[Imc-outreach] meeting notes

[faith swords]

given the situation with the paper, how does this change our publicity
plans?

--faith

On Fri, 9 Apr 2004, Jacqueline Waters wrote:

> Notes from the 4/6 Outreach meeting:
> Attending: Jane, Faith Jacqueline
> Recording:  Jacqueline (by hand, so some details were lost due to lack of speed)
>
> - Agreed that we wanted to talk about vision, where we would like to see outreach be at, rather than just how to patch together what we have.
>
> - Would like to encourage higher membership donations with premiums.  Brainstormed on this a bit, came up with this idea:
> $50 basic membership
> $75 membership plus Public I subscription
> $100 membership plus Public I susbscription plus t-shirt or video
>
> Want the premiums to represent what we do/spread the word to the community.  Would immediately put aside funds from a membership donation to cover the premiums, would not order t-shirts or videos (the video group would produce a video for the premium and the general IMC would 'purchase' these from the video group to give out).  Talked to Video-istas who happened to be in the building, they were interested as long as it raised some money for them, they need funds.
>
> Talked about having a new t-shirt every year, let members submit designs, chose between submissions?  JQ would like to see it be a 'contest' of sorts, the membership chosing which best represented where the IMC was at, etc. at the general membership meetings and then using that design for the next year, but worried others would dislike the competitive aspect.
>
> To kick off these new membership levels, the idea of a membership drive comes up.  JQ says, great, we have a drive, but how do we advertise it?  How do we draw people in?  We're not a radio station.  Jane comes up with the brilliant plan of a series of events over the drive month, bands, zine readings, etc. to promote the drive and sign people up at.  Faith and JQ agree that Jane is a genius.  Faith suggests early fall, September-ish, to do the first drive.  Concensed on September with the stipulation that we check it will not overlap with WEFT's pledge drive.  JQ agrees to check with WEFT.  We'll talk to the Paper about advertising the drive and/or letting us run an article on what the IMC is up to in general with a plug at the end about the membership drive.  Faith will talk to Kim about getting this mentioned in some manner on WILL.
>
> - Next up, Jane suggests that we need to go to the working groups and make a presentation to them about how important it is for the IMC's vitality and survival that they become paying members.  JQ and Faith agree, this goes on the to-do list.  It is also agreed that efforts need to be made to curb the lending of IMC equipement an books and resources to non-members, which we all admit we have seen happen.  We need to keep it members only for lending of items not only because it helps make people want to be members, but because we need to be lending our resources to individuals that have an investment in making sure the IMC's resources are well cared for.
>
> - Special events for members that are *parties* not *meetings*.  Events such as concerts, movie screenings, etc, that are free for members, a cover for non-members.
>
> - We have gotten the fiscal okay to make a large banner to hang at IMC events and a smaller, front-of-table laminated sign about becoming a member to use at events.  Need a designer.  Faith will talk to Darrin.
>
> - Much talk about needing a 'system' for members - a letter we send out when they join, consistant contact, membership/donor development.  JQ asserts that the IMC is going to need someone doing this, a real position for membership development, very soon.  Faith brings up multiple examples where this has all ready been needed and caused us to lose donations/almost lose donations due to potential donors feeling ignored or blown off.  (For details, see Faith.  At least one documented case of someone ready to donate $1000 and then didn't and got peeved, because blown off and never asked.  Who knows how many more cases like this exist that we don't know about.)  JQ says we need to put this in steering's court, put on the table that the IMC as a whole needs this and that steering needs to start thinking about how to make this happen.  What we are paying Faith to do is update files and remind lapsed members - we can't expect her to do development work when she won't really get paid for it - she only gets a percent of the fee when a membership is signed up for, not when people donate to individual groups, capital campaign, make a general donation, etc.  (JQ's opinion)
>
> - Talk about how to 'sell' people on becoming a member.  Agreed that we can't really get people to join by offering them all sorts of fancy benefits that only members get (we are an organization based on inclusiveness, not exclusiveness).  We need to be honest that what you get is the IMC - that your membership makes the IMC possible and that we need your involvment - fiscally as well as your time.  You get to support your community, to make the IMC happen.
>
> That's  all I got in my notes, correct anything you'd like before I send this off to the main list around noon Saturday.
> JQ
>
>
>