Federation of Ontario Law Associations
  • Home
  • About
    • FOLA Executive
    • Law Associations
    • Ont. Courthouse Libraries
    • Member Rewards
    • Awards
    • Contact Us
  • Issues & Submissions
    • OPEN CONSULTATIONS
    • Access to Justice
    • Ads, Mktg, & Client Fees
    • Alt. Business Structures
    • Auto Insurance
    • Compliance Entity Regs
    • COURTS
    • Criminal Law
    • Dialogue on Licensing
    • Family Law Reforms
    • Legal Aid
    • LAW SOCIETY OF ONTARIO
    • MAG
    • MINISTRY OF FINANCE
    • Real Estate Law
    • Rules of Practice
  • News & Events
    • FOLA Plenary - SPRING 23
    • BENCHER ELECTIONS 2023
    • Lobby Day
    • FOLA Newsletters
    • Assn. & Other Events
    • Jobs
    • In the News
    • Past FOLA Plenaries
  • RESOURCES
    • Mental Health Resources
    • ONCA
    • Diversity
    • Financial Solutions Blog
    • Practice Resources
    • Professional Development
    • LegalTech Resources
    • Membership Resources
    • Law Students & Articling
    • Other Useful Links
  • More
    • Home
    • About
      • FOLA Executive
      • Law Associations
      • Ont. Courthouse Libraries
      • Member Rewards
      • Awards
      • Contact Us
    • Issues & Submissions
      • OPEN CONSULTATIONS
      • Access to Justice
      • Ads, Mktg, & Client Fees
      • Alt. Business Structures
      • Auto Insurance
      • Compliance Entity Regs
      • COURTS
      • Criminal Law
      • Dialogue on Licensing
      • Family Law Reforms
      • Legal Aid
      • LAW SOCIETY OF ONTARIO
      • MAG
      • MINISTRY OF FINANCE
      • Real Estate Law
      • Rules of Practice
    • News & Events
      • FOLA Plenary - SPRING 23
      • BENCHER ELECTIONS 2023
      • Lobby Day
      • FOLA Newsletters
      • Assn. & Other Events
      • Jobs
      • In the News
      • Past FOLA Plenaries
    • RESOURCES
      • Mental Health Resources
      • ONCA
      • Diversity
      • Financial Solutions Blog
      • Practice Resources
      • Professional Development
      • LegalTech Resources
      • Membership Resources
      • Law Students & Articling
      • Other Useful Links
Federation of Ontario Law Associations
  • Home
  • About
    • FOLA Executive
    • Law Associations
    • Ont. Courthouse Libraries
    • Member Rewards
    • Awards
    • Contact Us
  • Issues & Submissions
    • OPEN CONSULTATIONS
    • Access to Justice
    • Ads, Mktg, & Client Fees
    • Alt. Business Structures
    • Auto Insurance
    • Compliance Entity Regs
    • COURTS
    • Criminal Law
    • Dialogue on Licensing
    • Family Law Reforms
    • Legal Aid
    • LAW SOCIETY OF ONTARIO
    • MAG
    • MINISTRY OF FINANCE
    • Real Estate Law
    • Rules of Practice
  • News & Events
    • FOLA Plenary - SPRING 23
    • BENCHER ELECTIONS 2023
    • Lobby Day
    • FOLA Newsletters
    • Assn. & Other Events
    • Jobs
    • In the News
    • Past FOLA Plenaries
  • RESOURCES
    • Mental Health Resources
    • ONCA
    • Diversity
    • Financial Solutions Blog
    • Practice Resources
    • Professional Development
    • LegalTech Resources
    • Membership Resources
    • Law Students & Articling
    • Other Useful Links

MEMBER MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

KNOW YOUR MEMBERSHIP!

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT 101

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT 101

* 1st THINGS 1st *


Membership surveys are valuable for a number of reasons. They allow you to collect important feedback from your members, make improvements to your association (thus boosting engagement and retention), and at the most basic level, show your members you genuinely care about their thoughts and happiness.


