Membership & Recruitment: Take Steps to Retain Unpaid Members

Remember who is your WHY and WHY you joined this organization in the first place. 

Are you looking to make a difference?
Established in 1914, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary uses the tagline, “Unwavering Support for Uncommon Heroes®.” We serve veterans across this great country, and most importantly, within our own communities to honor the sacrifices made by those who have served in our nation’s military.

We, the members of the VFW Auxiliary, have dedicated our time and volunteer service to giving back to veterans. We do it by meeting the needs of their families, by promoting pride in the American spirit, teaching young people price of freedom, and serving all citizens within our communities.

Five reasons to join the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Auxiliary:

1. To honor the service of a veteran family member.
2. To promote patriotism to all citizens within our communities.
3. To participate in programs that brings families and communities together for worthwhile projects.
4. To advocate for veterans and their entitlements to be the number one priority of our legislators.
5. To ensure our veterans’ sacrifice and service is never minimized.

Take Steps to Retain Unpaid Members

Time is running out. This is when we MUST work together to get dues PAID. If you have been reading these blogs, promotions or my posts on Facebook, you know that any members who have not paid their dues are longer in good standing. If they do not get their dues paid by June 30, 2019, they will have to rejoin the organization. That means they will have to fill out a membership application, provide proof of eligibility and be accepted by the membership of the Auxiliary they wish to join. They also have to wait one full year to be able to apply for a cancer grant from the National Organization. This is something we do not want any of our members to be faced with. Work for your Auxiliary. Get those members to pay their dues.

Suggestion
A suggestion given was to take your list of unpaid members and ask the members that attend your meetings to please take a name. Have them personally contact the unpaid member to see what the actual reason for delay is. Then, together a plan can be made to keep them as a member. Be prepared to explain the benefits of continuing to be a member.

Goals
A new quarter has started and each state has a new goal to reach by April 30. Your Department will receive $300.00 once this goal is achieved!

FYI
An updated Local Auxiliary Membership/Member Transfer Application is posted on the National website. Please make sure you are using the correct version!

We cannot continue to fight for ALL VETERANS without maintaining our numbers. Membership strength is what gives us our powerful voice. So work those phones, knock on those doors, and more importantly, make personal contact. It will pay off!