Boosting Branch Membership

By Jan Thompson, Scottsdale Branch Immediate Past President

Scottsdale New Member Induction - NLAPW
Scottsdale Immediate Past President Jan Thompson (left) with new Pen Woman Stella Saperstein (center) and Mary Sue Hyatt (branch secretary at the time) at a new member induction ceremony last year.

Is your branch membership bursting at the seams (hopefully!) or gradually dwindling and in need of new member energy? The COVID-19 years brought real challenges to maintaining membership, making it difficult to connect and gather for regular meetings. Our Scottsdale Branch, along with many others, was sagging a bit during this period but we can now happily report an increase of 50 percent in our membership — and we’re still growing.

As incoming president in 2024, I identified membership recruitment as our branch’s first priority and encouraged our members to join in the effort. Here are some tips that worked for us:

  • Choose membership-qualified women as your meeting presenters. Be sure that the presenters you invite have all the qualifications necessary to become future Pen Women.
  • Go where the prospects are. Recruit new members at local art fairs, your members’ book clubs, and community musical events. Come prepared with PW flyers, calendar of meetings, and contact info for yourself or your membership chair.
  • Each one, recruit one. Encourage your members to invite qualified guests to meetings, and especially to any larger events your branch may offer. I may have been a bit overenthusiastic when I invited 85 people to our branch’s fundraiser event last spring, but attendance was never better!
  • Keep a prospective members list. Add names to your “prospectives list” as these accumulate and be sure to include prospective members in all meeting and special event announcements of your branch by text or email. This not only keeps potential members in the loop but also helps orient them to activities and goals of your branch.

Here’s wishing you and your branch booming numbers of potential members this fall!