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At a glance
What it is
Guide to membership program management including tier design, benefits, onboarding, engagement strategies, renewal campaigns, communications, events, dues structure, and CRM selection.
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SKILL.md
445 lines · 2,566 words
Use this skill when:
The user wants to design or improve a membership program with tiers, benefits, and dues structures
The user needs help with member onboarding, engagement strategies, or renewal campaigns
The user wants guidance on membership communications, events, or CRM selection
Guide to membership program management including tier design, benefits, onboarding, engagement strategies, renewal campaigns, communications, events, dues structure, and CRM selection.
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What it covers
When to Use
Process
Questions to Ask First
Membership Tier Design
Benefits Design
Member Onboarding
Engagement Strategies
Renewal Campaigns
Member Communications
Events for Members
Dues Structure
CRM and AMS Selection
Measuring Membership Program Health
Progression Path
Resources
Output Format
Example
Edge Cases
Each of these library teams gives its bots this skill. Import one and look inside first.
The user is building a professional association, club, or organization with paying members
Do NOT use this skill when:
The user is designing a SaaS subscription product (use subscription-model-designer instead)
The user wants to build an online community without paid membership (use community-organizer instead)
The user needs volunteer management rather than member management (use volunteer-coordinator instead)
Gather requirements. Ask the user clarifying questions about their specific context, goals, constraints, and experience level.
Analyze the situation. Review the information provided and identify key factors, challenges, and opportunities relevant to membership manager.
Develop the framework. Create a structured approach tailored to the user's needs, incorporating best practices and domain-specific considerations.
Deliver actionable output. Present specific, implementable recommendations with clear rationale, timelines, and success criteria.
Address edge cases. Proactively identify potential issues, alternative approaches, and contingency plans.
Use this skill when:
User needs guidance on membership manager
User asks about membership manager best practices or techniques
User wants a structured approach to membership manager
Do NOT use this skill when:
A more specialized skill exists for the specific subtopic
The request is outside the scope of membership manager
Before designing or improving a membership program:
What type of organization are you? (Professional association, advocacy group, museum, community organization, alumni association)
Do you currently have a membership program? How many members?
What does membership mean in your context? (Supporters, voting members, professionals, community participants)
What value does membership provide to individuals?
What value do members provide to your organization? (Dues revenue, volunteer base, advocacy power, legitimacy)
What is your current retention/renewal rate?
What technology do you use to manage membership? (Spreadsheet, CRM, AMS)
What is your membership revenue goal?
Who on staff manages the membership program?
What is your biggest membership challenge? (Recruitment, retention, engagement, value proposition)
Tiered membership captures different levels of engagement and investment. Not everyone values the same things or can contribute equally. Tiers create entry points and upgrade paths.
Basic / Individual ($25-75/year)
Newsletter or email updates
Member directory listing
Voting rights (if applicable)
Membership card/badge
Access to member portal
Discounts on events or merchandise
Standard / Professional ($75-200/year)
Everything in Basic plus:
Full access to resources (library, archives, tools)
Member-only events or programs
Professional development opportunities
Networking directory
One guest pass to events
Premium / Sustaining ($200-500/year)
Everything in Standard plus:
Priority registration for events
Complimentary event tickets
Recognition in annual report
Access to premium content or mentorship
Invitation to leadership events
Patron / Leadership ($500-2,500+/year)
Everything in Premium plus:
Named recognition
Reserved seating at events
Personal contact with leadership
Invitation to exclusive gatherings
Advisory role opportunity
Student: Reduced rate (50-75% discount), proof of enrollment required
Senior / Retired: Reduced rate (25-50% discount)
Family / Household: One membership covering household members
Organizational / Institutional: For companies or agencies (higher price, multiple user access)
Honorary / Lifetime: Awarded for exceptional contribution (no dues)
Introductory / Trial: Reduced first-year rate to lower barrier to entry
Research peer organizations' pricing (what does market support?)
Calculate cost to deliver benefits per member
Consider perceived value vs actual cost
Price entry tier low enough to minimize barrier
Ensure premium tiers deliver disproportionate value
Review and adjust pricing every 2-3 years
Increase incrementally (5-10% at a time) with advance notice and added value
Publications (magazine, journal, newsletter)
Event discounts or complimentary attendance
Professional development (courses, webinars, certifications)
Insurance or affinity programs (professional liability, health, travel)
Job board access
Resource library (templates, toolkits, research)
Merchandise discounts
Partner/vendor discounts
Community belonging and identity
Professional credibility (credentials, affiliations)
Networking and peer connections
Advocacy representation (your voice in policy discussions)
Access to expertise and mentors
Sense of contributing to a cause
Survey current members annually:
Which benefits do you use?
