29 Tips for Gaining and Retaining a Donor Base

Three ways to increase membership: emphasize acquisition, increase the overall renewal rate and increase first-year renewal rate. Rich said if you can increase the first-year renewal rate, your overall renewal rate will go up.

11. Increase income. Some ways to do this are increasing dues; changing the dues structure (e.g., moving your lowest level up $5 or $10); adding/keeping more members; adding an upgrade program (ask people who have been members for a few years if they'd like to upgrade their membership levels); forming a committee (volunteers?) to solicit for support members; and cut costs.