light a fire! membership campaign planning for food co-ops

Light a Fire! Under Your Membership Campaign

Suzi Carter Food Co-op Initiative

“The grocery cart is the most powerful tool for social change.” - Andy Warhol

What are we trying to accomplish?

1. Framework to think about your campaign

2. Structured way to plan

3. Use it with your team

So that recruitment gets easier and better over time!

What are we going to cover?

1. Introductions & Norms

2. Key elements of successful campaigns

3. Re-conceptualizing the membership drive

4. PYOC Activity

5. Take it home

6. Evaluations

70 new co-ops. 120 currently organizing.

We want to know you!

What do effective campaigns have in common?

1. Clear, compelling message that resonates

2. Broadcast and target simultaneously

3. Clarity of goals

4. Elicit before they solicit

5. Meet people where they are

What do effective campaigns have in common?

6. Use parallel strategies to grow participation

7. Upbeat, positive culture

8. Relationships and numbers

9. Interpret – listen with many ears, speak with many voices

10. Momentum!

So how do we get there?

From this…

…to this!

Understanding membership growth through the 3 Stages

What are the differences in each stage?

Understanding membership growth through the 3 Stages

Promoting the campaign in levels

Membership growth?

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Membership Drive?

Membership (fantasy?)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Membership (fantasy?)

Membership plateau

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Membership plateau

In the long run…

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

In the long run…

Campaign planning graphRe

sour

ces

+ In

tens

ity

Time

Campaign Planning Graph

Pre-level

Level 1

Level 2

Level 2 PLAN

Level 3

Get ready for opening!

Shifting to Operations

Building a Membership Campaign

Level 3 PLAN

Level 1 PLAN

Pre-level

Level 1

Level 2

Level 2 PLAN

Level 3

Get ready for opening!

Shifting to Operations

Planning vs. Implementation

Level 3 PLAN

Level 1 PLAN

• Goals

• Strategy

• Targets

• Tactics (or activities)

Ingredients of a Campaign

You already

know

strategy!

Fun!

Congrats!

Now let’s debrief.

Wait, what exactly is a campaign?

• Motivated• Intentional• Creative• A verb

What is strategy?

1.What’s the motivating goal?

2.What’s the outcome?

3.Which tactics will you use? Why these and not others?

4.When will you use them?

Four Strategic Questions

Time to build

your own

campaign!

Fun!

Congrats on

your new co-

op!

Fun!

Campaign planning graph What yours might look like…

Campaign planning graph Color Guide

PINK Membership Goals

BLUE Strategies

YELLOW Tactics / Activities

ORANGE Tools to make the activities happen

WHITE The people you’ll need

PURPLE How you’ll measure

One next

step!

Go us!

Membership Toolkit rolling out…

1. Campaign Handbook

2. Team Planning Activity

3. Resource Toolbox

FoodCoopInitiative.coop

More guides, webinars, toolkits, grants, and more available at:

Suzi CarterFood Co-op Initiativesuzi@fci.coop540-416-2667 (COOP)

Thank you!