Making Goal

Making Goal – the time to Act is NOW!

This is the time of year when December 31st is looming large! Revenue goals are a measure of our membership and fundraising success – at least internally. How close are you to your goal for the year?
If your numbers look good, then you can just coast through to the end of the year – no worries. BUT! If you are questioning how or if you are going to meet your program’s goals for the year, then it is time to pull a few tricks out of the playbook and get busy! Here are a few ideas and ways to boost numbers and revenues:
- Do a membership upgrade campaign. This effort, done by mail, but with possible support via email or phone, just asks for members to consider upgrading their membership. They have to go up one full level (paying the full amount now) and then get rewarded with an additional 12 months of membership with benefits at the higher level for the full amount of time. Reward behavior with a special offer – tickets, guest passes or a premium – or more of those goodies if the jump up more than one level. This can be done as a free standing effort or combined with a dues increase announcement if one is coming in 2013.

For one client last year, we performed this type of campaign and the $40,000+ that it raised got them within inches of their goal! But if they hadn’t done it……?

- Do a Lapsed Member Campaign. Round up all the 2012 non-renewers and ask them to get back on board! Many times an end-of-year reminder is very lucrative because it helps the members get their gift in under the tax wire in time for a deduction. For some members this feels like their end of year gift. Some members have simply just forgotten and welcome a friendly reminder. This is most productive if done by mail with a couple email reminders.

- Its gift giving season! Make sure you have a nicely packaged “Give a Membership as a Gift” campaign. With holiday graphics and special pricing on multiple membership purchases, put this offer out via email and on-site signage, especially at the gift shop. Have holiday fulfillment packages pre-packaged – maybe even in a wrapped box – for easy and attractive gift presentation. You may feel like the membership office has turned into a fulfillment house but if it pays off from a happy member/customer perspective, go with the flow!

- Finally, some membership managers are also in charge of the annual fund campaign. If so, add something new to your already tried and true approach – an email appeal with video, an additional mailing right before the end of the calendar year, reminders on your Facebook page, especially if you are a zoo and can remind people they are helping to provide for the food and caring for their favorite animal. Pick an animal, find out his food budget for the year, and do a little crowdsource fundraising by putting that goal out there and ask people to put their pennies in the pot!

Set your sites on your year-end goal and then celebrate the day that you cross the finish line!