Can’t really go wrong conducting something like that, can you? The key, though, is making sure you ask the right questions - questions that are going to get you the feedback you need to advance your association.


Want some videos to help you promote Law Association membership? FOLA has you covered!  Click here.

5 QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT 101

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT 101

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT 101

WHAT CAN MEMBER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE DO? 


  • Manage your website;
  • Register member data and history
  • Host resources;
  • Manage events and programs;
  • Communicate with your members (forums, emails, and newsletters);
  • Process payments;
  • And more!


ACCORDING TO FOLA's 2019 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP SURVEY,  MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT IS THE #1 ISSUE FACING YOUR ORGANIZATION.  LEARN MORE INSIGHTS HERE.


MEMBER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IDEAS

LAW SCHOOL STUDENT RECRUITMENT

LAW SCHOOL STUDENT RECRUITMENT

LAW SCHOOL STUDENT RECRUITMENT

Is your Law Association doing all it can to attract Law Students?  


Here are some ideas:

  • Contact the LSO to request the most recent "Call to the Bar" list and check for new calls in your area.  Then send them a letter or email inviting them to join your Association for free and list the benefits of membership! 
  • Host a virtual event where lawyers share advice with law students, licensing candidates and young lawyers looking to succeed in the post-COVID legal market.  Offer a Q&A about building a network, finding job opportunities and expanding skillsets in the legal industry’s new digital age! 
  •  Arrange Courthouse tours and include a breakfast with a welcome from a judge.  Ensure lawyers who are willing to mentor are in attendance and pair them up with students.
  • Create a "Head Start" series of videos that includes content around information they don't teach in law school that can help law students succeed.   
  • Provide speakers to local law clubs (note that if you don't have a law school in your area, reach out early and offer to speak to students in high school)!
  • Create a position for a Law Student Liaison on your Board.  Don't have a law school in your area?  Speak with your members.  They may know of someone from your area who has a child in law school who could serve in this capacity remotely.  

CHECK OUT WHAT THE TLA DOES

NEW MEMBER ONBOARDING

LAW SCHOOL STUDENT RECRUITMENT

LAW SCHOOL STUDENT RECRUITMENT

YOU'VE GOT THE NEW RECRUIT!  SO NOW WHAT?  


First impressions matter & you need to take advantage of this opportunity to offer them a guide to membership benefits, resources, & upcoming events.


Plus!  we have some quick and easy things you can do to help start your member engagement program, how to start welcoming the newcomer, and how to see results faster.


Are you hosting a Member Appreciation event?  Learn how and see other membership tips here.

NEW MEMBER ACTION PLAN

VIDEOS TO HELP YOU WITH MEMBERSHIP!

WHAT IS FOLA?

WHY JOIN YOUR LOCAL LAW ASSOCIATION?

WHY JOIN YOUR LOCAL LAW ASSOCIATION?

A two and a half minute video about FOLA.  Great to share with new members, students, and potential members! 

WHY JOIN YOUR LOCAL LAW ASSOCIATION?

WHY JOIN YOUR LOCAL LAW ASSOCIATION?

WHY JOIN YOUR LOCAL LAW ASSOCIATION?

A quick, 1 minute video on the benefits of membership!  Perfect for sharing on social media! 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING

WHY JOIN YOUR LOCAL LAW ASSOCIATION?

OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING

A 90 second video on the amazing networking opportunities offered through Law Association membership!  Perfect for sharing on social media!  

AMPLIFYING VOICES

FOLA - RESOURCES & THE SPEED OF CHANGE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING

A 90 second video on how FOLA and Law Associations serve as your professional advocate.  

FOLA - RESOURCES & THE SPEED OF CHANGE

FOLA - RESOURCES & THE SPEED OF CHANGE

FOLA - RESOURCES & THE SPEED OF CHANGE

A 1 minute video on how FOLA and your local Law Association can be a wealth of information & resources to help you and your law practice.   

JUMP TO FUNDRAISING & 3RD PARTY REVENUE IDEAS

TAKE ME NOW!

