Case Study: Rebuilding Membership and Driving Sustainable Growth
The pandemic brought significant challenges for associations, including declines in membership as economic uncertainty, changing priorities, and new ways of working affected how professionals engaged with their organizations.
For many associations, rebuilding membership has required more than returning to pre-pandemic practices. It has meant rethinking how membership is structured, communicated, and delivered to better meet the needs of today’s members.
At SBI Association Management, we work with associations to identify opportunities to strengthen membership programs, improve the member experience, and create sustainable systems for long-term growth.
The Challenge
Membership is at the heart of an association’s ability to engage its community, deliver valuable programs, and support its mission. When membership declines, the effects can extend beyond revenue to participation, engagement, and the overall health of the organization.
Following the pandemic, several SBI clients faced membership challenges and needed to find new ways to attract members while retaining the individuals and organizations already invested in their associations.
Rather than relying on a single recruitment initiative, SBI took a comprehensive approach to identifying opportunities across the entire membership experience.
The Approach
One key opportunity was rethinking how associations structure and promote membership.
For some clients, group memberships provided an effective way to make membership more accessible and valuable to organizations. By offering tiered rates and centralized management, associations could encourage organizations to enroll multiple employees while making the membership process easier for both the organization and the association.
SBI also worked with clients to strengthen other areas of the membership experience, including:
- Operationalizing renewal processes to create more consistent and proactive retention efforts
- Enhancing communications to better demonstrate the value of membership to both members and prospective members
- Bundling continuing education opportunities with membership to provide greater value and encourage engagement
- Expanding virtual education options to make professional development more accessible to members regardless of location
- Evaluating membership structures and processes to identify opportunities to reduce barriers and better serve members
These efforts were designed not only to address immediate membership declines, but also to create stronger systems that could support continued growth.
Our Impact
The results have demonstrated the value of taking a comprehensive approach to membership strategy.
Across multiple SBI clients, membership initiatives have resulted in substantial growth and a stronger return to pre-pandemic membership levels.
In one example, a client that had experienced a significant pandemic-related decline in membership introduced group memberships and other targeted improvements to its membership strategy. From 2021 to 2024, the organization experienced a 36% increase in membership, ultimately surpassing its pre-pandemic membership level by 17%.
These results illustrate what can happen when associations look beyond short-term recruitment and focus on creating a membership experience that is accessible, valuable, and responsive to the needs of their community.
Building a Stronger Membership Future
Membership growth doesn’t have to come from one major initiative. Often, the greatest impact comes from identifying several opportunities to improve the member journey and putting the right systems in place to support them.
Whether it is introducing a new membership model, improving renewal processes, expanding educational opportunities, or strengthening communications, associations can take meaningful steps toward rebuilding and growing their membership.
At SBI Association Management, we help associations evaluate where they are today, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop practical strategies that support their goals.
Sustainable membership growth isn’t just about gaining new members. It’s about creating an experience that gives people a reason to join, engage, and stay.
Looking to Grow Your Association’s Membership?
Membership is just one area where the right strategy and support can help an association thrive. SBI provides association management services designed to help organizations strengthen operations, grow membership, engage their communities, and achieve their goals.
Interested in learning how SBI can support your association? Contact us to start the conversation.
