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Recruit Retain Refresh

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Are you fishing for new members but you're not getting any bites?  Do you see potential new members but they are not seeing you? Are your members slowly leaping out of your boat?  Here are a few tips to help you become "fishers of garden club members".

Do potential new members know your garden club exists?
  1. Advertise your events in the newspaper, community blogs,community calendars. â€‹
  2. Have your garden club sign at your project sites and events, at nurseries and other stores or have a booth at Home and Garden Shows.​
  3. Develop a website.  â€‹
  4. Develop a Membership Kit to take to Plant Sales,  Flower Shows, Garden Walks and other events.  Include Club Brochures, Business cards, Information Sheets Membership Applications, Newsletters.  Contact information on all items such as name, email and phone number.​
  5. Develop a membership brochure and have them at stores and events for people to pick up.​
  6. Have information in you city's "Welcome Wagon".​
  7. Speak about your club and up coming events on radio, television and post on social media.​
  8. Leave a membership kit with Realtors for new residents in town.​
  9. Develop bright Club Tee Shirts to with your club logo.  Be a walking billboard.​
  10. Promote your club during National Garden Clubs, Inc. Garden Week by having a display at your local library.​
  11. Ask Business/Banks to put publicity on their electronic billboards.​
  12. Choose "Gardens or Landscapes of the Month" of residences and businesses and invite owners to join.
Do ask people to join your garden club.
  1. Asking a person to join is still the best way to obtain a newmember.​
  2. Hold a tea, dessert reception for potential new members and ask them to join.  Discount the membership dues if they join at the event.​
  3. Ask each club member to bring a friend for a Club Fun Day with special food, speaker, artistic crafts or other fun activities.  Don't forget to ask the friend to join.
  4. ​At events, give a prize of a garden club membership for a limited time.
Do make your new members and old members feel welcomed and needed.​
  1. Have the telephone committee keep in touch with new members and old members who have missed meetings
  2. Give a small welcoming gift to the new member like daffodil bulbs
  3. Introduce them to the membership at least three meetings so everyone can get to know them
  4. Give the new member a yearbook so they will have information on the club
  5. Members should wear name badges.  Permanent ones are the best.  This way no one will forget members' names
  6. Have the new member fill out a brief survey of their likes and dislikes and experiences. 
  7. Get the new member involved right away.  They will have a sense of ownership in the club and feel that they are needed
  8. Assign a mentor or Buddy to the new member to help them.
  9. This person may offer them a ride to the meeting and will look out after them so they are not ignored at the meeting
  10. Give Honorary Life Membership to encourage participation and longevity in your club.
  11. Have a period before and after the meeting for members to socialize
  12. Give awards to your members who have perfect attendance, who have done a great job on a project.  People need to have a pat on the back reassuring them that they are doing a great job
  13. Have tours and other fun activities on the weekend when everyone can participate
  14. Have both day and evening or Saturday meetings so working members can join your club
  15. Develop a club business card that new and all members can use and pass out.  Remember, new members have friends that may want to join
  16. Remember to always have fun and treat people with respect.
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