How to Write a Museum Membership Renewal Letter
Museums are iconic fixtures of the public spheres. The very first museum opened in 1683, and since then, these institutional treasure troves have shown no sign of falling out of style. However, the times they are a-changin’, and with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, museums, zoos, aquariums, historic houses, and other public-facing organizations are finding themselves up against a lot of adversity. With gathering sizes necessarily limited in many places globally, and many people struggling financially, the donations and membership dues which museums relied on to keep their doors open are becoming less and less of a guarantee. And the place of the museum in any given community is being threatened.
ACME Ticketing began as a means to support museums and other cultural institutions by streamlining ticketing processes. And one all-important aspect of ticketing for institutions of all shapes and sizes is the gaining and retention of members. Dedicated, due-paying audience members spell guaranteed income and engagement for museums, year after year after year.
In spite of everything, many of the amazing companies we call our clients are continuing to pull through. And one of the multitude of secrets to their unprecedented success is a well-written and engaging membership renewal letter. Later in this article, we’re going to highlight some of the great museums of the world, and show you how they engage their community using letters such as these so that your organization can also flourish.
But first, here’s why membership is so important for your institution.
The Ins and Outs of a Museum Membership
Museums, zoos, aquariums, botanic gardens, and other cultural institutions all depend on passionate audience members signing up for memberships to keep things running, and maintain relevance within their locale. Here are the detailed reasons your organization owes everything to its members.
- Guaranteed income.
Memberships keep the lights on in many public-facing nonprofit organizations. More than just frequent visitors wanting to cut down on their cost of admission, members contribute significant numbers of time, labor, and financial resources to a given institution. According to one study, members annually spend an average of $92.71 on admission alone, while non-member audiences spend just $18.94. Members also spend more on food, retail items, and even philanthropic donations than casual guests. Individual members spend a grand average of $135.25 per year, while visitors spend only $33.91. Having members means that your organization has income to count on. - Community engagement.
Fostering a membership program also gives you unique opportunities to interact with the community surrounding your organization. You can attract more members and perform better outreach by offering special membership prices for local audiences. You can provide special benefits such as educational opportunities, event invitations, and even scholarships. And, using data analytics to learn more about your members via their visitation behavior and spending habits can help you learn what your community wants and needs. With this information, you can create custom programming that will allow you to better serve your audience. - Grant funding.
Solid membership bases are often considered when a museum or other cultural institution is applying for grants and other professional funding opportunities. The impact an organization has on its community is often taken into account. Therefore a healthy, happy membership base can help to garner income from myriad sources. - Outreach.
Membership bases often function as their own marketing platforms. Word of mouth and interpersonal recommendations are some of the best and most effective means of marketing. While a well-placed social media ad can work wonders, nothing is better at convincing a new member to join up than an enthusiastic current member giving them the low-down of everything they will gain through membership with your organization.
Members are worth their weight in gold to cultural institutions. And that value only increases the longer a member remains a part of your organization. Retention of members not only helps to increase the value of current members over time, but also will boost the number of members within your base overall. That’s why it’s so important to have a personal, sincere membership renewal letter ready-to-go when renewal comes around. In the next section, you’ll find an example of one of our favorites.
Museum Membership Renewal Letter Sample
A Science Museum on the West Coast
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Dear Jane, Allow us to be the first to congratulate you on a fantastic year as a member of our organization. We are lucky and delighted to count you as one of our most passionate visitors. Your contributions as a gold-tier member have allowed us to accomplish goals this year which, without you, would have been impossible. This year, with your support, we were able to:
We are additionally reaching out to let you know that your membership with us is about to expire, along with your access to:
It would be our pleasure to renew your membership, and ensure that you continue receiving the benefits listed above. Instructions for membership renewal can be found by following this link. If you would like to set up automatic membership renewal, that can also be done on the general renewal page. With Gratitude, R. Widnar Director of Membership West Coast Science Museum |
Final Thoughts
ACME is a comprehensive ticketing platform designed to streamline and optimize all processes along the visitor journey including ticket purchasing, entry, membership, and donations.
ACME allows your most dedicated audience members to sign up for membership, renew, and even automatically renew with ease. To see how ACME can work for your organization, sign up for a free trial today at ACMEticketing.com.