Originated by Girl Scouts of Connecticut
Proposal:
TO amend provisions in the Credentials/ Certificate of Membership/ Membership Requirements/ Lifetime Membership section of The Blue Book of Basic Documents (pp.25-26) by adding as follows:
Current wording:
Lifetime members pay $400 lifetime membership dues at the time they become lifetime members; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who was a registered Girl Scout member before the age of 18 and is under the age of 30 at the time of becoming a lifetime member.
Proposed Amendment:
Lifetime members pay $400 lifetime membership dues at the time they become lifetime members; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who was a registered Girl Scout member before the age of 18 and is under the age of 30 at the time of becoming a lifetime member; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who is a registered member and has served as a volunteer for a period of 10 or more years at the time of becoming a lifetime member.
If Adopted, Will Read:
Lifetime members pay $400 lifetime membership dues at the time they become lifetime members; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who was a registered Girl Scout member before the age of 18 and is under the age of 30 at the time of becoming a lifetime member; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who is a registered member and has served as a volunteer for a period of 10 or more years at the time of becoming a lifetime member.
Rationale Submitted by Originating Council:
Instituting a second category of membership eligible for the discounted rate of $200 would recognize the continued support and commitment to the Girl Scout Movement that such long-term volunteers have shown, and it would encourage volunteer retention at a time when many volunteers are beginning to phase out of traditional troop leadership roles.
Implementing a long-term volunteer discount will further advance strategic alumnae goals by making lifetime membership more accessible and attractive to volunteers who may otherwise begin to leave the organization, by allowing them to solidify their commitment and promoting a broader base of support in local communities and councils. A larger pool of Lifetime Members will provide Councils with more links to communicate with adults committed to our organization while providing a platform through which Councils can encourage continued volunteer participation at the Service Unit and Council levels.
As volunteers reach higher levels with their troops, and are perhaps past the under-30 “Young Alumnae” category, they may want to take advantage of lifetime membership to show their support for the Movement. They are more likely to purchase lifetime memberships for themselves and/or their daughters with this more affordable option in place. Councils have a better chance at retaining those volunteers with 7-8 years of membership who are close to the 10-year benchmark; likewise, they may retain those volunteers with 12-13 years of service who may otherwise end their involvement with Girl Scouts when their troop graduates.
Financial Impact Statement Submitted by Originating Council:
There would be no initial cost to the national organization or Councils to implement this change; however, there is potential for some potential lost revenue to GSUSA.
Analysis of Lifetime Membership data during the special April 2019 promotion indicates a positive impact on the number of eligible volunteers who would take advantage of a discounted category. During April 2019 alone, more than 10,000 long term volunteers nationally took advantage of the $200 discounted Lifetime Membership rate. Over the past 15 years there’s been an average of 3,744 Adult Lifetime Membership sign ups per membership year nationally.
Based on current membership records in Looker, it appears that more than 88,000 volunteers have 10+ years of service, do not have an existing Lifetime Membership, and would be eligible for this discounted category. If even 10% of those eligible members opted to purchase at the discounted rate, the initial membership fees would equal $1.76 million! GS-USA would see initial lost revenue from each new class of discounted Lifetime members’ annual membership fees after year 9; however, there is no guarantee of retention year-to-year. In addition, if that upfront discounted Lifetime membership fee is invested partially in some sort of endowment fund, there might be an opportunity to recapture the future lost revenue that would begin in year 9. Over time, a long-time volunteer discount would be expected to broaden the base of Lifetime members, adding to overall revenue.
Another ancillary benefit that is hard to quantify at this time is the retention of girls. We know that many troops often disband because a leader no longer remains in his or her role. For those leaders in their roles for 6-7 years, the anticipation of a discounted Lifetime membership at year 10, might give them the incentive to keep going!
We believe there would be a net positive financial impact to GS-USA and the Councils as a more affordable category would lead to a greater number of volunteers purchasing Lifetime Memberships. The change would also create a more accessible option for Legacy Giving from Service Units or Girl Scout families who may gift a Lifetime Membership to long-time volunteers.
We believe this would result in a net positive effect to the Girl Scout Movement overall due to the increased retention of long-term volunteers, and maybe even extend troop longevity, by creating stronger bases within local communities that support Girl Scouts and generating goodwill for the brand overall.
As this pricing level was already put in place during the April special promotion, we do not believe there would be any associated operational costs to make this a permanent membership option.
National Board Update as of 9/4/2020:
Similarly [referring to Proposal 4], having considered the additional feedback regarding Proposal 6, and acknowledging both the cost of lifetime membership and the importance of valuing the Movement’s long-term volunteers who form the basis of the Girl Scout Movement, the National Board also voted to support the adoption of Proposal 6.
Recommendation of the National Board
The board does not recommend adoption of this proposal.
Reason for the National Board’s Recommendation
The board agrees that recognition for, and retention of, our long-tenured volunteers is important. These volunteers are critical to our mission; the knowledge and commitment that they bring to our girls is immeasurable. Recognition for this important group is why the board authorized a special promotion of $200 for Lifetime Membership in April 2019
for tenured volunteers and GSUSA and council staff.
Limited time offers are motivators and incentivize individuals to act. Generating more lifetime members benefits the Movement in so many ways aside from revenue: it creates a stronger alumnae network, creates access to a pool of amazing volunteers whose expertise can benefit GSUSA and councils, and solidifies a life-long commitment to girls.
The limited April 2019 lifetime membership promotion resulted in a surge of lifetime membership registrations. For the past five years, an average of 3% of volunteers with ten or more years of service signed up for lifetime membership annually. However, during this one-month promotion, approximately 13% of them signed up. Of those, 2.5%—1,800 volunteers—did so on the last day of the promotion, nearly double any other day of the promotion. Delegates who gave feedback on the Delegate Website agreed that targeted, periodic, limited-time promotions would serve to increase lifetime membership registrations. Permanently reducing the lifetime membership dues amount by half for 10+year volunteers would not create the same incentive.
The National Council also discussed and determined at the 2017 NCS that $400 is an appropriate amount to contribute for a lifetime membership (for those other than young alum). A permanent 50% reduction of the cost for lifetime membership for volunteers with 10+ years of service would result in a reduction of revenues.
The board believes that keeping this standard amount and continuing to assess and, when appropriate, authorize limited-time promotions for this and other groups would be the best path forward in addition to considering other ways to incentivize, retain, and recognize our long-term volunteers.