Above and Beyond

Up the ante
Still, if you find it difficult to get members to move beyond the value mindset to the purely philanthropic, the key might be upgrading members through renewals, according to Dana Hines, president and chief executive of St. Louis-based Membership Consultants, a full-service membership marketing firm that works exclusively with zoos, museums, botanical gardens and arboretums throughout the country.

Hines runs upgrade campaigns for her clients twice throughout the year, mailing in the spring to members who are due to renew in the fall and mailing in the fall to members due to renew in the spring. The mailings are personalized so that they reference the recipient’s current level of membership and ask him or her to upgrade the membership to the next level, or even two levels higher.