SWE Membership Help! One Woman s Thoughts & Advice Regarding SWE Membership
Presenter Susan Thomas Schlett SWE Life Member 25 years volunteerism Chartered SWE Collegiate Sections Member of four different Professional SWE Sections in 3 different regions Section President and Membership Chair roles Passion for SWE and communicating its benefits
Program Membership Basics Membership Assessment (Baseline Data) Recruiting Members Retaining Members
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Somewhat of a misnomer You do not have to be a woman or an engineer to join SWE! ANYONE CAN JOIN SWE to support SWE s mission!!!
SWE s Mission Stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, Expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and Demonstrate the value of diversity.
Less than 15% of the engineers working in the U.S. today are women* Individuals can help increase that percentage Together, we (SWE) can change history! *factfinder.census.gov United States Occupation by Sex 2005-2009 American Community Survey
Be proud of who you are! If you are a woman, be proud to be a woman If you are an engineer, be proud to be an engineer We need to embrace who we are and be proud of it, before we can encourage others to do the same SWE s Multicultural Committee (MCC) Affinity Groups People sharing the same aspect of diversity can come and work together l f d l d b l l ( Elements of diversity include: Ability, Age, Class (socio economic, education, resources), Country of Birth, Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Religion, Sexual Orientation.
Celebrate the tremendous value the engineering profession provides and advertise - Proudly wear the SWE pin!
SWE Membership Grades Professional Senior Fellow Associate Is or has been actively engaged in engineering work Holds a baccalaureate or advanced degree in engineering, g, engineering g technology, or science related to engineering; or Has at least five years engineering experience Actively engaged in engineering work, holds baccalaureate or advanced degree plus 10 years of engineering experience; or Has 15 years of engineering experience A SWE Achievement Award recipient Honor conferred on SWE members "in recognition of continuous service to the advancement of women in the engineering profession." Supports the Society goals but does not qualify for above grades, and:» work is related to engineering practice or training» or applicant is sponsored by a member of the senate, a professional section president, member at large president, region governor, or corporate member
SWE Membership Grades Collegiate and Collegiate to Career (C2C) Is not employed full-time in an engineering position Is pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering Collegiate $20.00 annually C2C one-time fee of $50.00 throughout collegiate career through first year of professional membership
SWE Dues Classifications Transition Member - graduated within 12 months Recent Graduate graduated within 24 months Life through donation to SWE Endowment Fund Collegiate to Career - (C2C) Retired/Unemployed Professional Returned to School Joint Membership with: AISES NSBE SHPE K-12 Educator Note: SWE s fiscal year is July 1 through June 30 (FY12 began July 1, 2011 and ends on June 30, 2012)
SWE Life Membership Option Life membership is available with a $2,000 donation to the SWE Endowment Fund Inc. (paid in full or over four years) Tax Deduction Excellent Investment Future dues waived after paid-in-full Personal Preference Best Decision I Ever Made! Consider giving as a gift
SWE Life Membership Option Life membership is available with a $2,000 donation to the SWE Endowment Fund Inc. (paid in full or over four years) Tax Deduction Excellent Investment Future dues waived after paid-in-full Personal Preference Best Decision I Ever Made! Consider giving as a gift
Membership Dues & Dates Date July 1 August * Membership Note Start of new Fiscal Year (dues are due) Receive first dues rebate check from HQ September 30* Un-renewed member drop date January 1 February * March 31 April 15 * June 30 Membership half-price starts (new members only) Receive second dues rebate check from HQ Determine number of section reps for next FY Memberships applied through next FY Renewing members get $5 on time discount * = NEW date in FY12
Online Access ONLINE AT WWW.SWE.ORG you can: APPLY/JOINAPPLY/JOIN RENEW REINSTATE
Online Access To apply for membership online. Step 1: Visit SWE.org and Choose Membership button.
Online Access Step 2: Choose Member Services button.
Online Access Step 3: Select Become a Member (Non-member) - for those who have never been a SWE member and would like to join.