ENGAGING THE NEW MEMBER

Intentional onboarding  makes members feel part of a community and impacts retention numbers, as this study shows. So how does it work?Any good onboarding campaign comes down to a content strategy defined by two things: value proposition and tone. Figure out what your value proposition is, evaluate it, and work out how to communicate it.  Integral to this is knowing your members - what do they want and need from your association, at what level of urgency?


Make that member feel like part of your team!  Remember the first time you went to an association event and how that felt? Nerve wracking for most! Making new members feel welcome at your association’s events is a smart investment of resources. Do you offer new member receptions? Offer a new member mentor program?  These are just two easy and low-cost ideas that can make the newcomer feel looked after.

How do I know it’s working?


Evaluate new member experiences after the fact to keep improving the process. Make appointments to speak with them post show. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions: “How was your experience? Based on your experience, do you plan to attend the next event? What did you like? Dislike? What can we do better?” If you don’t ask, you’ll never know what is working - and what’s not. Then analyze the feedback with your staff and/or Board of Directors. 


New member engagement programs work, and they don’t have to be big or expensive. What could you try at your next in-person event to make new attendees feel part of your organization? Start small and iterate over time, and you will be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.


VISIT MEMBERSHIP TIPS YOU CAN USE!

KNOWING YOUR MEMBERSHIP

5 QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR MEMBERS

Do you remember the last time you had a meaningful conversation with a member? Reaching out to your members with strategic questions can help you improve and strengthen all aspects of your association. Here are few topics to get you rolling.


1. What challenges are you and your industry peers facing on a day-to-day basis?

2. What services could the association deliver that no one else will?  3. Do individuals at your organization need more information about how to utilize the resources and services available with your membership?

4. What is the number-one expectation you have from the association?

5. Are you aware of industry partners who should be contacted about membership? (Ask for Referrals. Mention a specific prospect by name.)

Members are less likely to leave if they feel the association’s management understands their needs. 


Ask. Listen. Leverage member feedback.

MEMBERSHIP TIPS YOU CAN USE!

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ACQUISITION FUNNEL

NEW MEMBER ENGAGEMENT PLANS PRODUCE BIG RESULTS...SLOWLY!

NEW MEMBER ENGAGEMENT PLANS PRODUCE BIG RESULTS...SLOWLY!

Your acquisition funnel is a way of breaking down the journey that new members take to become members and is direct from Sales and Marketing 101! This way of understanding member behavior helps you understand where you gaining/losing applicants, so you can focus your energy where it matters! Consider this commonly accepted way to break down your funnel for member acquisition.


Awareness: The awareness stage of the acquisition funnel includes all the potential members who have been made aware of the value of membership in your organization: Those who visit your website, see your ads, read your content, hear about you through word-of-mouth, etc, are all included here. Your goal is to engage them, and drive them down to the next phase of the funnel;


Consideration: As they would with any purchase, potential members will consider membership in your organization against possible alternatives. They want to know if your membership is worth it, so this is where they do a little research. How do you imagine they do so? Do you offer any resources that can help them learn more about you? Offering these resources is often all it takes to drive prospective applicants to the next phase of your funnel;


Engagement: Typically, prospective members enter the ‘engagement’ phase when they fill out an application for membership. Doing so means that they are done with consideration, and are ready to make a decision. However it’s important to recognize that though they are ready to make the decision to become a member, they haven’t yet! Every second between submitting an application and having it successfully approved offers an opportunity to continue consideration. At any moment between application and approval, a prospect might decide not to become a member after all. That’s why it’s important at this stage to focus on driving your applicants to the next stage;


Approval: Membership approval is the final stage in the acquisition funnel, and is the one that membership managers have the most power over, because they get to decide how long it takes to process an application. The longer the process, the more likely it is that you’ll lose prospects from the engagement phase, making short approval periods very valuable!

NEW MEMBER ENGAGEMENT PLANS PRODUCE BIG RESULTS...SLOWLY!

