light a fire! membership campaign planning for food co-ops
DESCRIPTION
Getting burnt out trying to grow your co-op membership? Using all of your superpowers at the same time is often a recipe for startup disaster. We believe that you don't need to do everything, just the right things at the right time. We've created a strategic tiered plan that can be used by any startup co-op. This is the basic presentation for a two-hour workshop to learn how to prioritize and strategize to build membership through the stages of co-op development.TRANSCRIPT
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 [email protected] (COOP)
Thank you!