Membership Renewals - Joining date or fixed date?

By Nick Koerbin

When do we invoice our membership subscriptions, on the member's joining date or a fixed date during the year for all members ?

I met with one of our Association clients last week to discuss the best way to manage annual membership renewals.

💡It is essential to decide whether to send renewal invoices on the anniversary of a member's joining or on a set annual renewal date for all members. Each approach has pros and cons.

💡While sending invoices on the joining anniversary may help with cash flow, it also requires ongoing follow-up with members who still need to renew, which can be time-consuming and costly.

💡At Association Executive Services, we provide a member contact service that has been instrumental in helping organisations recover lost members, demonstrating its effectiveness and value.

💡Membership renewal issues often stem from outdated contact information, so keep member information current. Set a specific annual renewal date for all members to reduce this issue.

This allows for better planning and allocation of resources, ensuring that the critical tasks of renewing memberships and generating revenue are given the attention they deserve.

Here are my final comments on this aspect of membership

💡Ensure you have written procedures and processes for managing the renewal of your membership subscriptions.
💡Ensure your website platform can provide you reports on who has renewed and who hasn't

Finally, remember that membership's correct key performance measure is not growth but member retention. More on that subject later 🎤