Federated Garden Clubs of CTClub CornerTips for ClubsIncreasing Membership Print Page

Ideas for Increasing Membership

Our State-wide Idea Exchange Symposiums generated a lot of creative ways to obtain and effectively retain new members. Here’s the list of ideas resulting from a lot of brainstorming and a printable Membership rack card ready for your club’s use as another tool to encourage membership.  Simply download, print and and display it at your club’s events.  Please email us with other effective ideas to add in order to share them with other clubs.

  • Increase publicity for club activities.
  • Rotate club members on committees.  Serve two years ─Chair with a vice-chair.  Then vice chair moves up.
  • Many clubs have members who are away during the winter.  Consider scheduling meetings throughout the summer months.
  • Consider alternating meeting times ─ daytime/evening.
  • Offer design classes/workshops.
  • Workshops of any sort also serve to advance camaraderie among members.
  • Bring a friend or neighbor to a meeting.
  • Provide name tags for all members and guests
  • Acknowledge all guests at each meeting.
  • Encourage guests to join.  Stay in touch.  Follow-up.
  • New members should have a mentor to guide them through the first year.
  • If club publishes a newsletter, provide it to guests attending a meeting.
  • Let members know about one another.  Each month highlight a current club member.
  • When a person joins the club, submit a photo/brief article to the local/community  newspaper.
  • Get new members quickly involved on a committee.
  • Post a tour map at the library of sites maintained by the garden club.
  • Submit articles publicizing club programs/events to the local newspaper.
  • Maintain a presence on Facebook and all forms of social media.
  • Have a website.  Link the club website to the town’s website.
  • Create a club brochure.  Provide copies to libraries and garden centers.
  • Schedule a “hot topic” program that is well publicized to encourage people to attend a club meeting.
  • Maintain a club presence at the weekly local farmers’ market.