Member Appreciation: 20 Ways to Recognize Your Members

A little appreciation goes a long way—especially if you’re a membership organization whose members are the lifeblood of your mission. Member appreciation is the cornerstone of a thriving association, yielding a host of benefits that help keep your members around for the long haul.

Why Invest in Member Appreciation?

Investing time, staff power, and other resources into member appreciation is crucial. By acknowledging and celebrating members’ involvement with and contributions to your organization, you can improve member satisfaction and create a deeper sense of loyalty and engagement.

Additionally, members who feel appreciated are more likely to be enthusiastic advocates for your organization. They’ll help attract new supporters through positive word-of-mouth, which amplifies your nonprofit’s growth and impact.

Finally, a robust member appreciation strategy will strengthen your community and encourage sustained support. In other words, member appreciation = member satisfaction = member retention.

This article provides twenty member appreciation ideas you can use to create a culture of gratitude and recognition. Let’s get into them!

20 Member Appreciation Ideas

Want your members to feel valued by your organization? Incorporate a variety of creative and heartfelt member appreciation tactics! In this section, we’ll explore twenty practical and diverse member appreciation ideas you can use to show your gratitude, boost engagement, and inspire loyalty.

Remember, while your members no doubt appreciate the benefits included in their membership, member appreciation efforts are separate from those. These activities are an added bonus intended to recognize members and make them feel appreciated.

1. Member Appreciation Day (or Week or Month)

When you want something as important as member appreciation to happen, you have to create space for it. Add a Member Appreciation Day, Member Appreciation Week, or Member Appreciation Month to your organization’s calendar and fill it with events and initiatives to honor your members.

For example, you might declare May 21 as Member Appreciation Day and send all members a special package to mark the occasion.

2. Newsletter Highlights

Does your organization send a monthly member newsletter? If so, this is a great space to highlight specific members for their involvement and contributions. There are many great ways to do this—you can include an interview with a member, a photo of them with a brief bio and thank-you message, a video with a message of gratitude, etc.

3. Spotlight in Local Media

How cool would it be to feature one of your members in the local news? Reach out to local TV stations, newspapers, or magazines to collaborate on a feature story about one of your dedicated members, their story with your organization, and the positive impact they’ve had as a member.

4. Appreciation Events and Ceremonies

Holding a member appreciation event or ceremony is a classic idea with plenty of potential impact. Typically an annual occasion, these events celebrate members with food, entertainment, and recognition opportunities. You may want to include awards and even get trophies and plaques involved.

5. Recognize Members at Public Events

If you host an event that is open to the public, this is another fantastic opportunity to make your members feel special. Give them something extra that identifies them as members and offer perks like reserved seating, a free drink, or priority parking.

Here’s a real-life example: I recently attended an event thrown by the history center in my city. I noticed that their members were given a red sticker at check-in that identified them as members and let event staff know that they were eligible for certain benefits that evening. This immediately piqued my interest (as a non-member) and caused me to look up how to become a member right then and there.

6. Surprise and Delight

The concept of “surprise and delight” means to amaze someone with an unexpected gift or experience. Imagine how thrilled your members would be (and how positively they’d view your organization) if a random, personalized gift showed up on their doorstep. 

To surprise and delight takes a level of strategy that hinges on paying attention to what your members like.

For example, you might learn during a conversation that one of your members is traveling somewhere they haven’t been to in a long time, but that means a lot to them. You arrange for a gift card to a restaurant in that location and a card with a message of appreciation to be delivered to them a few days before they’re set to leave.

7. Recognition Wall

A good old-fashioned recognition wall full of faces and names is a great way to show how much you appreciate your members. This can be a wall you create in your office (imagine the smiles when a member comes to visit and sees themselves!) or a page on your website that lists all of your members and honors them in some way.

8. Recognize Milestones and Special Occasions

One big part of appreciation is simply making someone feel seen. When you take the time to recognize a member’s special milestone, such as their 1-year anniversary with your organization or their 100th volunteer hour, it shows that you see and appreciate their involvement.

