If you have an annual plant sale, allow members to have discounts and early entrance into the plant sale as a membership benefit. 

Have a sign-in sheet for visitors that come to meetings (This is also a good opportunity to have members list any contact information that has changed on a separate sheet of paper) and hand them a membership brochure. Send 3 monthly newsletters to visitors that do not sign up for a membership right at the meeting in hopes of pursuing their initial interest. 

Ask new members and visitors to stand and introduce themselves at Chapter meetings. This is a nice opportunity to recognize new members/visitors during the meeting and for officers and members to welcome these individuals personally at the end of each meeting and encourage them to join. 

Participate in public outreach events. Create a display and have members man the booth to answer questions and pass out membership brochures. 

Chapters are often approached by Home Owner Associations, Landscape Professionals, local Civic Groups, schools, etc. for consultation, information or they want to speak to your chapter general meeting about their ideas to be involved with FNPS, etc. This is an opportunity to ask them to join FNPS as a mutually beneficial opportunity.

The Lyonia Chapter was approached twice last year by teachers in their county. One wanted assistance for a school wildlife habitat design and the other wanted Chapter members to identify exotics. Both teachers joined after being asked and the Lyonia Chapter has received several residual memberships as a result 

Have name tags made for each member and encourage everyone to remember to wear them. This makes for a more inviting atmosphere and encourages conversation. When visitors (potential new members) come to the meeting, members are easily identified so they can ask questions, etc. 

Christmas/Hannakah/Kwannza/Holiday/Birthday/Spring Equinox – EACH current member of chapter should give a gift of membership to someone they know that would be interested in FNPS once per year in hopes that they will enjoy the meetings and field trips and renew and retain their membership. 

Each member should have carry around membership brochures and disseminate them when the opportunity arises in their day to day lives. 

Obtain the email contact of all free publications in the Chapter region. This can include newspaper sections (the garden, volunteer and the calendar sections), minor print publications, allied organizations, etc.

Create a group email so that you can send only one email once per month to announce FNPS Chapter meetings and events in all of the varied free publications. Continue sending at the beginning of each month to solicit these free publications. 

Chapters can pay for their County Horticultural Extension Agents to be members. Many already are, but if you consider paying a single membership for each agent in your county, if they are not already members, this could lead to more recruitment for local chapters from the Master Gardener Programs, Farm Bureau, 4-H, Scouts, and Forestry as all of these entities are usually coordinated through the extension office. Hopefully after the second complimentary membership, they will renew and be a supportive member of the Chapter. New agents are hired and move to new counties and it is a nice gesture to welcome them with a membership as they are hired and transferred to your area. 

Chapters can pay for a single membership for their guest/speakers if they are not already a member. This can lead to networking of additional members through the guest/speaker. 

Many FNPS members complete public speaking engagements to Garden Clubs, schools, Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce and the general public. If an honorarium is offered, the FNPS speaker could request that the organization/group join FNPS. This method has been very successful for Travis McClendon in the Magnolia Chapter.

(Sample powerpoint presentations with accompanying scripts will be available by May, 2007 from the Education Committee. Also, a Speakers Bureau training session for FNPS members will be offered at next year’s conference. Contact Karina Veaudry for more information).