Online Access Step 4: Enter appropriate information and choose Create Account button.
Online Access Step 5: Choose login name and password Account and complete the form.
Online Access
SWE Region Map
Section (Chapter) Assignments Each member selects their preferred Section/MAL/International assignment when joining or renewing Section/MAL/International assignments are generally based on postal code/country of the preferred mailing address SWE members can belong to ANY SWE Section/ g / MAL/International but may only have one membership assignment at a time
Section (Chapter) Assignments Why would I change my membership assignment? Collegiate member to a Professional member transition Moving and want to be assigned based upon your new address Traveling on a rotation program for work & would like to participate in the SWE section near work You want to support SWE as a MAL How do I transfer to another SWE assignment? Make change during online renewal process or return renewal form noting this change Any other time, contact membership@swe.org or call SWE HQ at (312) 596-5223 and ask for Membership they will be able to help
Committee Activity Define Role/Responsibilities for: Committee Chair Committee Members Member to review membership roster monthly (at a minimum) to report additions, deletions & transfers Member to put together New Member Packets and mail them to new members Member to make membership calls Welcome new members Periodic calls for meeting/event reminders, contact info updates, thank you for renewing membership, collecting baseline data
Committee Activity Section Member Kits Personalize Section Folder & Include: 1. Letter on Section Letterhead Introduce yourself Welcome member to their SWE section/region List section officer contact information 2. List of upcoming Meetings/Events with dates List of Upcoming Meetings/Events & Dates Be sure to include the upcoming SWE National Conference and your SWE Regional Conference info 3. Copy of Section Newsletter or Website page 4. Any other literature you think appropriate
Sample New Member Packet Letter Dear Ms. Jones, I am the membership chair for the Charlotte-Metrolina section of SWE (SWE-CM). We just received your name on our membership roster and we want to officially welcome you to SWE-CM! Enclosed in this new member packet you should receive: - A list of upcoming SWE meetings/events/conferences - A contact list of SWE-CM officers - A copy of the SWE-CM newsletter Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding SWE. Let us know what SWE can do for you! Sincerely, Susan Thomas Schlett SWE-CM Membership Chair FY 12 Tel. 123-456-7890
MEMBERSHIP ASSESSMENT Baseline Data SWE Section Leadership Who are the SWE Officers? Is their information accurate? Are their dues paid?
MEMBERSHIP ASSESSMENT Baseline Data Where is your section today? Gather baseline data using the SWE Directory (You can request from SWE HQ until Leadership Directory becomes available.) Coordinate efforts with section leadership What SWE section & region do you belong to? How many members do you have? Where do they work? Where do they live? Where did they/do they attend school? When did/do they plan to graduate? What is their discipline?
MEMBERSHIP ASSESSMENT Baseline Data What do I do with the baseline data? Evaluate the data Do you have a small (up to 35 members), medium (30 100 members), or large (greater than 100 members) SWE section? Which members are employed at the same company? Which members attended the same school? Based upon dates degrees received, what is the age range of the section? Make graphs or charts to organize your baseline data Ask questions based upon the data Are meetings and events held in areas close enough to where people work? Are meetings ever held at any of your members employers?
MEMBERSHIP ASSESSMENT Baseline Data (sample roster directory page to be added) MEMBERSHIP ASSESSMENT
MEMBERSHIP ASSESSMENT Baseline Data Ethnic Origin Chart Percentage* 1.83 % American Indian/Alaskan Native (85) 33.86 % Asian/Pacific Islander (1,573) 16.72 % Black/African American (777) 18.85 % Hispanic (876) 0.04 % Multi-racial (2) 4.54 % Non-Hispanic white (211) 8.50 % Other (395) 15.65 % Prefer not to answer (727) *Only 25% of SWE s membership has provided this data
RECRUITING MEMBERSHIP SWE is a huge part of my daily life Spread the word SWE is an amazing organization! Coordinate with section leadership to be a go-to person Tell your members to talk with people at work, school, in the neighborhood, in their night class, etc. Ask people if they are familiar with SWE Ask if your go-to person could contact them to chat further about SWE Collect prospective member contact info Contact prospective members in a timely fashion Explain how easy it is to join SWE on-line Once a member has joined, give them a welcome phone call or send them a new member packet
RETAINING MEMBERS Know Your Members Contact every member on your roster (preferably by phone) Introduce yourself (be upbeat & positive) Verify their contact information (SWE profile) Ask lots of questions (two goals get to know member & gather info for section planning) How long have they been a SWE member? How familiar are they with SWE? Have they held any office within SWE? What do they like about SWE? What could SWE improve upon? Do they ever read SWE Magazine or SWE newsletters? Ask if they have a particular volunteer interest (ex. Outreach, Professional Development, etc.) Would they be interested in chairing a committee or being a member of a committee? Are they familiar with SWE webinars?