NEW MEMBER ENGAGEMENT PLANS PRODUCE BIG RESULTS...SLOWLY!

NEW MEMBER ENGAGEMENT PLANS PRODUCE BIG RESULTS...SLOWLY!

Studies show that new member engagement plans grow new member renewal rates by an average of 9.7%.  Plus, they improve not only new member engagement but overall member engagement too. 


However, new member engagement programs are so slow and results may not be evident in the first or even second year.  


In fact, studies show that significant results don’t come until year 3 or later. Wow! That is a long time to wait!  

 

Are there techniques for developing a program that becomes successful faster? Maybe!


When you start planning your program, or if you are getting ready to revise an existing program, think about your intention. How do you want new members to feel when they receive your new member messages? Warmly welcomed? Excited for more? Tone plays a big role because the right tone can help a new member feel like they are valued, that they belong and confident that more great stuff is coming their way. Or messaging not carefully crafted can feel lifeless and flat, more like an advertisement than like a sincere greeting.


Programs planned to interact with new members until 7-12 months performed best. Commit to following new members longer. Do not stop at 3 or 6 months, keep sending our most at-risk members messaging designed just for them.


Start with the tactics that tend to work best. The most useful new member engagement tactics are emails, phone calls, and engaging them during in-person events (welcoming committees, conference orientation, buddies, and more). Starting your program with a mix high-performing tactics is likely to boost your results.


Remember:  Patience is a virtue!

QUICK TIPS TO ENGAGE YOUR NEWEST MEMBERS

NEW MEMBER ENGAGEMENT PLANS PRODUCE BIG RESULTS...SLOWLY!

QUICK TIPS TO ENGAGE YOUR NEWEST MEMBERS

You do not need a massive, complex, and perfectly polished new member onboarding plan to start engaging new members. Pick any one of these successful tips to engage new members early in order to engage them for life!

  1. Train everyone working registration to warmly welcome every attendee.
  2. Try calling five new members to welcome them and find out why they joined.
  3. Determine if your welcome kit engages new members, if not, consider discontinuing it.
  4. Solve a problem for your new members within three days to three weeks of them joining.
  5. Cultivate a welcoming tone in your new member messaging.
  6. Allow new members to sample one benefit.

*From Smooth the Path

5 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR RENEWAL RATES

5 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR RENEWAL RATES

QUICK TIPS TO ENGAGE YOUR NEWEST MEMBERS

Consider how you can implement these 5 tips to create renewal letters or emails that resonate positively with members and generate more of the outcomes intended:

1. Use a Personal Touch — Everyone wants to be recognized as an individual, so abandon greetings like “Dear Valued Member,” which does the opposite.  This should feel like a one-on-one conversation with one member, not all.

2. Know Your Audience — Rather than use a “one size fits all” message, consider different member segments that have specific things in common (e.g., membership levels, length of time as a member, size of company) so you can customize two or three distinctive renewal messages. 

3. Remarket the Value of Membership — Renewals are “rejoins” and it’s important to reiterate benefits based on what matters to members (hence the importance of tip #2). Although some join and rejoin because of your mission and impact on the industry/community, most members belong to help them achieve their objectives or to solve their challenges. Provide a brief overview of your recent accomplishments and highlight specific benefits that align with their interests (again, tip #2).

4. Make Members Feel Appreciated and Excited About the Coming Year — Knowing that renewals are optional, provide a genuine note of thanks and let members know you appreciate their support. Mention a few upcoming programs or activities that are on the horizon because of their support. Include at least one thing that doesn’t require them to “show up” (e.g., improvements to the directory, new online resource, partnership, initiative that supports the industry/community).

5. Provide Renewal Options — Offer members convenient and multiple ways to renew. State the different ways such as Online (with a link to their member account and include log-in credentials, if possible), Mail (provide the address) and Phone (give them the number). Offer the option to make multiple payments. And attach the invoice for their review and record.

