Building a Strong Membership

Two Simple Questions

1) How can I recruit and/or develop members?

2) How can my chapter become an ‘Ideal’ chapter?

What is ASDA? The American Student Dental

Association is a national student-run organization that protects and advances the rights, interests, and welfare of students pursuing a career in dentistry. It introduces students to lifelong participation in organized dentistry and provides services, information, education, representation and advocacy.

Membership Strong membership is essential

to ASDA’s success• Largest national organization

solely dedicated to dental student concerns

• 86% membership amongst dental students (~17,000 total members including predentals, associates and international students)

Membership year: Jan 1-Dec 31 ADA student member

Five Types of Membership

Predental: Undergraduate or high school student interested in dentistry ($55 per year)

Predoctoral: Students enrolled in & attending an ADA-accredited US dental school ($72 per year)

Associate: Dentist or professional in a field related to dentistry ($55 per year)

International: Any person interested in dentistry who resides outside the United States ($80 per year)

International Student: Students enrolled in international dental schools outside the US ($85 per year –includes ADA membership)

ASDA Membership Benefits

Discounted NBDE online courses and preparation materials

Access to members-only area of ASDAnet.org

Health, Disability, Auto and Homeowners/Renters Insurance

$50,000 FREE life insurance New discounted wireless plan with T-

Mobile New discount on Lexi-Comp print and

electronic products ASDA MasterCard Discounted books, music and DVDs Leadership opportunities at local and

national levels Networking

The Voice of the

American Student Dental Association

ASDA News – Monthly Newsletter

Mouth – Quarterly Journal Getting Through Dental School

Handbook Guide to Postdoctoral Programs National Board Reprints Getting Into Dental School

Handbook (for predental members)

New monthly e-newsletter “Word of Mouth”

Publications

ADA Student Membership Benefits

Publications: – Journal of the American Dental

Association (JADA)– ADA News

Practice management and marketing tools Low-cost student disability insurance

coverage ADA library reference service ADA Infopaks on career alternatives,

associateships, etc. Financial resources, including publications

and scholarships Success programs for dental students at

your school Much more! Visit www.ada.org/goto/student

1. Register for FREE $50,000 Life Insurance coverage (coverage doesn’t roll over from year to year; you must re-enroll annually)

2. Get 80% of your school’s students registered for the FREE Life Insurance

3. ADA Insurance Plans will give your ASDA chapter a check for $300

4. Money that your chapter can use for activities!

FREE Insurance Benefit

Ways to Recruit Members

Automatic Billing ADA’s Student Block Grant Program

– State societies can be reimbursed $3,000-5,000 for activities with direct interaction with students

– Important for ASDA members to let dental societies know about this reimbursement opportunity

– Funding does not go directly to ASDA chapter or school, but offers students an important opportunity to interact with their state societies and offer ideas of how they can collaborate

Membership Recruitment

Recruitment takes place everyday, year round, you just may not know it!

– Students learn about ASDA at membership drives

– Students experience ASDA & formulate their opinions when events & activities are held

– Competing messages for their attention

– Brand ASDA events to remind them

Member Recruitment There are three basic target

groups to recruitTAILOR YOUR APPROACH!

Active members focus on maintaining their interest in order to keep them active

Enable them to lead!

Inactive members spark their interest and get them involved

Survey them!

Non-members show them why they should become members of the organization

Especially survey them!

Active Member Retention

Active members = involvement and efficiency

Active members generate ideas, get involved and make our activities successful.

They are the most important component in each of our chapters… like YOU and me... without them our chapters cannot thrive.

Inactive Member Recruitment

Convert interested inactive members to active members (20/80 rule)

Don’t pressure anyone into becoming more involved than they feel comfortable, some members do not want to get highly involved(and that’s OK!)

Advertise (survey) ways for people to become more involved, offering varying degrees of participation & topics!(survey says…)

Dental education

Recruitment of Non-members

Communicate the benefitsOne of the most common reasons

why a person won’t join is because they just don’t know (or they forgot!) what the membership benefits are

Add value to membership– Only members eligible for raffle prizes

at lunch & learns, vendor fairs, etc.– T-shirts for membership– Charge small fee for non-members to

events

Plan: Be organized!

– Work with your leadership team

Be educated!– Know the topics & what ASDA is doing

about them– Be able to direct members to the right

source (ASDA central office, ADA or somewhere else)

Be enthusiastic! It’s contagious!

Be willing to ask for help!– Communicate with the central office or

your District Trustee

Remember… Advertising ASDA benefits is key to

recruiting and retaining members– Be creative to come up with your own local

benefits

Actively recruit members from all three groups (active members, inactive & non-members)

MEMBERSHIP IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR ORGANIZATION

MEMBERSHIP GIVES OUR ORGANIZATION POWER

WITHOUT EXTENSIVE MEMBERSHIP, WE LOSE OUR COLLECTIVE VOICE(person yelling or stadium roar)

My chapter has several motivated members…

now what?

Becoming an Ideal ASDA Chapter

The Ideal ASDA Chapter Committee was formed to recognize the achievements and accomplishments of outstanding ASDA chapters

2010 Ideal ASDA Awards

Ideal ASDA Chapter Most Improved ASDA Chapter Specific Awards

Outstanding Membership & Communication Outstanding Involvement with Organized Dentistry Outstanding Activities Outstanding Advocacy Outstanding Fundraising Outstanding Involvement with Predental Members Increasing Ethical Awareness Largest Membership Market Share Increase Highest Membership Market Share for a Recruited

Chapter Implementation of Automatic Billing System

Questions ASDA Central Office

Danielle Bauer, Chapter Relations Manager(800) 621-8099, ext 2826 or Danielle@ASDAnet.org www.ASDAnet.org

Council on MembershipAndrea Salazardent@umich.edu

District Trustee www.asdanet.org/trustees.aspx