​February is a good month to share love and we love Philanos Affiliates and their members! Our Philanos theme for February is “Membership” beginning with our February Educational Webinar on February 13th at 12 PM ET – Building a Culture of Belonging: Recruiting AND Retaining a Diverse Membership.

Membership and membership structures are the foundation of our circles. Last year, Philanos recognized the desire for more connection and sharing of membership themes and we launched a virtual affinity group entitled Membership Roundtable. This group now meets bimonthly to discuss and share membership ideas, challenges, and resources. Every Philanos Affiliate is encouraged to participate through their members. All are welcome. The next Membership Roundtable on Tuesday, March 19 at 12 PM ET, will be sharing ideas for listening to your membership.

Breakout sessions on membership are always well attended at our national conferences, but even veterans of our Board (like Sandy) were surprised to see that a session on tiered membership fee structures was standing room only in Baltimore in November. We will be watching and following up on those circles that have embraced different fee structures and how those newer membership models fare in recruiting more diversity and in engaging and retaining those members.

Of course, membership is often about more than writing a check, and our affiliates have many examples of engaging their members through social events, volunteer opportunities, grant committee work, and educational programming. Our members are deeply committed to and interested in continuous improvement of their communities. It takes thoughtful and hard-working leadership to meet those needs. Just two weeks ago, the day after MLK Day, Greenville Women Giving (Maggie’s SC affiliate) offered up an educational program on Intolerance and Inclusion featuring three local women –an FBI agent assigned to hate crimes in the Upstate, a Jewish educator who offers programs on the Holocaust in schools and churches and elsewhere, and the Director of the Upstate Urban League in South Carolina. It was a fascinating and timely discussion with a very engaged audience.

Keep your members close, send them a valentine, and think about all the ways they enrich your community. 

Read the full eNewsletter here