HOST A MEMBER APPRECIATION EVENT

5 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR RENEWAL RATES

HOST A MEMBER APPRECIATION EVENT

SHOW YOUR MEMBERS YOU LOVE THEM!


  • Make this a free event and offer their 1st drink free!  Partner with a local restaurant and offer voucher for future meal at their restaurant.
  • Recruit a local professional photographer for member LinkedIn or business portrait sittings (with no sitting fee).   Partner with photographer to see if they will provide a gift certificate for a holiday family session!
  • Ensure your entire Board is there and make sure they talk to new members.
  • Promote your CPD and other upcoming events - offer 5-10% off for all attendees.
  • Encourage mingling - try a networking game.
  • Invite a local band to play.
  • Talk to other local associations to find out what they do - there are a tonne of ideas out there - go find them!
  • Don't forget to take lots of pictures and feature them in your next newsletter and share great pics with attendees!  Share them on social media!
  • Think of a theme - maybe taco night?  Tapas theme?  

FUNDRAISING & THIRD PARTY $$

EARN ROYALTIES ON YOUR CPD CONTENT

9 IDEAS FOR GENERATING NON-DUES REVENUE

EARN ROYALTIES ON YOUR CPD CONTENT

In 2020, Law Associations made over $70,000 in extra revenue from by providing their CPD videos to CPDOnline.  Make sure your Association is taking full advantage of this easy revenue source!


  Contact Paul Byrne at CPDOnline today at paul.byrne@cpdonline.ca to start making $$!  



CONTACT PAUL.BYRNE@CPDONLINE.CA

WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD IDEA?

9 IDEAS FOR GENERATING NON-DUES REVENUE

EARN ROYALTIES ON YOUR CPD CONTENT

When exploring non-dues revenue generating ideas, keep in mind the following:  “Fit with Member’s Needs”; “Revenue Potential”; and “Staff Capacity.” 


Additionally, ideas should be judged based on the potential return on investment, the association’s competitive advantage, and the level of manageable risk. These factors need to be considered to ensure that the idea is financially sustainable while furthering the association’s mission of serving its members. 


How do you identify non-dues revenue activity with potential for success? Think about how you can build on your unique position and core competencies to identify new products and services. 


Consider the following: - Before you introduce new non-dues revenues activities, take a moment to assess your existing business initiatives. Are these products or services profitable? Could existing successful programs be expanded? Or do you have an underperforming product or service that could be tweaked to become a “winning” program? Can you increase profits from your current offerings? - Is there a new market within or beyond your membership for a product or service that you are already offering? When thinking of new markets, make sure to think both in terms of new customer groups as well as new geographic markets. - Are there new products that you can offer your existing customers and members? What are some of the key “pain points” in their operations? Perhaps there is a new product that you could offer that leverages your existing skills and capacity. You may identify a product or service that would essentially be a new product to a new customer group.  


It's recommend that you initially focus on products/services and customers that you already know well before diversifying. 


This content was taken from the Canadian Society of Association Executives.

9 IDEAS FOR GENERATING NON-DUES REVENUE

9 IDEAS FOR GENERATING NON-DUES REVENUE

9 IDEAS FOR GENERATING NON-DUES REVENUE

Membership dues are a big part of your organization’s overall revenue stream. But in order to attract more members, it’s important to keep those membership dues down. And in order to retain existing members, it’s important to try your best to keep those dues consistent year after year.


Embracing non-dues revenue streams is a great way to keep membership dues down, while still bringing in the revenue you need to run your organization. To help you get started, here are 13 non-dues revenue ideas for your association:


  1. Sell branded merchandise. VistaPrint is a great resource!
  2. Rent out your office space. This could be desk space on an individual basis, or even your conference room(s).
  3. Bring on event sponsors.
  4. Utilize online banner ads on your association’s website and/or ad space in your newsletter.
  5. Allow flyers to be placed in your new member welcome packets.
  6. Offer training programs or workshops that can generate a small profit. Members generally don’t mind paying a small fee for educational programs as long as there’s some level of value associated with them. 
  7. Host an annual conference. In addition to charging for attendance, allow exhibitors to set up at your event and charge them for booth space. You can even offer a la carte sponsorship opportunities, such as educational sessions, coffee breaks, receptions, branded items, etc.
  8. Organize a lunch and learn.  Invite non-members and charge a premium.  
  9. Ask for donations. If your organization has any kind of charitable component, donations can be a great source of non-dues revenue. All you have to do is ask!


