How do Associations Engage Their Membership on a Grassroots Level?

When considering your association’s public policy strategy, the very first step should be the identification and mobilization of your grassroots members. In this endeavor it is never too early to start.

Before you even have an issue on the agenda, it is important to engage your membership to identify leaders and activists. Not all of your members will be of the same skill set. Some may be natural born leaders ready to rally the troops at a moment’s notice, with a passionate appeal to their fellow members for action. Others could be more suited to the in-depth research and position development that it takes to make valuable evidence to present to policy makers in meetings. The key here is to keep members of all different persuasions engaged and informed through out the process. If you’re able to make members feel like they have a stake in the association’s future, than you stand a better chance of developing real public policy champions.

At Agentis Management, we work together with the Boards of Directors at our various client organizations and develop committees and special interest groups to help craft public policy to advance each association's agenda and professional stature. When your members see their AMC and their Boards of Directors fighting for their profession on a day-to-day basis, it becomes much easier to tap into their enthusiasm on an as-needed basis instead of having to rally members for each and every issue.