses to a dinner meeting to provide ONS information
• Target your audience - Nurses that care for patients with cancer; rather than “oncology nurses”
• Distribute a needs assessment or satisfaction survey
• Offer CEs for your meetings
• Maintain a central location or rotate meeting sites
• Develop car pooling systems
• Offer all-day conferences
• Offer certification review courses or host a test site
• Provide food (dinner or reservations)
• Offer a dinner/cruise along a river
• Host a picnic
• Offer a weekend retreat for meetings
• Develop your newsletter to increase your visibility and as a perk to members
• Advertise in community bulletins or newspapers
• Award door prizes at your meetings
• Sponsor raffles at meetings (large or small)
• Have fun! Socialize! (All work and no play...)
• Use corporate and community connections when appropriate
• Identify chapter representatives in local agencies/institutions to publicize events
• Appoint hospital liaisons to hang flyers, solicit news items
• Display a chapter poster at every institution
• Send flyers to educational units, home care agencies, infusion companies, etc.
• Sponsor a products fair and invite potential members.
• Design a program specifically aimed at student oncology-related concerns
• Promote your Chapter - establish a Public Relations Committee
• Advertise meetings on local TV or in local newspapers
• Encourage programming with chapters of other organizations (e.g., AACN, NITA)
• Offer programs that meet the needs of the multidisciplinary team.
Retention Ideas
• Establish an awards program to recognize the members of your Chapter
• Develop a brochure that outlines all the benefits of membership in your chapter. Be sure to include it with dues renewal notices
• List the benefits of membership at least once a year in your newsletter
• Conduct attrition research annually to determine why people leave
• Ensure that members can buy products or attend meetings at a less expensive rate than non-members
• Set growth goals and tell your membership about it and how they can help
• Involve all officers in recruitment and retention
• Conduct a phone-a-thon recruitment/retention drive
• Develop a warm renewal letter to accompany your renewal notices
• Be sure to keep accurate, organized membership records
• Recognize membership anniversaries – (e.g., 5-year members, 10-year members)
Ideas for New Members
• Establish a buddy program for the first several meetings the new member attends
• Establish a buddy program for first-time Congress attendees
• Host an annual reception for new members
• Call or send a postcard to new members after six months asking “How’s-it-going?”
• Share information about what to expect at Congress with new members
• Issue a membership card or certificate
• Develop a new member kit about your chapter
• Think about developing a new member newsletter or flyer geared to introduce your Chapter to them
• Offer a new member orientation program annually
• Recognize new members at meetings
• Issue the new member a ribbon for their name tags so veteran members can help welcome them
• Develop a new member survey to determine their needs and expectations
• Establish a welcoming committee
• Send a welcoming letter after you receive their dues
Resources Available from ONS National...
The ONS National Office has a variety of resources available to you. They include:
• Chapter Membership Brochure - a chapter membership brochure model that can be used or adapted for your chapter. FREE
• ONS Membership Brochure - an introduction to the national organization. Includes mission statement, benefits and a membership application. FREE
• ONS Publications Catalogue - describes each of the publications and products available from ONS and the Foundation. FREE
• ONS Membership Display - a three-paneled tabletop display. The display can be used at chapter meetings and events. ONS requests a $25 deposit on the display which is refunded once the display is returned. The chapter assumes the return mailing cost of the display.
• Establishing a Presence in the Community—A Public Relations Manual for Chapters - assists a chapter in public relations efforts. FREE
•Chapter Logo Development - assistance in developing a logo for your chapter. FREE
•Information Packets - includes “The Forerunner” newsletter, membership application, publications catalogue, and either Congress or Institutes of Learning flyers. FREE
Oncology Nursing Society
501 Holiday Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15220-2749
412-921-7373 extension 223
412-921-2071 (fax)
(e-mail)
(website)