30 Ways To Recruit & Retain New Members

Keep members active and involved.

1. Invite new members to a local meeting and waive their registration fee.
2. Plan orientations for new members at meetings or at the chapter headquarters.
3. Plan special activities for residents in your chapter. Charge a small fee. Ask EMRA for assistance in developing content and speakers. Consider non-clinical topics.
4. Consider developing a local association or group
   for residents. Your chapter may wish to subsidize
   administrative costs for this group.

Who doesn’t like to see their name in print or be recognized by their colleagues?

5. Send welcome letters to new members.
6. Send a new member kit with your welcome letter or direct new members to your Web site. Include:
   • A list of chapter staff and member contacts
   • A committee list and sign up forms
   • Publication catalogue
   • Course catalogue
   • A copy of the latest newsletter
   • An invitation to your next meeting
   • Calendar of events
7. List names of new members in your newsletter or on your Web site,
8. Ask board members to send a welcoming e-mail.
9. Identify new members at meetings.
10. List new fellows in your newsletter.
11. List member milestone anniversaries in your newsletter.
12. Thank members for their chapter involvement in your publications or at your events.

Talk to members, and tell them what you do for them.

13. Print and distribute a monthly newsletter or post it on your Web site.
14. Get a list of new members or cancellations from ACEP’s national office, and use it to contact these members.
15. Try to make four additional contacts – via telephone, letter, postcard, or e-mail – to your first year members.
16. Send mini-surveys asking how you are doing.
17. Announce chapter achievements.
18. Develop a brochure that promotes your chapter. 
19. Provide copies of your achievements or brochure to ACEP for inclusion in billing statements or new member kits.
20. Acknowledge renewals.
21. Announce special rates for chapter dues, meetings or publications.
22. Use the ACEP Value Statement and develop a chapter value statement to talk up benefits of chapter membership.

Involve chapter leaders in membership retention.

23. Appoint a membership committee.
24. Ask members of the membership committee to contact cancelled members by telephone.
25. Make sure your board includes member issues as a standing item on their agenda. This is particularly important if you do not have a membership committee.
26. Develop a senior advisory group as mentors to new members. Your senior members will appreciate the recognition and your new members will benefit from the contact.

Involve members in recruitment.

27. Offer incentives to members who recruit new members, such as a free registration to a chapter program.
28. Recognize members who bring in members in your newsletter.
29. Recognize groups or hospitals with 100% memberships in your newsletter.
30. Consider presenting a plaque to groups that have 100% membership.