This content courtesy of MemberClicks

MEMBERSHIP SOFTWARE DEAL FOR FOLA ASSOCIATIONS

NEON MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION SOFTWARE

NEON MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION SOFTWARE

NEON MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION SOFTWARE

FEATURES FOR FOLA MEMBERS


●Membership, Event and Volunteer Mgmt ●Auto-renewals  ●Tech Support with 93% client satisfaction rating ●Integrated payment processing  ●Email, Reporting, Workflows ●Online Membership and Event forms ●Integrates with your standalone website 



15 minute overview video

 

CONTACT

Julie Mueller

julie@neoncrm.com  

1-773-270-6329

15 MIN INTRO VIDEO

PRICING PACKAGES (MONTHLY)

NEON MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION SOFTWARE

NEON MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION SOFTWARE


ESSENTIALS VS. IMPACT


ESSENTIALS

Best if your association is under 15,000 members and you're looking to build capacity.

$99/mo:  Under 1,000

$179:/mo  Under 5,000


IMPACT

Best if you need all their standard features to support and build your growing constituency.

$149/mo:  Under 1,000

$249/mo:  Under 5,000

 (Pricing= US Dollars) 

 

TRAINING & CONSULTATION PACKAGES AVAILABLE

Your consulting time never expires – it’s there when you need it!

FEATURES: ESSENTIALS vs. IMPACT

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

NEON MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION SOFTWARE

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

DATA MIGRATION

  

PROFESSIONAL IMPORT

Starting at $600 + IMPORT FEE

(one-time fee)

Services Included:

  • Free Data Estimate (pre-contract)
  • Data Analysis Session
  • Data Import by our Data Experts
  • 30 Day Import Review
  • Secondary Data Import (if needed)
  • Needs Analysis Session
  • System Configuration Session
  • No data import limitations


ASSISTED SELF IMPORT

Starting at $600 (no import fee)

(one-time fee)

Services Included:

  • Data Analysis with a Data Expert
  • System Configuration Consultation
  • NeonCRM Support Center Guides
  • Some data limitations for import

FULL DETAILS

FOLA'S 2019 LAW ASSOCIATION SURVEY

LAW FIRM SIZE

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

58% of all of Law Association members responding to our survey own their own practice.  The above image shows how many lawyers are in our member firms (both owned and operated by a member and those they practice in).  


View all results! 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

88% of all respondents told us that their Law Association offer some form of Professional Development program (either in person or online).  And 82% of respondents tell us their Association charges for in-person events.


View all results!  

BIGGEST CHALLENGES

FUTURE PRACTICE PLANS

FUTURE PRACTICE PLANS

At 61%, member engagement is  - by far - the biggest challenge facing Law Associations.  And FOLA will be working with you over the next year to address this (and other) challenges.  You'll find some help on this page as we continue to add content to it.


 View all results!  

FUTURE PRACTICE PLANS

FUTURE PRACTICE PLANS

FUTURE PRACTICE PLANS

19% of respondents told us they plan on retiring in the next 5 years and 9% plan to open their own practice.  The Law Society of Ontario has some great resources to help and FOLA can help you access them here.


 
View all results!   

SOME CONTENT PROVIDED BY:

Downloads

FOLA ANNUAL SURVEY RESULTS - APR 2019 (pdf)Download
FOLA - Essentials vs Impact (pdf)Download
FOLA - Essentials Impact Pricing Package (pdf)Download

Copyright © 2018 - All Rights Reserved.


We use cookies

By closing this banner, you agree to our use of cookies to enhance site navigation and analyze site usage. 

Close