[26-Feb-2026 00:31:13 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [26-Feb-2026 00:31:13 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [26-Feb-2026 00:31:13 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 07:45:51 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 07:45:51 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 07:45:51 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 18:48:26 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 18:48:26 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 18:48:26 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [06-Mar-2026 13:14:53 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [06-Mar-2026 13:14:53 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [06-Mar-2026 13:14:53 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [08-Mar-2026 11:47:41 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [08-Mar-2026 11:47:41 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [08-Mar-2026 11:47:41 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:48 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:48 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:48 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:53 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:53 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:53 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [27-Mar-2026 14:07:52 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [27-Mar-2026 14:07:52 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [27-Mar-2026 14:07:52 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [29-Mar-2026 10:21:48 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [29-Mar-2026 10:21:48 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [29-Mar-2026 10:21:48 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 {"id":29167,"date":"2019-11-17T18:41:17","date_gmt":"2019-11-17T10:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crazyleafdesign.com\/blog\/?p=29167"},"modified":"2019-11-17T18:41:17","modified_gmt":"2019-11-17T10:41:17","slug":"how-to-raise-membership-dues-without-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazyleafdesign.com\/blog\/how-to-raise-membership-dues-without-backlash\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Raise Membership Dues Without Backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Boy Scouts of America<\/a> (BSA) continues to make headlines for too many wrong reasons. Faced with an onslaught of sexual-abuse allegations and lawsuits that could potentially bankrupt the century-old organization, the BSA has suddenly announced that it will increase the annual youth membership fee by a whopping 80 percent<\/a>.<\/p>\n Though the fee hike could generate an estimated $60 million in additional funds over the coming year \u2014 money that could be used to fight legal battles and cover liability insurance \u2014 it\u2019s undoubtedly a hard pill for members and leaders to have to swallow.<\/p>\n It\u2019s difficult not to conclude that the BSA dues increase is an object lesson in how not to handle a fee hike in a membership-based business or organization. It also speaks to the importance of handling such situations with an effective strategy, clarity, and intentionality.<\/p>\n Raising your membership dues isn\u2019t an inherently bad move. For many firms, it\u2019s necessary and justified on a regular basis. Valid reasons can include:<\/p>\n Almost every membership group has to raise dues eventually. The key to a successful extension is proper management of the why, how, and when.<\/p>\n As the BSA debacle has shown, there are right and wrong ways to raise dues. Here are some tips to help you enhance your dues without risking a significant backlash or cancellations.<\/p>\n Research from a Height Performance Group study<\/a> shows that a dues increase of 20 percent or less doesn\u2019t usually lead to a significant drop in renewal rates. But a hike of 20 percent or more can substantially hurt retention.<\/p>\n So the percentage is clearly pivotal, but the flat dollar amount may also have an impact. For example, most people won\u2019t cancel if you raise a membership fee from $7 to $9 (which is a 29 percent increase).<\/p>\n However, you\u2019ll find that people raise their eyebrows when you go from $99 to $120 (a seemingly smaller 21 percent). The latter appears so much greater because of the dollar amount \u2014 and the fact that it crosses a significant pricing threshold of three digits.<\/p>\n Keeping price increases small \u2014 both in terms of dollars and percentage \u2014 should help you avoid overwhelming existing members or causing them discomfort. Think all of your options through before you proceed.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth considering how often you raise your dues fees. Frequency and amount of increase go hand in hand. \u201cThe more often you raise dues, the less the amount should be,\u201d Membership Works explains<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you wait too long and have to go with a high percentage, you risk member anger. Smaller increases on a more regular basis can train your members to expect that increases will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n You mustn\u2019t raise the figures just for the heck of it. Whether the increase comes to $1 or $1,000, you have to justify why you\u2019re asking for that additional amount. Ideally, the justification will be appealing to your members.<\/p>\n The BSA decision to raise dues by 80 percent is horrible on all counts. However, it could have been made more palatable if a perceived value had been offered in return for the increase.<\/p>\n Instead, the justification was that it\u2019s necessary to cover legal fees and liability insurance. Those are not items that will get most members terribly excited, if at all!<\/p>\n When you believe you have to raise dues but anticipate that your members won\u2019t take it well, it\u2019s helpful to contemplate potential ways to soften the blow. Here are a few possible options:<\/p>\n Consider keeping existing members at the same price and raising the fee just for new members. A little bit of goodwill like this can boost member loyalty while improving the bottom line \u2026 so long as you do manage to add new members.<\/p>\n Stagger your price increases over time. If you\u2019re currently charging $10 per month and the plan is eventually to arrive at $20 a month, think about conducting a five-month rollout during which you raise prices by $2 each month. This can be an effective yet relatively painless way to ease people into it.<\/p>\n You could try adding a new tier to your membership program. For example, offer your existing members the option of staying at their current price point or going to a new level that includes premium features and benefits.<\/p>\n Every situation is unique. You can\u2019t control how individual members will perceive your dues increases.<\/p>\n However, the goal is to execute in such a way that the majority is willing to embrace the changes and continues to support your firm or organization. If you enact a strategic plan that prioritizes your current members, they\u2019re more apt to reward you with loyalty and retention. So what\u2019s your next step?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) continues to make headlines for too many wrong reasons. Faced with an onslaught of sexual-abuse allegations and lawsuits that could potentially bankrupt the century-old organization, the BSA has suddenly announced that it will increase the annual youth membership fee by a whopping 80 percent. Though the fee hike could […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":355,"featured_media":29173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"adace-sponsor":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-29167","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-graphic-design"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhen Should You Raise Membership Dues?<\/h2>\n
\n
Four Tips for Raising Dues the Right Way<\/h2>\n
Keep Increases Small<\/h3>\n
Raise Dues More Frequently<\/h3>\n
Justify the Increase<\/h3>\n
Soften the Blow<\/h3>\n
Add It All Up<\/h2>\n