AuSAE recently hosted a webinar presented by ASI that explored the challenges and opportunities facing association executives today, offering an essential framework for a thriving association: The 3 Rs of Membership: Recruit, Retain, and Renew.

The reality is membership stability is under pressure. According to the 2025 Membership Performance Benchmark Report, only 32% of associations reported an increase in retention rates. If your association is quietly losing members, it's time to leverage the 3 Rs for tangible growth!

The conversations, and your own answers in the live polls, showed us that the association world is shifting its focus. When asked what single measure was most important for tracking improvement, Engagement Rate was the clear winner, underscoring a priority on quality over pure quantity:

Key Measure	Poll Results
Engagement rate	40%
Retention rate	33%
Membership strength	18%
Member impact	8%
Member “vibe”	1%
Something else	0%

This focus on the quality of the member experience is key. As Paul Ramsbottom, Managing Director at ASI, perfectly put it: "The shift in focus from mere member count to the depth of member engagement is critical. You can recruit members all day, but if you're not strategically engaging and retaining them, you're filling a bucket with a hole in it. The 3 Rs are your essential strategy to plug that hole."

Let’s unpack three wins we can all implement.

Quick Win #1: Clarity is Kindness: Communicating Your Value (Recruit)

Before anyone commits to joining (or staying!), they need to know exactly why your association is worth their time and money. That means having a clear, compelling Member Value Proposition (MVP).

It’s lovely to know that the top three reasons people join an organisation are consistently: Networking with others in the field (64%), Continuing education/professional certification (39%), and Learning best practices in their profession (33%).



Key Takeaway: Ensure your MVP clearly maps to these top drivers, and that every department can articulate it consistently. If the value isn't obvious, the renewal won't be either!

Quick Win #2: Nurture the Newbies: Master the Onboarding Journey (Retain)

The first year is the most crucial, and often the most fragile! It’s easy for new members to feel lost after the initial welcome. We need to focus on making that first year validating and engaging.

Amber Robinson, Client Performance Improvement Leader at ASI, gave us a great perspective on this: "Retention starts the moment they click 'join.' The first 12 months are the most fragile period in a member's lifecycle. We need to move beyond a generic welcome email and create a validating, demonstrative, and celebratory journey to secure that first renewal."

To make this simple, focus on four key phases in that first year, using Personas (like "Mid-Career Marketer Matt") to guide your outreach:

1. VALIDATE (Days 1–14): Reinforce the good decision. Send a warm welcome call, mail a personalised welcome pack, and introduce them to another member.
2. DEMONSTRATE (14 Days – 3 Months): Show them how to use their benefits. Email key features, provide a new member learning pathway, and invite them to an event.
3. CELEBRATE (3 – 9 Months): Surprise and delight them (maybe with a free resource or event invite) and seek feedback with a friendly "Flash" survey.
4. RENEWAL (9 – 12 Months): Execute a personalised strategy. Provide a specific renewal offer and ensure non-renewals receive a follow-up phone call.

Quick Win #3: Get Smart with Engagement Scoring (Renew)

We all agreed that Engagement Rate is the metric of the future, but getting there can feel like a climb. The poll on implementing engagement scoring showed us exactly where the hurdles are:

Obstacle to Engagement Scoring	Poll Results
Lack of skills or time	49%
Lack of tools or technology	36%
Lack of complete data	32%
Lack of a single record of truth	24%
Unsure of our “why”	11%
Nothing – we are already underway!	11%

Paul Ramsbottom shared some reassuring thoughts here: "It's no surprise that 'Lack of skills or time' was the top barrier, every association professional is stretched. But what’s often the root cause of that is data being siloed. Our goal must be to simplify that process, ensuring technology works for the strategy, connecting systems, and providing the single 'Record of Truth' needed for accurate, measurable engagement."

The key is to start small! Create a simple written engagement plan where you decide what to score (e.g., event attendance, committee participation, content downloads) and then use those scores to create just a few segments (High, Medium, Low) to guide your outreach. Personalized outreach beats generic emails every time!

Your Roadmap for Thriving Membership!

The path to a happier, healthier membership base doesn't have to be complicated. By focusing on the 3 Rs, you can start driving growth today!

Here are the five simple Key Takeaways to make your next steps easy and effective:

1. Communicate your MVP (member value proposition) – ensure your member value proposition is clear and consistent.
2. Design a best-practice onboarding journey to copy – secure that critical first-year renewal.
3. Put together a written engagement plan – start scoring and segmenting your members based on activity.
4. Create your first persona to get started quickly & easily – focus on one key member type.
5. Create a couple of member journey maps for your persona – plan out their ideal path to value and renewal.

Ultimately, the goal is to move beyond a simple score to continuous, personalised engagement, delivering content and offers based on individual activity, ensuring your members feel valued and supported at every stage of their journey.

Ensure you have the tools and resources to support your Member Journeys. Download the Association Executive Guide to Improving Organisation Performance – NEW 5^th Edition here.

If you missed our webinar last month, you can watch it here.

We can’t wait to see your growth stories.