Expanding Organizational Membership

National Association of the Deaf

2015 National Leadership Training Conference
Birmingham, AL

Presenters: Pamela Lloyd-Ogoke, Jerry Nelson

Organizational Leadership Whats That???

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

If your actions inspire others to dream more,

learn more, do more and become more, you
are a leader

Organizational Leadership

Good leaders must first

become good servants.

ROBERT GREENLEAF

Organizational Leadership
A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader
takes people where they dont necessarily want to go but
ought to be.

ROSALYNN CARTER

Common Reasons Why Members

Leave an Organization
!Pettiness of leaders
!Not feeling respected
!Not feeling they had value
!Not being motivated
!Not seeing organization progress

What Makes An Organization Successful?

Expanding Membership - Considerations

"DEFINE YOUR STAKEHOLDERS
"DEFINE RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACH
STRATEGIES
"LEARN FROM THE PAST BUT NOT BE
BOUND BY IT
"THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Expanding Membership - Challenges

Most challenging situations your organization faces is the
need to expand.
Also an exciting challenge
Growth is a good thing
With expansion comes growing pains
To significantly increase membership requires a huge
commitment on the part of the leadership, members,
volunteers, and in some cases sta
When your organization is faced with opportunities that
scream Take action!, there are critical things you must
consider

Organizational Culture
Culture is the pattern of values and beliefs shared by the
organizations members.
Exists at two levels:
Surface level of symbols, stories, heroes, slogans, and ceremonies
Deeper level of values and norms

Culture needs to be aligned with strategy

Assessing Your Organizational Situation

Ask yourself these questions
"Is your organizational culture VIBRANT or STAGNANT?
# Often nonprofits prefer to stay small and easily manageable

"Has your board discussed the need to expand your membership?

"Who is driving behind the need to expand your organizational
membership board, stakeholders, or community?
"Do you know why there is a lack of members?
# Internal assessment done?
# External assessment done?

"What strategies did your Board come up with?

"While ideas are great, did your board map out an executable action
plan?
"Who were assigned to lead and execute the action plans?

Changing Demographics
Who are your members today?
Likely to be older, retired?
Membership base dwindling?
Long-time supporters of NAD and your State
Association?

Your assessment
Likely to identify need for involvement by
younger generations

Do you know or understand the

generations?

Generations
"Baby boomers
# 1946 1964

"Generation X
# 1965 1980: Baby Busters
# 1975 1985: MTV Generation /Boomerang Generation

"Generation Y
# 1982 1994: Millennials, or jokingly a "Generation Why?
# Grew up with many world-changing events including the rise of mass
communication and the Internet.

"Generation Z
# 1990 2007: "Internet Generation", the "Homeland Generation", or even the
"Google Generation
# Digital Globalization

Bridging Generations
Challenge is to bridge your organization with the dierent
generations
Tools:
Dynamic website
Varied in breadth and depth

Social networking sites

MySpace
Facebook
LinkedIn (more geared to professional)
Text messages (SMS)
Latest to scene Glide

Themes Which Unite People

No man is an Island
It takes a Village to raise a child
You can catch more flies with honey
than vinegar
Actions speak louder than words

Motivating the Masses

Communicating Your
Organizations Vision/Plan
TYPICAL MISTAKES
"Information overload
"Disorganized thoughts
"Lack of passion
"Not taking time to individually get
buy-in
"Being unrealistic

Situational Assessment #1

You are President of an organization that

has been in existence for 40 years.
During the last five years, membership
dropped by 35%. What will you do?

Situational Assessment #2

A new Parent organization for Deaf

Teens has been established. The mission
is to support parents who have Deaf &
Hard of Hearing teenagers. There was
strong interest but only 5 of the 60
people showed up for the last meeting.
What is your next step?

Situational Assessment #3

You want to establish an organization for

Native American Deaf survivors of
domestic violence. You have a friend
who has inspired you and supports your
vision. You are not Native American.
What are your next steps?

EXPANDING
!Motivate
!Evaluate
!Mentor
!Believe
!Explore
!Respect
!Sustain

Expanding Organizational Membership

THANK YOU!
BEST WISHES IN YOUR EFFORTS!