Devising a membership scheme for an arts organisation
The initial design of a membership scheme is critical to its long-term impact and fundamental issues such as the basic structure of the scheme, its relationship with the organisation and its objectives should be established at the outset. This checklist is taken from The Complete Membership Handbook. This article was first published in JAM (issue 42 / April 2011).
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Checklist for setting up a scheme
- What are you trying to achieve?
- Is there evidence of a need?
- Are your aims narrow or wide and will you know when you have achieved your aims, or will your aims be on-going and long-term? For example, are you trying to achieve something for the greater good of society; the support of particular groups of disadvantaged of afflicted people; advance, defend or protest at something; or form a social group of like-minded people?
- Is there any other way of achieving your aims?
- Are there others out there who are already undertaking the same work, and if so, should you join in with them? Could you volunteer your services?
- If not, what will be different aims, or unique about your aims, or the way in which you will achieve them?
- What support and resources do you have around your (people, money, professional expertise)?
- Do you believe that by formalising together in a group you may attract more people, money and professional expertise?
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