Original Research on Associations and Membership Groups Released in Wild Apricot's 2014 Small Membership Survey Report

News provided by

Wild Apricot

Jul 28, 2014, 05:00 ET


Toronto, ON (PRWEB) July 28, 2014 -- Toronto-based, software company Wild Apricot has released its second annual Small Membership Survey Report which offers insight into small associations, clubs, and non-profits.

The report is based on the insight provided by 487 survey participants representing organizations with, generally, fewer than 500 members and operating with budgets of under $500,000. Survey findings provide a snapshot of the characteristics and current state of small membership organizations, including information on member growth, retention, and starting an association, as well as leadership and membership models. The report also offers an overview of these small membership organizations’ financial outlook (membership fees, critical sources of revenue), as well as offering benchmarking and best practices insight.

Dmitry Buterin, Wild Apricot’s Chief Apricot noted: “We launched the survey just over two years ago to provide insight into the world of small associations, clubs, and non-profits. We realized that the staff of these small organizations often work in isolation, without the ability to share information, best practices, and challenges with their peers as many of the larger, more established associations do. So our survey report offers an opportunity to benchmark against other similar organizations in terms of budgets, membership recruitment, and retention strategies and more. It also offers a forum for small membership organizations to share common questions and concerns.”

Here are some of the highlights of key findings from the 2014 Small Membership Survey:

  • These groups are often led solely by volunteers or a small staff of one or two employees. More than 50% of the survey participants reported that volunteers are responsible for the day-to-day management of their organization.
  • While resource-challenged and reliant on membership fees (representing over 90% of their revenue), close to 60% of these organizations were able to grow their membership while retaining more than 80% of their existing members in 2014.
  • The top priorities were identified as: 1) increasing membership, 2) increasing member engagement, and 3) demonstrating member value.
  • Key challenges include struggling to entice younger members (AKA Millennials) to get involved and helping their boards and membership to embrace digital technologies.

The full 2014 Small Membership Survey Report can be downloaded here: http://www.wildapricot.com/membership-insight-survey

About Wild Apricot:

Wild Apricot offers association management software to help small associations, non-profits, and clubs build websites, connect with supporters, grow and manage their membership and more.

Contact:
Shiv Narayanan
Marketing Project Manager
WildApricot.com
email: shiv(at)wildapricot(dot)com
(416) 410-4059 ext 305

Shiv Narayanan, Wild Apricot, http://WildApricot.com, +1 4169517115, [email protected]