9 Membership Renewal Letter Samples & Tips to Boost Renewals

Since your participants’ support is essential to your organization running smoothly, sending out membership renewal letters is a great way to ensure that you keep members coming back. Keep reading for some samples to make sure you get those letters right and retain your members.

Membership Renewal Letters: The Basics

Managing a membership program is a challenging task. From creating a positive application experience to offering engaging incentives, there are many factors to consider. However, there might be one element of your membership program that you might overlook until the last minute: membership renewal letters.

If you’ve never written a membership renewal letter or want to freshen up your organization’s current template, we’re here to help. These letters are best when they are detailed, so to make sure you include everything you need to, we’ve created some membership renewal letter templates you can use to freshen up your approach and inspire members to stick around.

What Are Membership Renewal Letters?

Membership renewal letters are letters nonprofits send to participants in their membership programs to remind them to pay their dues for the upcoming year. Organizations send these letters within a predetermined interval of the renewal date. The purpose of membership renewal letters is to ensure that members continue supporting your organization and stay in the program by reminding them of the incentives they receive and their impact on the cause.

Why Do Membership Renewal Letters Matter?

Membership renewal letters are important for several reasons. First, members are the backbone of your membership program and nonprofit as a whole. Without members, you would have no membership program, and without the program, your organization would not receive as much support as it could.

Next, renewal letters remind members of the value of their membership. If you don’t communicate with your members about the program, then they’re likely to forget why they signed up in the first place. These letters are a great opportunity to explain how members’ support has helped your organization grow and thrive.

Lastly, membership renewal letters remind members of the different perks of their memberships. Maybe you send your members free merchandise, or maybe you invite them to exclusive events. Whatever the special benefits of your program are, reminding your members of them might increase the likelihood that they’ll renew their membership.

How Do You Write A Membership Renewal Letter?

Before you use one of our membership renewal letter samples or write your own, it’s important to understand the structure of the letter. That way, you can ensure that all the correct elements are included. The essential elements of a membership renewal letter include:

• The salutation. Start your letter off strong with a greeting. Since this is the first thing your member will see when they open the letter, it’s important that it’s done right. Make sure to address them by name for a personal touch. To avoid mix-ups, simply address the members by first name without titles and use membership software to ensure you’re using their preferred name or nickname.
• The value of your members’ support. Before asking your participants for their continued support, you’ll want to remind them of how they’ve contributed to the organization so far and what you’ve provided for them in return. This section should include anything specific about what your nonprofit has been able to accomplish with the help of members’ contributions in the past year. You should also remind your members of any opportunities you’ve provided them in the past year such as events and community-building activities.
• The renewal proposal. Here’s where you ask the big question. Make sure your members know the amount of time they have to renew before their membership expires. To encourage them to renew quickly, tell your members the request is urgent and provide easy access to the membership application form. You might also choose to discuss membership level upgrades or additional donation opportunities. In any case, ensure that you also let members know how much you appreciate their support. You don’t want to overdo it by begging for more and should make sure members know they are valued even if they don’t level up their support.
• Membership renewal incentives. If you want members to renew quickly, incentives can help seal the deal. Some ideas include offering benefits for renewing within a certain time frame or extra perks included with an upgraded membership. However, this strategy is best for when your organization is really struggling to maintain members.
• Follow-up details. By this point, we hope that members are ready to renew, but that might not always be the case. For members who are still deciding about the status of their membership, provide a contact to whom members can reach out with any questions or concerns. Make sure to include the contact’s name, phone number, email address, and the address of your organization’s offices if applicable.
• A closing. It’s time to wrap up your letter with a sincere closing. Make sure to remind members of how grateful you are for their support. Once members renew their memberships, it’s good practice to send them a thank-you note.