Building Members Who Stay (Not Just Pay)

Members are some of the most important patrons for your organization. They spend more per year than the average visitor and visit more often. But here’s what makes them truly valuable: you know who they are and with the right member retention strategies, you can turn them into loyal supporters who renew year after year.

You have their information, which means you can market to them directly. You can track their visits and behavior. You can build relationships with them over time.

Your members are some of your most loyal patrons—but are you doing everything you can to foster and build that loyalty?

Understanding Your Two Types of Members

Members tend to fall into one of two categories:

Transactional members are primarily driven by discounts and benefits. They calculate whether a membership is “worth it” to them based on how much they’ll save on admission and purchases.

Philanthropic members care about your mission and want to support your vision. For these members, the discount is nice, but it’s not the primary reason they join. Or maybe the discounts are why they became a member, but now they renew every year because they want to continue to support your organization.

Here’s an important distinction: someone can be a transactional member and spend a whole lot of money at your organization, while a philanthropic member might spend very little. The difference isn’t in the spending—it’s in the mindset and their loyalty.

The Value of Philanthropic Members

Philanthropic members tend to be more loyal and are more likely to renew their membership year after year. Why? Because to them, membership is about more than just the transactional benefits they receive. They’ve developed a connection to your cause that transcends the transactional calculation.

The way that you structure and talk about your membership program will have a big impact on the types of members you attract. Even better, you have the ability to guide members who start out transactional and help them develop into philanthropic supporters.

How to Transform Transactional Members

Start by understanding your data

Before you can shift member attitudes, you need to understand how members currently engage with your organization. Ask yourself:

• Which membership levels are renewed most frequently?
• Which levels visit, and how often?
• Is there movement between membership levels? 

Understanding these patterns of behavior will help you understand how your most loyal patrons engage and interact as compared to those who are more discount-driven.

Audit your membership benefits

Next, consider how your membership levels and benefits encourage members to engage. Are your benefits structured so that members immediately calculate their potential discount? Or are there benefits that also help to reinforce your organization’s mission?

Discounts can be a strong initial incentive for members to join, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But once they’ve taken that first step, be strategic about how you are engaging them and showing them that their support is critical to your organization’s success.

Develop a nurture strategy

Create a plan for nurturing transactional members to help them understand the importance of your organization’s cause and develop a connection with them that could lead to philanthropic membership.

Consider adding benefits that connect members to your work and impact:

• Share behind-the-scenes stories about your organization’s projects
• Offer special programs that highlight your mission in action
• Create opportunities for members to see the direct impact of their support
• Invite them to exclusive events that deepen their understanding of your cause

These experiences help members develop an emotional connection to your organization beyond the practical benefits of membership.

Remember: It’s About Mindset, Not Money

Philanthropic membership does not automatically mean spending more money or moving up to higher membership levels. Instead, it’s a state of mind, where a member has shifted from focusing on the discounts they get from membership and instead care about supporting the cause.

That shift creates lasting loyalty that benefits your organization for years to come.

Ready for the Shift?

If you’re looking for help taking your transactional members to the next level, we can help. A database analysis can uncover those trends and behaviors among your current members, revealing patterns you might not see on the surface. A member behavior analysis will identify exactly what benefits members value, their attitudes towards membership and your organization, and guide your path in the evolution from transactional to philanthropic membership.

Understanding your members is the first step to building deeper, more meaningful relationships with them and creating a membership program that drives both loyalty and mission support.