Which benefits are most important to you?
What benefits would you add?
Would you renew without [specific benefit]?
What is the primary reason you are a member?
Use responses to invest in high-value benefits and sunset underused ones.
The first 90 days determine whether a new member engages or becomes a name on a list.
Immediately (Day 0-1):
Automated welcome email with confirmation and login credentials
Thank you from a real person (not just auto-generated)
Welcome kit: Digital or physical packet with key information
Week 1:
Email: How to access top 3 member benefits
Invitation to upcoming event or webinar
Introduction to member portal/community
Week 2-3:
Personal phone call or email from staff or board member
Invitation to complete member profile
Suggestion to join a committee or interest group
Month 1-2:
Check-in: "Are you finding value in your membership?"
Highlight a member success story (social proof)
Invite to connect with other new members (cohort connection)
Month 3:
Survey: First impressions and experience
Invitation to a signature event or program
Introduction to volunteer opportunities
Welcome letter from the president or executive director
Quick-start guide: 5 things to do in your first week as a member
Member directory information
Event calendar highlights
Committee and volunteer opportunity descriptions
FAQ about membership
Contact information for membership support
Advocate / Leader (Champion)
|
Active Volunteer / Committee Member
|
Regular Participant (Events, Programs)
|
Connected Member (Reads emails, uses benefits)
|
New Member (Just joined)
|
Prospective MemberGoal: Move members upward on the ladder over time.
Low engagement (reads emails occasionally):
Personalized content based on interests
Easy entry-point events (free webinars, social gatherings)
"We miss you" re-engagement campaigns
Highlight one specific benefit they have not used
Medium engagement (attends events, uses benefits):
Committee recruitment
Peer networking introductions
Speaking or presentation opportunities
Member spotlight recognition
High engagement (volunteers, advocates, leads):
Board or leadership nomination
Mentorship program (mentor or mentee)
Represent organization externally
Co-create content or programs
Advisory input on strategic decisions
Email open rates and click rates
Event attendance (frequency and recency)
Resource downloads or portal logins
Committee or volunteer participation
Peer-to-peer referrals
Social media engagement
Feedback survey response rates
Start renewal outreach 90 days before expiration:
90 days before: First notice - highlight benefits used, upcoming value, easy renewal link 60 days before: Second notice - personal appeal, testimonial from peer member 30 days before: Third notice - urgency message, "Don't miss out," countdown Expiration day: "Today is the last day" email with one-click renewal 15 days after: "We miss you" - lapsed member appeal with re-engagement offer 30 days after: Final notice - what they will lose, personal outreach if high-value member 60+ days after: Lapsed member survey - why did you not renew?
Auto-renewal option: Set as default with opt-out (highest retention method)
Multiple payment methods: Credit card, ACH, check, PayPal
Easy process: One-click renewal from email, pre-populated forms
Personal touch: Phone calls for lapsed members in premium tiers
Incentives: Early-bird discount, renewal gift, multi-year discount
Board member calls: Personal outreach from leadership for at-risk members
Payment plans: Monthly or quarterly options reduce barrier for annual dues
First-year member retention: 70-75% is strong (most vulnerable period)
Ongoing member retention: 85-90% is strong
Track by: Tier, join source, engagement level, demographic
Weekly/Biweekly: Email newsletter or digest
Monthly: Deeper content piece (article, webinar recap, member spotlight)
Quarterly: Magazine/journal, state of the organization update
Annually: Annual report, membership survey, renewal cycle
Segment lists by interest, tier, engagement level, geography
Personalize (first name, relevant content based on profile)
Mobile-friendly design (60%+ of email opened on mobile)
Clear call to action in every email
Respect frequency preferences (allow members to choose email frequency)
A/B test subject lines and send times
Monitor metrics: Open rate (20-30% is typical for associations), click rate (2-5%)
Email: Primary channel, most trackable
Website/Portal: Self-service hub for benefits and resources
Social media: Community building, awareness, recruitment
Print: Magazine, newsletter (still valued by some demographics)
Text/SMS: Event reminders, urgent updates (use sparingly)
Community platform: Slack, Facebook Group, or branded community (Hivebrite, Mighty Networks)
In-person/virtual events: Deepest engagement
80/20 rule: 80% value content (education, resources, connections), 20% promotional (events, renewal, asks)
Feature members as experts and contributors
Share industry news and analysis
Curate content (not everything needs to be original)
User-generated content: Member stories, tips, case studies
Annual conference: Signature event, major revenue and engagement driver
Professional development: Workshops, certifications, webinars
Networking: Mixers, receptions, dinners, speed networking
Special interest groups: Topic-focused gatherings, affinity groups
Community service: Group volunteer projects, service days
Social events: Holiday parties, summer outings, family events
Regional chapters: Local events for geographically distributed membership
Events are consistently rated as the #1 member benefit in association surveys
In-person events create the strongest emotional connection to the organization
Virtual events extend reach to members who cannot travel
Hybrid events combine the best of both but are expensive to execute well
Some events should be member-exclusive (creates value for membership)
Some events should be open to non-members (recruitment opportunity)
Consider member pricing vs non-member pricing (show the membership value)
Flat rate: Simple, everyone pays the same, easy to communicate
Tiered by level: Different benefits at different prices
Income-based: Common in professional associations (scaled to salary)
Organization-size-based: For institutional members (scaled to budget or staff size)
Dues revenue should cover membership program costs at minimum
Dues should not be sole revenue source (diversify with events, sponsorships, grants)
Calculate: Revenue per member after cost of benefits delivery
Model: What happens to revenue if membership drops 10%? Grows 15%?