RETAINING MEMBERS Know Your Members Try to gauge the conversation to see how long to talk (if you can sense it is not a good time, ask if perhaps p there would be a better time they could be contacted) Tell them of upcoming SWE activities Leave your contact info in case they have future questions Follow-up with an e-mail if possible Recommend reviewing the SWE Directory database monthly Note membership additions, deletions and transfers & compare with previous month s findings
RETAINING MEMBERS Know Your Members Contact everyone on your roster Maintain contact with members Meeting reminder Periodic information update Thank you for renewing membership Make a point to call members, this includes: those new to SWE, a former member who rejoined, member transitioning from collegiate to professional or a member transferring from another location
Recruiting Members Talk the Talk Make SWE business cards Individually or with SWE section Talk with people! If they seem interested in knowing more about SWE ask for their contact info so someone from your membership committee may contact them Offer Incentives* at a class you are taking, at another technical society meeting, your neighbors, coworkers & friends, in newspaper Bring a potential SWE member to a meeting and earn coupons toward: A future free SWE meeting A SWE pin SWE membership *May require executive council approval
Recruiting Members SWE Has Something for Everyone! Every Stage of Your Life Every Stage of Your Career Collegiate New Engineer First Job New Graduate Working in industry, academic, Single, Married, Divorced government, self employed With or Without Children A Few Years of Job Experience Full-Time Employment 10-20 Years Job Experience Part-Time Employment > 20 Years Job Experience Stay-At-Home Mom or Dad Adult Returning to School Adult Returning to School Retiree Retired
Recruiting Members Collegiate SWE Sections Maintain Close Ties Share Collegiate SWE Section Officers Contact Info Collegiate Incentives Organize a joint professional/collegiate yearly planning event Share Professional SWE Meeting/Event Invites Coordinate joint and complimentary events Share Newsletters Provide those graduating with SWE transition May be a large part of your memberships membership pipeline
Retaining Members Reward Member s Efforts Appreciation Certificates Nominate Qualified Individuals and Their Committees for SWE Awards on the Local, Region & Societal Levelel Written Thank You Notes Avoid Section Burnout Succession Planning! Clear Ground Rules Assign primary/secondary person to be responsible for a meeting/event Generate fresh ideas from all members Meet & Greets Understand roles, responsibilities and expectations
Retaining Members Reminders to Pay Dues (May September) I m not an active SWE member, so I ve decided to drop my membership. STOP! Remind members of the greater good that SWE does to promote & support women in engineering such as administering a large scholarship program, professional development webinars, & public policy advocacy. In addition, a percentage of membership dues is rebated back to the local section to fund worthwhile events and activities! Remind people of separate unemployed and retired membership rates Find out why a Member does not plan to renew - what can we do better? Have they asked their company if they would pay their dues - do they work for a corporate/cpc member? Talk up the region and Society/annual conferences - gather a group to attend
, Assessment, Recruiting & Retaining Membership ideas to share? Contact me at: susan.schlett@swe.org April Privett, Membership Committee Chair at: april.privett@swe.org Lana Fountain Flakes, Director of Membership Initiatives at: lana.r.fountain@swe.org Mary E. Carravallah, Director of Member Relations at: membership@swe.org