Sample Workplan LWV of Canton Area (OH)
Membership Recruitment Initiative Planning Tool
** SAMPLE WORKPLAN **
Membership Goal:
What is your League’s membership goal? 5% NET increase
Direct Outreach:
Think of three opportunities in the next 30 days where YOU will make the personal ask.
1. At the Stark County Nurses Assn. Board Meeting
2. At the AARP meeting
3. After a Neighborhood Association Mtg that precedes observing a Canton City Council meeting.
4. Before or after the MRDD Issue Forum in March, ask Pat Felman who is retiring from her position at MRDD
Allied Outreach:
Identify two community organizations that your League would like to partner with.
1. Organization: Massillon Senior Center and or an AARP Group
We would like to partner with them in planning a “Meet Your Ohio Legislators”
Meeting/Panel Discussion.
Primary discussion topics will be of interest to them specifically such as property
taxes changes as apply to funding education, health care issues, etc.
LWVCA delivers Voter’s Guides annually and Nell Davis is a member of both.
We have done “Meet Your Ohio Legislators” Breakfasts in the past. They fit the target demographic.
Invite them to other programs that may be of interest or make this an ongoing collaboration
2. Organization: Retired Teachers Association
Plan and partner with them on a meeting about Governor Strickland’s new financing education initiative either before it is approved or after as progress update
We have a member who is active in this organization and LWVO members who have a wealth historical and current knowledge on the subject as well as a “working relationship” with Representative Scott Oelslager. LWVCA members
organized “Spotlight on Education” a few years back. We have possible media presence through our local Time Warner Access Channel 11.
They fit the target demographic.
Educational issues are of special interest to LWVCA members and would be willing to collaborate on future educational topics.
Media Outreach:
Identify two “traditional” media outlets that your League would like to “work” with.
1. Media group: The Repository and The Massillon Independent [same owner]
Our goal would be that they would print our meeting announcements and press
releases on a regular and timely basis and send a reporter to cover not just our voter service meetings but our meetings that are of general interest to the community.
The approach would be that we contact the paper only when our League holds meetings on topics of current interest to which the public is invited. In addition our speakers or panelists are always knowledgeable and/or experienced. We will not waste a reporter’s time and the resulting article can be used at a later date.
We do not have much leverage at this time. It will have to be developed. Both myself and Dick Kuhn have written press releases that have been printed without much or any editing.
The only recruitment opportunities will be to make LWVCA look viable, interesting and an organization one to which a person may wish to belong.
We can try to make personal contacts with both the news editor and a specific reporter. If good coverage is given, we could make a practice of sending an e- mail or written thank you to the reporter or news editor. Something we have not done in the past.
2. Media group: WHBC
Our goal would be not only that they announce our meeting information
on a regular and timely basis but also contact us, from time to time, for on air interviews about the topic of the meetings.
The approach would be that we contact the station only when our League holds meetings on topics of current interest to which the public is invited. In addition our speakers or panelists are always knowledgeable and/or experienced. We will not waste a reporter’s time.
The station has covered our voter service meetings. They have interviewed candidates or speakers but fail to mention that LWVCA sponsored the forum.
The only recruitment opportunities will be to make LWVCA look viable, interesting and an organization one to which a person may wish to belong.
If good coverage is given, we could make a practice of sending an e-mail or written thank you to the reporter or news editor. Something we have not done in the past.
Indentify two “non-traditional” media outlets that your League would like to “work” with.
1. Media group: Senior Forum
Contact the editor and publisher of this local, monthly newspaper in order to get
our meeting information and press releases published. Since this is a small,
publication targeted to a specific audience, maybe we might be able to submit op- ed’s about certain issues and have them published.
To my knowledge, no “new things” are required.
We hold meetings on topics of current interest to which the public is invited. Seniors in particular often have the time and interest in current or specific issues.
It specifically targets the demographic.
2. Media group: E-mail meeting information and press releases to some small, local newspapers, i.e., Alliance Review, Louisville Herald, Sun Journal
The goal would merely be getting the word out.
Always include our web-site address
This would just be a “scatter approach”
**** Time Warner Access Channel 11
Continue our already on-going collaboration.
We have never used the station’s Community Bulletin Board for any activities except voter service meetings and forums but it is something we should do in the future.
Since the Community Bulletin Board is run more than once, there is more opportunity for the announcement to be seen by the public. This could foster better attendance, interest in the organization.
Other Opportunities:
What are some “on-going” things that your League can do to be more intentional about membership recruitment, more consistent in talking about the value of membership, and more welcoming to potential and new members.? For example, does your League’s web site have a join message? Does every member of you League’s board carry membership brochures? Do you have “membership ambassadors” or greeters at event?
List 5 opportunities that your League will undertake in the next 60 days:
1. Have greeters at all meetings and voter service forums
2. Have a sign-up sheet at all meetings voter service forums
3. Invite new members to attend an LWVCA board meeting
4. Edit our membership message to a join message on our website
5. Carry LWVCA business cards & ask for prospective member’s card or contact information
List 2 longer-term opportunities:
1. Give Making Democracy Work Award [MDW] annually
2. Hold a membership recruitment/return to the League meeting annually
Visible All Year:
Look at your League’s calendar. There should be at least on visibility-garnering activity planned each month. Use the grid below to list each activity with the specific direct, allied and media outreach components that willl be “added to” it.
Activity Direct outreach Allied outreach Media outreach
March
MRDD Levy Ask Pat Felhman who is Collaborate with Meeting information
Information retiring from MRDD this MRDD Parents’ to media outlets and
Forum fall to join LWVCA Group request B. Weidner to
tape and televise for Have sign-in sheet Time Warner Public Access Channel 11
“Celebrate”
Women’s History Press Release to
Month smaller “target” newspapers
April
Co-sponsor
Earth Day Have membership Work with event Ensure LWV is in all
Community ambassadors at event to sponsors – get LWV press releases and ads
Event circulate & distribute name on all materials for event
membership materials
Issue letter to editor Earth Day and
LWV’s role in
climate change debate
May
“Meet Your Ask AARP Legislative Host with Contact local
Ohio Liaison to join AARP and/or newspapers
Legislators” Ask Stark County Nurses Stark County asking readers to Legislative Chair Nurses Assn. call, mail or e-mail
to join what they would like
to ask the legislators.
Also, work with Senior
Forum.
Request B. Weidner to tape and televise for Time Warner Public Access Channel 11
Send meeting information to The Repository and The Massillon Independent and follow up with phone calls to targeted reporters
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