Nonprofit Basics: Museum Membership
Museums are centers of cultural curiosity. Their events create a sense of community, belonging, and inspiration. Audiences of all ages from middle schoolers to retirees are invited to pause and reflect on their history. However, museums can run into some serious challenges when it comes to finding reliable funding.
With a few exceptions, most museums are privately funded and therefore rely heavily on donations. To keep their doors open, museums must be creative with their revenue streams. That’s why promoting museum membership opportunities is essential.
On the other side of the coin, museum members are often interested in joining a community full of curious, like-minded people. However, amid hectic schedules, it’s easy for them to miss out on a museum’s latest displays. Museum memberships provide community members with an extra incentive both to visit new exhibits and return to old favorites.
Therefore, museum memberships offer a win-win for both museums and members.
What is a museum membership?
To put it simply, a museum membership is a monetized, tax-deductible pass available for the general public to redeem for free admission. Membership passes typically offer special discounts and privileges as well.
Memberships are appealing to frequent museum-goers as they will likely save a couple of ticket payments with the added appeal of a few extra perks. Membership packages can be tailored to specific member needs based on annual or group options.
If you’re a decision-maker at a museum or cultural organization, consider implementing a museum membership program to boost awareness and admission levels. Growing your membership base can increase your donation amounts and promotional efforts, so you can focus on your next exhibition.
What are the benefits of a museum membership?
Membership benefits vary depending on the museum and its membership packages. Besides free admission, here’s a list of potential benefits a museum membership might offer:
- Class discounts
- Free workshops
- Members-only events
- Discounted visitor passes
- Previews of special events
- Free parking
- Regular event or exhibition updates
- Global museum access
- Virtual events and online community engagement opportunities
- Volunteer experiences
If your museum has multiple locations or partners with other museums, global museum access is a great selling point. Travelers and individuals changing addresses will be happy to have consistent benefits, no matter where they are.
For instance, a family may have kids intrigued by a local children’s museum exhibit while the parents are looking for offerings geared toward adults. By reaching out to your museum network, you can find partnership opportunities that serve both of these audiences, allowing you to advertise a range of experiences to members.
How do members apply?
Although membership sign-ups can differ between museums, they usually follow a standard process:
- Visit the museum’s website. From there, locate the membership tab, which is usually embedded in a top, bottom, or side menu.
- Select the membership tab. This page may contain various discounts—such as lower prices for students, seniors, and contributing artists—that customers can apply to their memberships.
- Choose a membership type. Each membership type should include a description of the benefits and price. Many museums offer membership tiers that enable supporters to access greater benefits in exchange for higher monthly or annual dues.
When setting up your museum’s membership program, ensure your benefits are worth the price. Compare your offerings to competitors and consider how you can differentiate your organization, whether it’s through programming, events, community, or content.
How can museums create a membership program?
Are you ready to implement a museum membership program? Managing memberships can be tricky, requiring museums to balance everything from event registration to payment processing to weekly newsletter communication. Fortunately, software can help.
A robust customer relationship management (CRM) platform or association management software (AMS) can streamline the museum membership process to help you retain current members while recruiting new ones. An effective management system can level up your membership process in a variety of ways, including:
- Flexible payment features and automatic renewals. Make it easy for members to sign up by offering a wide range of payment options.
- Add-on donations. Transform members into donors by analyzing unique visitor and member data profiles.
- Mobile sales and digital membership cards. Make your membership cards easy to access so members can scan their phones and breeze through the museum check-in process.
Additionally, consider investing in a community engagement platform. This tool provides your members with an online space to connect, allowing you to:
- Improve member engagement. Community engagement platforms make memberships more valuable by providing members with access to your greater community. You’ll encourage user-generated content and continual conversations around your museum.
- Encourage community building. When members can reach out to each other anytime, they are more likely to talk and build connections. If your museum’s members feel connected, they may attend events together, collaborate, and retain their memberships.
- Centralize communication. An online community engagement platform keeps your members connected on a single platform. Rather than sending them to third-party social media sites, you can keep them on your website and better direct their attention.
If you already like your AMS, explore community engagement platforms that integrate with your current software. This expands your program’s value for members while retaining the backend tools your staff appreciates for creating events, collecting dues, and managing communication.
Other Resources to Explore
Nonprofit Basics – Learn more about the nonprofit management essentials by exploring other expert resources
40+ Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits to Spread Your Mission – Leverage your resources and increase your revenue with these cutting-edge marketing ideas.
6 Powerful Member Management Features to Build Resilency – Use these six tools to effectively manage your museum memberships.
