Membership/Promoting
Introduction
Wikimedia UK does not currently build membership recruitment into our events process, which is a key opportunity for the Charity it promote the opportunity to join. We are also not currently making a concerted effort to reach out to the editing community online - the last concerted attempt to do this appears to have been in 2009
Katherine has taken the opportunity to communicate with key volunteers in recent weeks in an attempt to tease out some of the issues that affect how the Chapter might think of positioning membership to new members, and continue to offer a satisfying experience for established members.
Volunteer thoughts
Some quotes that emerged from discussions with leading volunteers:
"[We]...don't really distinguish members, volunteers and other supporters...the comms strategy...does have the analysis. The question in my mind is whether WMUK have followed through on communications with members. Do they get enough to make informed choices about the trustees?
"...a token membership fee typically means an organisation which doesn't intend to do much for members. And this is a way to run membership into the ground, in the longer term."
"...There really needs to be a trustee who is in charge of seeing that members get a proper deal, and are kept better informed that anyone else about the charity."
"I am not sure I *would* particularly want to try promoting the benefits of membership off the cuff - in part because I'm not entirely sure what they are, but also because I suspect that most members are doing so relatively passively, as a gesture of support, rather than for any benefits which may come of it."
"I do mention membership at every event I run. Its not clear however how to answer the question 'What's in it for me?' I'm aware of micro grants but that might not appeal to everyone. Could the Chapter look at offering a pin badge? Perhaps we need to make it about 'being a supporter' and being clear about what the Chapter is achieving."
"I wouldn't know what to say in a 'cold start' recruitment moment about joining. People don't always understand well how the movement is funded - they would probably see £5 as a token amount, in which case, why have any amount? one of the strongest reasons for joining is probably the feeling of being 'part of a club'."
Key issues
Membership fees and 'reasons to join' have been discussed at several points in the Charity's history. Now is a good time to look again at the issue because without direct participation in the annual fundraiser we are without a key external opportunity to advertise the opportunity, and because numbers have declined considerably as a result of expiries following sign ups in November/December 2011.
There is a lack of clarity about the reasons why people have historically become members, and therefore a risk that the charity is not understanding these properly and meeting those expectations. I agree that for a small fee (Currently £5, but historically only as high as £12 at most) it is unlikely that people join because they expect substantive benefits in the form of discounts, special access, etc. However, it would seem reasonable that they expect a degree a of higher involvement in the life of the Chapter, or an opportunity to show support. This is why regular, high quality communication that focuses on highlighting ways to become more engaged and keeping members updated is vital. It is also why a token of membership such as a lapel pin might be very appropriate.
This is further complicated by issues around recruiting from different broad groups with vastly different levels of experience and therefore needs as members. Bluntly - we appear to have been speaking to our membership as a narrow group of individuals who are aware of how to contribute to the projects, and the work of the Wikimedia and wider open licence/free knowledge movements. However, many of the members we signed up who have expired may have had little to no experience of editing or the social/cultural issues that underpin the projects' impact. We need to have a positioning statement for joining that appeals to both groups.
A proposed option
The broad statement: By becoming a member of Wikimeda UK you show your support for the work of the Charity in the UK (referring back to the discussion of mission statement in the Communications Strategy)
The secondary statement:
If you are new to the Wikimedia mission: you will have the chance to meet like minded people, learn more about how to get involved and act as an ambassador for our values - have a lapel pin!
If you are a part of to the Wikimedia mission: you can collaborate with other UK editors at events, access micro grants and have a say in how the UK chapter delivers on the movements mission and values - have a lapel pin and user box!