What If Members Want More Than Just Membership?

Over the past several months, I've found myself in conversations with a variety of membership organizations: professional associations, public media organizations, and other member-based nonprofits.

The organizations are different, but many are wrestling with similar challenges. Membership growth has slowed. Engagement isn't what it once was. Long-standing assumptions about what members want are being tested.

These conversations have usually circled around the same question:

What makes membership valuable?

Membership models, benefit tiers, events, pricing, and engagement strategies all matter. But they are ultimately expressions of something more fundamental: the member value proposition.

People join when they perceive value, and they stay when that value remains relevant. When membership struggles, the problem can often be traced to a growing disconnect between what an organization offers and what members “value”.

What has captured my attention recently is the possibility that the definition of membership value may be changing. Or, at least, that another avenue for membership may be emerging.

From Benefits to Experiences

For many years, membership was largely a transactional proposition. Museums offered admission to see priceless artwork you couldn't see at home. Professional associations offered credentials and information. Costco offered lower prices. Credit cards offered travel insurance. Public media offered a DVD, tote bag, or coffee mug.

The exchange is straightforward: I join, and I got something in return.

That model remains effective for some organizations. In fact, plenty continue to build successful membership programs around that premise. Somewhere along the way, however, organizations began expanding the definition of value.

Consider American Express.

Historically, the value of membership was rooted in things I got through membership: credit, purchasing power, flexibility, and travel protections. Those things still matter, but they are no longer the hero of the story. Today, much of the company's marketing focuses on experiences: exclusive dining, entertainment access, and events that feel distinctive and memorable.

The value proposition shifted from something members got to something they can experience.

Nonprofit membership organizations have pursued a similar path. Conferences became destinations as well as information exchanges. Museums expanded member programming beyond admission privileges to indie film premieres and DJ nights. Some public media organizations created member-only live events and speaker series.

The Rise of Participation?

Lately, though, I've started thinking about another pattern.

Consider Wikipedia.

Although most people don't think of it this way, Wikipedia is a nonprofit with an interesting participation model. Its content is freely available. There are no discounts, premium content offerings, gifts, or exclusive experiences.

Yet millions of people give money and time by editing articles, moderating discussions, and helping steward the platform. People aren't simply receiving value from Wikipedia. They're directly investing in its mission to provide free access to the sum of all human knowledge.

Wikipedia is hardly alone. Open-source software communities operate in much the same way. Contributors write code, improve documentation, identify bugs, and maintain tools used by millions of people around the world. Public media organizations are experimenting with inviting audiences to share material, ideas, and reporting leads.

What connects these examples is the role of the individual in creating the organization’s value. For nonprofits, it's also participation in the creating the mission.

Technology is almost certainly part of this story. Today, participation can happen at a scale that would not have been possible a generation ago. Millions contribute to Wikipedia. Open-source communities build products used around the world. Public media organizations can invite audiences into reporting, conversations, and content creation in ways that would have been nearly impossible twenty years ago. Reddit has provided the means and proven that a disconnected group of people can coalesce around ideas and passions.

In my mind, participation isn't the same as supporting a mission through donations or volunteer service. I mean members contributing to and becoming part of how the mission's value is created rather than simply supporting the organization that creates and delivers it.

What If?

It's fun to think about how this might work.

Could public media evolve into platforms for community-created journalism by providing airtime, training, and editorial guidance?

Could museums allow members to curate exhibits from their vast, unseen collections?

Could associations organize around shared problems rather than industries or professions, crowdsourcing solutions to challenges like supply chains, workforce development, or technology adoption?

Could arts organizations advance their missions by expanding beyond student training and events into online marketplaces or licensing platforms?

I don’t know if these are good ideas or not. 

What I do know is that nonprofit membership organizations and associations are under pressure, and the strategic opportunities are worth considering.

Organizations built primarily around access to information will likely face continued declining membership and engagement as AI, YouTube, webinars, and other tools make information abundant and accessible. Organizations built around experiences may be challenged to keep those experiences distinctive in a crowded marketplace.

Participation feels different.

It can be difficult to replicate because it is directly tied to the mission, the community, and the unique contributions members bring.

Whether participation becomes a defining feature of future membership models remains to be seen. But if membership has always been about creating value, organizations may want to pay closer attention to participation as they evaluate and strengthen their member value propositions.