Since your participants’ support is essential to your organization running smoothly, sending out membership renewal letters is a great way to ensure that you keep members coming back. Keep reading for some samples to make sure you get those letters right and retain your members.
Managing a membership program is a challenging task. From creating a positive application experience to offering engaging incentives, there are many factors to consider. However, there might be one element of your membership program that you might overlook until the last minute: membership renewal letters.
If you’ve never written a membership renewal letter or want to freshen up your organization’s current template, we’re here to help. These letters are best when they are detailed, so to make sure you include everything you need to, we’ve created some membership renewal letter templates you can use to freshen up your approach and inspire members to stick around.
Membership renewal letters are letters nonprofits send to participants in their membership programs to remind them to pay their dues for the upcoming year. Organizations send these letters within a predetermined interval of the renewal date. The purpose of membership renewal letters is to ensure that members continue supporting your organization and stay in the program by reminding them of the incentives they receive and their impact on the cause.
Membership renewal letters are important for several reasons. First, members are the backbone of your membership program and nonprofit as a whole. Without members, you would have no membership program, and without the program, your organization would not receive as much support as it could.
Next, renewal letters remind members of the value of their membership. If you don’t communicate with your members about the program, then they’re likely to forget why they signed up in the first place. These letters are a great opportunity to explain how members’ support has helped your organization grow and thrive.
Lastly, membership renewal letters remind members of the different perks of their memberships. Maybe you send your members free merchandise, or maybe you invite them to exclusive events. Whatever the special benefits of your program are, reminding your members of them might increase the likelihood that they’ll renew their membership.
Before you use one of our membership renewal letter samples or write your own, it’s important to understand the structure of the letter. That way, you can ensure that all the correct elements are included. The essential elements of a membership renewal letter include:
Standard Membership Renewal Letter Template
90 Days Before Renewal Date Letter Template
15 Days Before Renewal Date Letter Template
Expiration Date Letter Template
Focus on Impact Membership Renewal Letter Template
Emphasis on Benefits Membership Renewal Letter Template
Personalized Membership Renewal Letter Template
Cultural Organizations Membership Renewal Letter Template
Associations Membership Renewal Letter Template
Subject: It’s time to renew your [nonprofit’s name] membership!
Dear [member’s name],
We wanted to start off by thanking you for your support over the past year. With your help, we’ve been able to [explain some initiatives you’ve used member donations for]. We’ve also enjoyed [explain events or other opportunities you’ve offered over the past year] with you and hope you have, too.
We have even bigger plans for this year such as [explain your organization’s plans for the year]. However, we need your help to make it happen!
Please consider continuing to support [nonprofit’s name] by renewing your membership today. The membership application form is attached below. Additionally, an invoice of your membership dues is also available.
If you have any questions or concerns about the renewal process, please feel free to contact [name] at [email address] or [phone number]. Alternatively, you can visit our office at [office address].
We are so grateful for your generosity and sincerely thank you for your generous support. We hope to continue working together to [nonprofit’s cause]!
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
Since this membership renewal template is pretty basic, it will be up to you to change it to fit your organization’s needs. One way you can do so is by adapting the template to your cause. For example, if your organization can produce clear statistics of how members’ support has helped to further your cause, then include those in the letter. Alternatively, if you can demonstrate your nonprofit’s recent success more effectively by highlighting events you’ve hosted over the past year, then be sure to feature that information.
Another important consideration is using a personable tone. Approach your members in a friendly way that shows how you feel about their support. We want to make members feel like they are a part of a community as opposed to just being asked for money.
Lastly, make sure your letter catches and keeps the member’s attention. The best way to do so is by creating an eye-catching subject line that will make your members want to keep reading. Additionally, being concise and using short paragraphs will help to make sure that members don’t drift off the page.
Subject: The Past 9 Months with [nonprofit’s name]
Dear [member’s name],
Thank you so much for your dedication to [nonprofit’s name]. Thanks to your generous support, we’ve been able to offer our members dozens of opportunities and really make a difference in [community or industry]. We sincerely appreciate your generosity!
It’s been [number of months/years since they joined] since you first joined, and we’ve been able to accomplish so much since then! Here’s a look at some of our greatest achievements in the past [number of months/years since they joined]:
We know that we’ve benefitted from your support, and we hope you’ve been able to benefit from your [nonprofit’s name] membership, too. If you would like to keep your place as a member of the [nonprofit’s name] family, please renew your membership now at [renewal URL]. We would love to have your continued support and be able to start planning for an exciting new year of events and opportunities!
If you’re less than satisfied with your membership, we’d be happy to hear your feedback and see if there’s anything we can do to help. Please contact [name] at [email address] or [phone number] who will be happy to speak with you.
Thank you again for your support!
