Your chapter event just ended. Wow what an impressive turn out! Come to think about it, this was a very successful year. Some number crunching reveals an increase in the number of members, event registrants, and overall events and meetings.

But you find out that despite these numbers, revenues did not grow. In fact, revenues dramatically declined in the last year. How could this be? The answer lies in your receivables – members and non-members ordering products or signing up to the chapter without completing their purchases. This creates a hole in the chapter’s pocket.  

Revenues are the lifeblood of any chapter and require frequent monitoring. But since your time is valuable, the best way to monitor your chapter’s income is using theReceivables Report.

Located under Charts and Reports in the Membership tab of your StarChapter software, the Receivables Report can easily show you which of the members are due on membership fees. The report also allows you to review the details of unpaid orders to find where the balances are coming from and even send statements to collect the balance from your members or non-members.

To learn more and get the most out of your StarChapter software, join our Free Group Trainings. And if you can’t attend, browse through our video tutorials in the Knowledgebase Center.

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If you think that the sun has set on newsletters as an email marketing tool, then you are in for a surprise. In the past year, member-based organizations using StarChapter have delivered over 2.2 million newsletters to their members, with an astounding average of 185 thousand newsletters per month. That’s over 6,000 newsletters a day!

These numbers are not deceptive. They actually reflect a significant tool by which boards of professional and trade associations communicate with their members. True, your members are busy and are probably inundated by dozens of other emails they get every month to their inbox. But remember: your members voluntarily registered to the association. They pay dues and might even be active in meetings and events the chapter organizes. They want to hear what you have to say.  

Now that we covered the Why, let’s move on to the How. StarChapter has shortlisted the 4 most effective ways to create powerful newsletters that get noticed.

1. Add milestones and numbers to reflect performance
Your members want to know what happened in the last month and what the board expects to accomplish in the next. These milestones and numbers will likely spruce up your newsletters and will help your members relate to the chapter.

2. Bundle up the content to save time
Instead of wasting time sending countless emails every month with repetitive information that goes under the radar, bundle up your content into one, great looking newsletter. 

3. Time your newsletters
It’s not only about the message, it’s also about timing. Your messages might go unnoticed if they are delivered in an untimely fashion. Think of what time is ideal to send out the newsletters. Are there important chapter events or meetings coming up? Is there an announcement you’d like to include? Is your industry reaching one of its most active seasons? After you answer these questions, determine the frequency of your newsletter. Some associations find is more effective to send out a quarterly newsletter, while others send it on a weekly basis. Remember, you know your members and industry best, so use your knowledge!

 4. Utilize the tools you already have
With your StarChapter software, you can do all those and much more! You can check for the chapter’s performance by date range or type of activity, so it is easy to pull out numbers. For example, you can check the number of members, non-members, and even compare registrants to attendees in each event. You can also automate your newsletter so all you have to do is create the content and let the software deliver it for you, to the recipients you want, whenever you want.

Watch this video to learn everything about the Newsletter Area on Your StarChapter Website