Reserve fund: 3-6 months of membership program operating costs
Communicate increase at least 90 days before implementation
Explain the reason (rising costs, added benefits, investment in programs)
Grandfathering: Consider holding current rate for existing members for one cycle
Add tangible new value when increasing dues
Small annual increases (3-5%) are easier than large infrequent jumps
Association Management System (AMS) - Purpose-built for membership organizations:
Member database with profiles and history
Dues billing and online payment processing
Event registration and management
Communication tools (email, newsletter)
Committee and volunteer tracking
Reporting and analytics
Member self-service portal
Directory (searchable, member-managed profiles)
Renewal automation
Small (under 500 members):
Wild Apricot ($60-240/month): Most popular for small associations
MemberClicks: Affordable, user-friendly AMS
Join It: Simple, affordable membership management
Medium (500-5,000 members):
YourMembership: Full-featured AMS
GrowthZone (ChamberMaster): Chambers of commerce and associations
Novi AMS: Modern, well-designed platform
Large (5,000+ members):
Aptify: Enterprise AMS on Microsoft platform
iMIS: Powerful, highly configurable
Fonteva (Salesforce-based): Leverages Salesforce ecosystem
Personify: Comprehensive for large associations
Clean your data before migration (deduplicate, update records)
Plan for 3-6 months implementation timeline
Train all users thoroughly
Start with core features, add complexity over time
Budget for annual subscription, implementation, and training costs
Total membership count (trending over time)
Net member growth (new members minus lapsed members)
Retention rate by year and tier
Average member tenure
Dues revenue (actual vs budget)
Cost per member to deliver benefits
Member satisfaction score (annual survey)
Net Promoter Score (How likely to recommend?)
Engagement index (composite of participation metrics)
Phase 1: Define membership value, design tiers, launch basic program
Phase 2: Implement CRM/AMS, build onboarding sequence, first renewal cycle
Phase 3: Develop engagement strategy, launch member events, segment communications
Phase 4: Analyze metrics, optimize retention, expand benefits based on data
Phase 5: Advanced segmentation, personalized experience, member advisory council
Phase 6: Strategic membership growth plan, benchmark against peers, innovate program model
ASAE (American Society of Association Executives): Membership benchmarking, training, research
Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report: Annual data on association membership trends
Books: "The Art of Membership" by Sheri Jacobs
Books: "Race for Relevance" by Harrison Coerver and Mary Byers
Association Forum: Training and networking for association professionals
Wild Apricot Blog: Practical membership management tips (even if not using their platform)
Deliver the response as a structured document with clear headings and actionable content. Use tables for comparisons, numbered lists for sequential steps, and bullet points for options. Include specific examples where applicable.
[Membership Manager deliverable]
1. Context and objectives
2. Analysis or framework
3. Specific recommendations with rationale
4. Action items with timelineInput: "Help me with membership manager for a mid-size project."
Output: A complete membership manager framework tailored to the specific context, with actionable steps, relevant considerations, and measurable outcomes.
Incomplete information: Ask clarifying questions before proceeding rather than making assumptions
Conflicting requirements: Identify trade-offs explicitly and present options with pros and cons
Scale mismatch: Adapt recommendations to match the user's context (individual vs. team vs. organization)
Domain crossover: When the request overlaps with other skill domains, address what falls within scope and reference specialized skills for the rest
SKILL.md
445 lines · 2,566 words
The text of SKILL.md is shown as it downloads, under the Apache-2.0 license, by Ferrox Labs. The license is the one in the file's own frontmatter.
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