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
When approaching the renewal date, you’ll want to focus on making the renewal experience as quick, easy, and beneficial as possible for members. One way to do so is by offering both a mail-in form and an online renewal option. This way, members can choose to renew their membership in a way that’s most convenient for them. Additionally, linking the online renewal option right within the email allows members to renew their membership immediately upon reading the letter.
Another way to make renewing quickly worthwhile for members is by offering incentives for early renewal. For example, you could offer members who renew their membership by a certain date a membership discount or extra perks throughout the year.
Subject: Your [nonprofit’s name] membership is about to expire!
Dear [member’s name],
There are only 15 more days until your [nonprofit’s name] membership expires. We hope this won’t be the last we see of you, especially considering all of the amazing events and opportunities we have in store for next year!
It’s not too late to renew your membership, and there are many ways to do so:
We really want to keep you around at [nonprofit’s name]! If you renew your membership by [date], you’ll receive [explain benefit/offering] as a token of our appreciation.
Plus, don’t forget about the standard benefits that come with your membership. We at [nonprofit’s name] want you to know that we value you and want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your time with us. That’s why we’re offering these great benefits for the upcoming year:
We hope you’ll stick around for the next year and have a chance to enjoy these great opportunities. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
With 15 days left until the renewal date, your approach should be a little different than 90 days out. You’ll want to use actionable language to encourage members to renew in a timely manner.
Another way to ensure renewals are on time is to emphasize the online renewal option. Renewing your membership online is the quickest and easiest way for members to do so, so you’ll want to guide them toward this choice.
On the subject of time, you’ll want to keep these membership renewal letters short and sweet. The main focus is getting members to renew their membership as quickly as possible, so avoid any extraneous information that might distract from this goal.
Even though you’re trying to get members to renew their membership quickly, you don’t want to pressure them. Find the sweet spot of being assertive as opposed to pushy or nonchalant.
Subject: Your [nonprofit’s name] membership expires TODAY!
Dear [member’s name],
Today’s the day! After an amazing year together, your [nonprofit’s name] membership is about to expire.
Please don’t leave the [nonprofit’s name] family just yet! Renewing your membership is the best way to avoid the additional fees of attending events as a guest or signing up again as a new member.
You’re not too late, though! You can still renew your membership in one of two ways:
Don’t forget, we at [nonprofit’s name] are happy to offer you the following benefits as part of your membership:
If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. We’re happy to help!
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
Although this letter is the most time-sensitive, you don’t want to be overbearing. It’s important to highlight the urgency of renewing without being pushy. Show members why they should renew quickly instead of just telling them their time is up.
If your organization offers late renewals, make sure that’s clear! Some people may not see your email until after the fact, and you want them to know that they can still renew their membership if they choose to.
To ensure that your members received their membership renewal letters, it can be helpful to make a quick follow-up call to check in. Ideally, these calls will result in some conversions, but if not, at least you’ll have a better sense of your numbers for the upcoming year.
Subject: Thanks for Everything, [member’s name]!
Dear [member’s name],
We wanted to thank you for your generous support over the past year. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to [explain some objectives you’ve been able to accomplish with their help/contributions]. In fact, your contributions have allowed us to grow [include a statistic here that highlights the member’s impact]!
Your dedication to [nonprofit’s cause] hasn’t gone unnoticed. We have sincerely appreciated [highlight any specific actions they have taken to support your nonprofit’s cause].
We are in the midst of planning for an even more successful new year, and we would be thrilled to have you here for it!
We hope you’ll consider continuing your generous support for [nonprofit’s name] by renewing your membership today. Attached to this email you’ll find the membership application form and an invoice of your membership dues.
If you have any questions or concerns about the renewal process, please feel free to contact [name] at [email address] or [phone number]. You can also visit our office at [office address].
We are so grateful for your contributions and how they have helped us to grow over the past year. It would be an honor to continue working together to [nonprofit’s cause], and we hope to see you soon!
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
This membership renewal letter template is all about the member’s specific contributions, so we want to make sure to reflect that. To do this, remember to be as specific as possible. If you have any statistics on what your organization was able to accomplish thanks to this member’s help, include that here!
Since this letter is more personalized, we want to make sure all of the details included are accurate. Double-check all facts you include about the member by pulling relevant information directly from your membership software.
Subject: Want to hold on to your [nonprofit’s name] membership benefits?
Dear [member’s name],
Thank you so much for being a part of our [nonprofit’s name] family! We hope you’ve enjoyed all of the events and opportunities we’ve had to offer over the past year.
Your [nonprofit’s name] membership is about to expire, but we hope that’s not the end of our time together! We have so much in store for next year that we’re excited to share with you!
