Have you ever belonged to a genealogy society and eventually decided not to renew? I belonged to several societies and on occasion have not renewed my membership for a few reasons.
What made you decide not to renew your membership? An increase in the annual membership fee? Changed your concentration to another area of research? Too busy?
Last week, I summarized the findings of a survey about the factors that make you decide to join a society. Those results provided some food for thought that may generate an interesting discussion within your society.
Upcoming survey
Now, it is time to look at why you did not renew your membership.
I need your input. Have I missed anything that made you quit your society? What should I add to the list below?
What are the main reasons you did not renew your genealogy society membership?
- I had exhausted all of the society’s online resources.
- My research in that region was finished.
- The newsletter did not interest me.
I moved away.- I took up another hobby.
- The members were snobby about how genealogy research should be done.
- I did not like how the society was managed.
- I joined another society.
- I was no longer learning from the society.
- Opening hours were not convenient.
- No parking.
- The lectures and workshops became stale.
- Staff/volunteers lacked adequate knowledge to assist members.
- There were few benefits for a long-distance membership.
- Travel and vacation took me away too often.
- Personal reasons, such as health and family.
- I preferred to spend my money on subscription websites.
- The society had become stagnant and was not adapting to new methods and technology.
- The members were too old.
- The members were too young.
Please post your comments by Friday, August 1. I will run the survey next week. Thanks!
You may wish to cluster answers using headings – how can your list be more focussed?
Thank you for your efforts. Excellent blog!
I agree that it would be easier to cluster the answers, but to create a more effective survey the answers will be automatically randomized by Zoho survey. That way, everyone completing the survey will see the answers in a different order. Then again, perhaps there is a way to separate the answers, based on if your membership was with a local organization or one far away. Thanks!
There is a growth in using technology for research and membership of some societies. It is possible that researchers are simply out of their depth with the technology and feel they are being excluded, whilst that is probably not the case.
I have been a member of several societies only to access their on line resources. Due to distance and inability to travel to certain areas membership was the most efficient way to access local information, databases etc. Once my research in the area was finished no benefit to continuing membership. This is especially true if you are doing research for another person.
I suppose this could be included in personal reasons but retirement, job loss or just a general necessity to cut back on non-essential spending is another reason I have not renewed with a society.
Thanks! And thanks for your well-crafted tweet about the survey.
Here are some other reasons that I have experienced why one may not renew their membership in a Genealogy Society.
1. Executive don’t understand their responsibility and don’t follow the Society’s By-Laws.
2. Monthly meetings are boring.
3. Executive have not organized any genealogy training during the past few years.
4. There is little or no value for the cost of the Membership Fee.
5. People do not feel welcome at the Monthly meeting.
6. Assistance is not available to discuss problems.
7. Some speaker topics are not relevant at Monthly meetings.
Great list! Thanks.
In one case I joined to get a discount on registration for a particular conference but saw no benefit in continuing membership; in another the membership fee was increased substantially beyond the level I thought reasonable for the benefit received; for two others I gave membership of a distant society a try but found benefit to non-local members lacking.
Keep up the good work Gail.
Good point about the discount. I joined a society in order to receive a discount on a workshop. Thanks!
A better question, I believe, if I do say so myself. However, as before, I think answers about experiences with local (face to face) and long distance memberships need to be differentiated. (Crafting a survey is a serious business, maybe an ‘art’. )
Good point, Diane. It is one I am considering. I need to bring a polling expert into my circle of friends. Thanks!
The societies I belong to are not local so my needs are different. I join to further my research whether by member only databases or connecting with local researchers. I un-join because I don’t receive value for my money. The fees for many of the societies have risen dramatically over the past few years so I have to be more selective. Value for money is now key with me!
I joined a society right after it’s infancy. I never expected much from it, I just wanted to lend support. It owns no property or materials. So no rents or mortgages. Meetings are at a library. A pretty good functioning website. They did start making a webinar of the meetings and seminars for members.
Then:
Every actual meeting is a few minutes long and then they have paid speakers talk.
Most Society volunteer databases were started but not finished. (numerous)
There’s one person who is the tech and every !!! question is referred to that person, only.
They started taking summers off.
The society had only a few online resources.
The newsletter stopped being published after two years.
The financial report stopped being mentioned in the minutes.
The minutes stopped being recorded.
I started noticing a big membership turnover rate. Many new members but the member count was always the same or lower.
They started asking for donations (understandable).
Then they raised the membership fee after the first four years.
I thought they were going to be sued for not providing member benefits.
I quit.
They are still around as far as I know. It’s been a few years now.
Some small changes have been made (like not promising a newsletter).
and they’ve cut down on speakers. What else? Become a member and find out.