Recognizing their personal special occasions is also great. Send your members a special message on their birthday, wedding anniversary (as long as you’re positive that they’re still married), graduation date, or upon the birth of a child.

9. Members-Only Events and Workshops

Your members may get special perks at your public events and workshops, but consider having members-only ones that focus on meeting needs that your members have expressed. 

If you send a member survey and discover that many members would love some help navigating taxes as a freelancer, for example, then invite members to attend a workshop about that—and let them know it’s because you heard them and appreciate their membership and participation!

10. Thank-You Calls And Texts

You don’t want to do this too often, but calling or texting your members to share your appreciation can certainly produce warm and fuzzy feelings. If you want to leave a specific message and not interrupt their day with a conversation, there are even apps that allow you to connect directly to their voicemail.

11. Member Spotlight Social Media Posts

Using social media to recognize your members is a simple but effective member appreciation strategy. Similar to highlighting members in your newsletter, you can interview the member who will be the subject of the post, share a video, or use a graphic with their photo, a few facts, and a message of gratitude. 

12. Legacy Recognition Program

A legacy recognition program starts by acknowledging members for the longevity of their membership, but then it takes things  a step further. The program not only honors the length of someone’s membership but also their commitment to the organization and the impact of their involvement. You can offer special acknowledgments and benefits to members who qualify for this program.

13. Early Access to Events (and Everything Else)

Show members how much you appreciate them by granting them early access to your events, raffles, and other opportunities. For example, if you’re hosting an event that non-members can attend, you could host a members-only cocktail reception an hour before non-members are allowed entry.

14. Customized Member Badges

Badges are not only very cool, but they’re also a fun way to show member appreciation and make it easy for members to identify one another at your organization’s events. Member badges can also be a “ticket” that opens members up to a variety of perks, such as a welcome gift bag when they arrive at an event.

15. Digital Badges

Your most loyal members would love a way to show the world that they’re a part of your organization. Express your appreciation by providing them with a digital membership badge! With a digital badge, members can add it to their social media profiles or email signatures to showcase their involvement and support.

16. Personalized Videos

Ask your staff members or leadership team to record short videos thanking specific members for being a part of the organization. Make sure that the videos are personalized—include their name, mention their unique contributions, etc. There are many creative ways you can send these videos to members, including texting them or mentioning the member in an Instagram story.

17. Exclusive Merchandise

Offer limited-edition merchandise, such as t-shirts, mugs, or tote bags, that is available only to members. When you give your members exclusive merchandise, they’re bound to feel special. Their special merch will say to others, “I’m a member of X organization, and only members of X organization can have this cool t-shirt.”

18. Special Mentions in Reports

Your organization’s impact report or annual report is a space to share your progress over the past year, but it’s also an opportunity to spotlight and appreciate your members. Include a section in the report that acknowledges and thanks key members for their commitment and engagement.

19. Customized Membership Cards

A physical membership card, similar to the membership badges we previously mentioned, can be a symbol of pride and belonging. They’re also a great way to offer your members benefits outside of your events. Issue personalized membership cards that grant various benefits, such as discounts at local businesses or a free pastry at a community favorite coffee shop.

20. Holiday Greetings and Gifts

Holidays present a perfect opportunity to be especially enthusiastic and generous with your member appreciation efforts. During big holidays, send your members holiday cards and small gifts. This shows your appreciation and keeps your relationships strong during a busy holiday season! 

Implementing any of these member appreciation ideas can transform the way your organization engages with members. By consistently recognizing and celebrating your members, you’ll strengthen your community and ensure that every member feels valued and motivated to continue being a part.

Grow Your Membership Organization With Expert Resources

Member appreciation is just one (very important!) part of membership management. From member acquisition to member engagement and beyond, you’ll find a resource for it in The Membership Management Resource Hub.

This hub provides a wealth of resources on membership management, including articles and reports that offer in-depth strategies, insights, and tools. There’s even a Membership Lifetime Value Calculator that allows you to estimate your members’ financial impact over their lifetime. Check out the resource hub below!