1. Gillen Knight
Head of Enterprise and
Membership, NCVO
Members, money and mission – how
to put membership at the heart of
your income strategy
Twitter: @GilJKnight
Linked-in: uk.linkedin.com/in/gillenknight
5. Start with the basics
• Start charging, if you don’t already, for some types of
membership.
• Ramp up your recruitment. Simply get more members.
• Get members on Direct Debit – up to four times more
sticky.
• Ask. Ask members to regularly donate on top of their
membership fee.
• Create Gold, Founder, Patron or other high value special
memberships.
@GilJKnight
6. Then move on to mission driven
income generation through your
members. Innovate by:
Fundraising through
members
Trading with members
Introducing members to
suppliers
@GilJKnight
7. It’s got to be mission driven, and
simple to understand
+ =
@GilJKnight
9. Practicalities
Do you need to set up a trading company?
VAT issues – beware – can be complex
Reputation – need to manage the risks
Don’t bet the farm
Research, test, roll out rather than go in big
Undertaken due diligence on any commercial
partners
Team up with people who know what they are
doing, if you don’t. Be honest about this.
Start with what you are good at
Fail cheap, fail fast!
@GilJKnight
10. Further support
NESTA - www.nesta.org.uk Funder and great
supporter of innovation
NCVO’s Good Guide To Membership – From
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications
NCVO’s The Art of Raising Money – using
marketing to stabilise your income – From as
above.
NCVO member helpline on VAT issues. www.ncvo-
vol.org.uk/VAT-advice
Each other – network, stay in touch, share ideas
@GilJKnight