Membership Action Plan

INTRODUCTION

The following Membership Action Plan was developed by a chapter and is provided for your use. This Plan was prepared by a three-person committee—chapter membership chair, chapter president, and the past president. A draft plan was reviewed and refined by the Chapter Executive Board. Then it was presented to chapter members for additions and revisions before approval at a chapter meeting.

The plan that your chapter develops can vary from this example depending upon the resources and opportunities available; a Chapter Membership Committee can more effectively work this plan. Simplicity may be the preferred choice, but any plan ought to have as much information as needed to guide participants toward completion. Yet, it should enable a member to determine if another task could be addressed while waiting for an earlier task to be completed. The target dates are suggested only. Some action items are completed through group or individual assignments.

MEMBERSHIP ACTION PLAN

GOALS – Develop a Chapter Membership Plan to assist in achieving the following objectives:

1. Recruit new members

2. Retain current members

3. Increase meeting attendance

4. Involve maximum number of members in achieving specific actions listed in the plan

5. Maintain a record of each action, prepare a budget, and account for expenses

6. Prepare status reports for meetings and newsletters

OUTLINE OF THE PLAN                              ACTION BY               TARGET DATE

1. RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS                      Chair and area callers   Month #1

A. Make a list of federal agencies or services and contact them

(See your local telephone book for ideas)

-           US Dept of ——-

-           US Dept of———

-           US Postal Service

-           DOD

-           Others

B. Distribute NARFE posters,                          Area callers                  Month #2

recruiting literature and other information

(Personalize a NARFE Poster by using the logo which can be downloaded from the National Web Site)

-           Federal agencies

(Contact local agencies and meet with Human Resources Director to ask if NARFE would be allowed to distribute literature to potential retirees; participate in health fairs, etc.)

-           Libraries

(Ask if you can have a display of NARFE materials and leave forms for potential member interest.)

-           Markets

(Ask if you can post NARFE information.)

-            Post offices

(Since we are members of the CA Postal Employees Coalition, ask if we can distribute NARFE literature/magazines in the break rooms.)

-           Senior centers

(Ask if NARFE literature can be displayed.)

-           Fairs

(Participate in county fair, by asking for matching funds from National and manning a booth offering a “free” NARFE membership.)

 C. Increase publicity                                         Member #1                 Month #3

(If you can’t get publicity in your local paper – invite the local newspaper editor to visit and speak

to your chapter and while there, ask him HOW to get your information into the paper)

-                     Newspaper ads, articles,

(Ads are expensive and not always effective, however, articles about NARFE chapter involvement in community events such as Alzheimer’s Respite Care, Memory Walk, Food Drives, Scholarship Programs, etc.)

            letters to the editor,

(Cite the basic NARFE goals, specify that we are working legislatively on Government Pension Offset, Windfall Elimination and Premium Conversion in follow letters, including Point of Contact and phone number. Make the letters short, but make them a series of letters.  Most importantly, these letters are free! )

            notices of meetings

(Community calendar is generally free – post your meeting date, location, speaker and point of contact.)

-           Local radio

(A radio script is available from NARFE Public Relations Department.)

-           Public television

(A video tape is available for public television stations from NARFE Public Relations Department.)

-           Public Service Announcements

-           Telephone directories

(Some Senior Centers offer a directory of services available to Seniors – the NARFE Service Officer is a most valuable service as the “Personnel Officer for retirees.)

-           Join Chamber of Commerce or

            other local groups

(Being identified as a viable association affiliated with community events,  provides good name recognition.)

 D. Make personal contacts                               All members                Month #4

-           Talk to neighbors, friends,                    Ongoing

-           Families, senior organizations

(Don’t forget to include former co workers at retirement parties and get-together luncheon/picnics; identify that NARFE is the ONLY organization who works to protect earned benefits – and there is strength in numbers.)

E. Incentives                                                     Executive Board          Month #4

-           Rebates                                               Ongoing

(For Current Federal Employees, you receive an $8 recruitment rebate for every member you sign up prior to December 31, 2005.)

-           Cash awards for top recruiter

(The Federation is offering a $75 award for every member who recruits 10 members or more, before March 31, 2006.  For every member who recruits 2 new members, they will receive a “Super Recruiter Pin”.)

-           Multi-year for current employees

-           Gift memberships

(NARFE membership makes a great retirement present, or Holiday present to your letter carrier, son, daughter, neighbor, etc.)

F. Make phone calls                                         Member #2                 When recruited

-           Develop caller outline

-           Assign portion of calls to

            committee members