Utilizing the Ezra Plan
Classes can follow the Ezra Plan, a dues solicitation plan that includes print and email outreach. Classes can opt in or out of any of the messaging, as well as work with their class staff contact to add additional print or email messaging.
Utilize a custom letter to reach out to classmates in YOUR voice. Share class initiatives or upcoming events and invite others to get involved. Your class staff contact will provide a template letter for the custom mailing.
Quick tips
- Membership chairs should work directly with the class president and treasurer to make decisions about the associated costs with print mailings.
Chasing non-renewals
Classes should consider those classmates who have previously paid dues but have not renewed for the current year (non-renewals). Classmates who have not yet renewed their dues are considered ‘low hanging fruit’. Check out non-renewal outreach examples.
Your class staff contact will provide you with the most current membership data.
Quick tips
- Develop scripts for fellow officers to use when calling or emailing non-renewals. Scripts keep callers on point and the messaging consistent. Phone calls are a good task for class council members.
- Non-renewal classmates may show up in the data as being on auto-renewal; this occurs when credit cards are expired or declined.
Perks of being a dues payer
There are many benefits to being a dues paying member of your class. The more familiar you are with these benefits, the more you can effectively market them to classmates.
Benefits for all dues payers include exclusive access to discounts through the Big Red Marketplace. In addition, the benefits of dues can also be class-specific. As a class, you can determine other perks for dues paying members of your class. One incentive is to hold events that are only for dues payers (in person or digitally), or that give dues payers a discount on the cost of event registration.
Quick tips
- The goal is to have 100% of class officers and council members be current dues payers!
- Your class staff contact can provide frequently updated lists of current dues paying classmates.
- When chasing non-renewals, explain the perks of being a dues payer. Include a list in your script for easy reference.
Cornell class-designated funds
Classes have the ability to add to their website a link to class-designated funds and scholarships, where classmates can contribute to that fund independent of paying class dues. Your class staff contact can provide you with those links.
Not only will adding this link increase contributions to the class fund, but it will also drive traffic to your website and social media pages.
Quick tips
- Once you’ve added the class-designated fund link, continue directing people to it through your social media channels, email, and the custom Ezra letter.
- Consider sending this link to classmates on auto-renewal who are not receiving solicitations from the Ezra Plan.