After careful planning, we are happy to share some of the amazing programming we have prepared for next year! Take a look at what your [nonprofit’s name] membership will allow you to experience:
Of course, we will also offer our usual opportunities, including:
To participate in all of our upcoming events and programs, renew your membership today. There are several ways you can do so:
We hope you’ll stick around at [nonprofit’s name]! If you renew your membership by [date], you’ll receive [explain benefit/offering] as a token of our appreciation.
We hope you’re just as excited as we are for all that we have in store and encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
When you’re focusing on benefits, you want to make sure your members know exactly how you’ll make their continued support mutually beneficial. Bring up any member engagement activities or professional growth opportunities you have planned.
You’ll also want to highlight your membership program’s services and perks. These may include exclusive events, discounted or free merchandise, or member-only publications. Differentiate between which services you’ve offered in the past and which are new to make the prospect of renewing your membership more exciting.
Subject: You’re the Best, [member’s name]!
Dear [member’s name],
We wanted to take the time to thank you for supporting [nonprofit’s name]. Over the past [number of years they’ve been a member] years, we’ve loved having you as a part of our program and have been grateful you’ve been here to witness our growth.
Thanks to your membership dues and generous donation of [donation amount] last year, we’ve had the opportunity to:
Besides your dues payments and monetary contribution, your presence at [event they attended] and help with our [project they assisted with] have really made a lasting impact on our organization. Thank you for all your support!
We would be honored to have you again next year as a member of the [nonprofit’s name] community. Easily renew your membership by using our renewal link, [renewal link]. Attached to this email is also an invoice of your membership dues.
If you have any questions or concerns about the renewal process, we’re happy to help! Please feel free to contact [name] at [email address] or [phone number]. You can also visit our office at [office address].
We are incredibly grateful for all you’ve done for [nonprofit’s name] over the past [number of years they’ve been a member] years and are excited about the prospect of another amazing year working together!
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
This template is all about the member and their time at your organization. You’ll want to highlight the individual impact this member has had on your nonprofit. For example, you might include donations they’ve given, events they’ve attended, or projects they’ve supported.
You’ll also want to customize the subject line. Try to add the member’s name there if you can in addition to the salutation.
Since you’re using the member’s name potentially multiple times, you want to make sure to be accurate by using their preferred first name. Double-check your member records to be sure that you’re correct.
Subject: Another Year at [cultural organization’s name]? Sign Us Up!
Dear [member’s name],
Thank you so much for being a part of our family here at [cultural organization’s name]! We’ve loved having you here and hope you’ve enjoyed being a member.
Your [cultural organization’s name] membership is expiring very soon, but we hope you’ll join us again next year! We have so many exciting plans that we hope you’ll be a part of.
Remember, being a [cultural organization’s name] member is the best way to have access to all that [cultural organization’s name] has to offer. Here’s what your membership guarantees you:
If you’d like to keep receiving all of these benefits and more, please renew your membership today. For your convenience, there are several ways you can do so:
If you have any questions or concerns about the renewal process, please contact [name] at [email address] or [phone number]. You can also visit our information desk and speak with an assistant in person.
We can’t wait to see you back at [cultural organization’s name] soon!
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
The premise of this membership renewal letter is simple: highlight all of the membership benefits you offer to keep members coming back! You likely have an option for people to visit your location as a guest, but you’ll want to discourage that by emphasizing the value of the membership program. Examples of membership perks may include member-only events, discounted merchandise, and free or discounted guest admission.
Subject: Join us for another year as a member of [association’s name]!
Dear [member’s name],
We’re so proud to have you as a valued member of [association’s name]. Our organization truly wouldn’t be the same without you.
We wanted to let you know that your [association’s name] membership is expiring soon, but we hope you’ll join us again next year! We have so many upcoming opportunities for you to explore.
Being a [association’s name] member is a great way to grow your professional skill set. Here’s a reminder of what your [association’s name] membership grants you access to:
If you’d like to continue your access to our invaluable resources and events, please renew your membership today. Check out the options for how you can do so below:
If you have any questions or concerns about the renewal process, please contact [name] at [email address] or [phone number]. We are happy to help you out!
Thank you for being a part of the [association’s name] community!
Sincerely,
[name]
[title]
[organization]
To retain members of your association, make it clear why they should stay. One of the most important things to highlight is any networking opportunities for the upcoming year. People are always looking for how they can have an edge in the workplace, and these events can be a great way to start.
You should also feature any successful events or learning opportunities you’ve offered in the past that people would miss out on by not being a member. If you know which events that specific member has attended or enjoyed, that’s even better.
FundraisingLetters.org is a project put together by Nexus Marketing and ECardWidget as a way to help individuals and organizations across the world effectively communicate with supporters. Feel free to use our fundraising letter templates for your organization.