Growing your non-profit group

For those that are part of a non profit group it is as important to your group to keep growing each year as it is to a business. The above photo is of a Circuit City that is no longer in business. Could it be because they didn’t grow or change with the times? I think about Woolworth’s Department Store was the place to shop when I was a kid, they were once the number one retailer in the world and now they are no longer around. Did they fail to grow or change? I think so. Other business and non-profit groups that used to be around have just withered away. To keep your non-profit group strong and around for the future you need to continue to grow each year since we know some members will quit coming, some may move due to a job transfer or some may just die. Here are a few ideas that you could use for any group, the examples are towards growing a Toastmasters group.

A. Shout about your group.

Tell people about your group.Some famous toastmasters such as Peter Coors of the Coors Brewing Company, Debbie Fields the founder of Mrs Fields Cookies and Bruce Mills the founder of MillsWay.com all had to hear about Toastmasters group some how. Here are some ways to shout about your group:

1. Collect old Toastmaster Magazines and take them around to area offices that have waiting rooms and see if you can put them with the other magazines. Attach a note to each magazine telling about upcoming meetings and a contact phone number or email address.

2. Do what you do best.. Go speak to other groups, colleges and businesses and let people know the benefits of being part of a Toastmasters group.

3. Use social media to get the word out. Start a Facebook page, a Twitter Account and other social media sites to get the word out about your group.

4. Start a website for your group to attract new members to your group.

5. Do community free seminars on Public Speaking and do press releases in your area newspaper, radio station, TV station and other media outlets to tell them about the seminars and about your group.

6. Each member of the group could talk to their co-workers, friends and also e-mail there contact lists that they have inviting them all to come check out a meeting.

B. Get to know visitors

Make sure your meetings are fun and interesting to your visitors. When people come to your meetings make sure you do the following items:

1. Greet them and introduce them to everyone.

2. Get there name, email address and phone number before the meeting starts.

3. Ask them why they are interested in your group.

4. After the meeting ask them what they liked and if they would like information on joining your group.

C. Followup..Followup…Followup…

Need to keep letting people who have attended in the past but haven’t joined yet about up coming meetings. Ask them for feedback on what they are looking for. Some people in sales say that you need to hear the word “NO” about six times before you may hear the word “YES”. So keep following up with past attendees.

Those are a few ideas that you could adapt to any group you belong to or business to keep growing each year. Keep reminding other members the importance of getting new members each month. Then celebrate your success each month after you grow your group. Have Fun!. As your group continues to grow you will have even more friends, contacts and your group will have the ability to help your community even more. So start today growing your group. Make it happen.

Let me know your thoughts or ideas. Also please join my facebook and linkedin using my email at
bruce@millsway.com. Also follow me at twitter: Bruce Mills at millsway_com. Check out my products that could help you and if you are in need of a Life Coach drop me a e-mail. Have a great day.