The Thunderhead Alliance Weather Report

The Thunderhead Alliance Weather Report

		Volume 2, Issue 1 January 19, 2006
		In This Issue: Thunderhead Training Washington, DC - May 9-11 Member Survey Results Member News: From Crisis To Opportunity Org Tip: Turn Your Members Into Recruiters Cut and Past for Your Newsletter: Member-Get-A-Member Campaign

		THUNDERHEAD TRAINING WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 9 - 11 Come as a team from your organization and join leaders from across the country at our first Thunderhead Training of 2006 to build your next powerful campaign through our proven campaign development curriculum. While this Training has all the benefits of our other Thunderhead Trainings, we will also encourage all attendees to take part in visits to Capitol Hill to drive home the message you plant at the upcoming National Bike Summit March 1-3. SAFETEA-LU has landed firmly in the laps of Thunderhead organizations to ensure its proper implementation. We must connect with our members of Congress on an on-going basis to show them the importance of bicycling and walking issues. These two events offer that opportunity. Send the same folks to both or work as a tag-team coordinating your message with different attendees to each. Let’s tap these opportunities to make sure Congress hears from all Thunderhead organizations in 2006! Also look for Thunderhead materials on visiting Congress in your home districts to come out shortly. But first!: Register for the Summit at: http://www.bikeleague.org. Then, register for the Thunderhead Training in Washington, DC from May 9th to 11th at: http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/trainings.htm.
		MEMBER SURVEY RESULTS Last month we asked the Thunderhead Membership to help us prioritize the top three topics of our new materials development for 2006. The results are in; we're listing the top three and the runner's up. Top three topics: Membership Development (by a landslide!), Volunteer Development, and Working with Bike Shops Runner's Up: Technology for Web & e-Bulletins, Planning (work plans, budgets, initiatives), and Media Strategies & PR Events Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit your survey! We will be posting updates and materials as we develop them. New materials will be available on the Member's Area of the Thunderhead website: http://www.thunderheadalliance.org. As always, please feel free to email our Director of Member Resources, David Hoffman at: david@thunderheadalliance.org if you have additional ideas or questions.
		MEMBER NEWS: FROM CRISIS TO OPPORTUNITY How would your organization react if your State Patrol banned large groups of cyclists from riding on state roads during organized rides? At Bicycle Colorado, they might have cheered! When BC Executive Director Dan Grunig heard from an organizer of a 7,000 rider event that the State Patrol had suddenly installed a cap of 2,500 riders on all rides, he didn’t waste a minute. “It was the perfect storm for a campaign on an issue bicyclists are united behind,” he said. “We knew the key decision maker within the State Patrol, it was easy to explain to the press, and there was a sense of urgency as event organizers were in the midst of applying for permits.” Grunig first responded by calling the State Patrol and offering alternatives to this new policy. Those suggestions rejected, Grunig sent a formal letter and got a formal rejection. At this point, Grunig says he got out the Thunderhead 7-Step Campaign Blueprint to quickly craft and execute a campaign to rescind this policy. BC united all of the state's event organizers behind the goal: lift the current ban on more than 2500 participants and include bicyclists in future discussions. They issued press releases and posted an electronic petition. Radio, TV and newspaper response was extremely favorable. The State Patrol's stance changed from unwavering to a one-year delay on implementing the policy while bicyclists are consulted! Bicycle Colorado’s email list grew from 3,000 to 18,000. Their December membership campaign raised more than $10,000 in memberships with 171 new members - the average donation was nearly $58.50! In perfect fashion, Bicycle Colorado not only won the campaign (for now), but also strengthened their organization substantially. Grunig should probably send a “thank you letter” to the Colorado State Patrol! "Once we realized we had a potential crisis on our hands, we had to act immediately," adds Grunig. "People were applying for events. Despite the fact that many of the issues surrounding this new policy were complex, being able to explain the issue succinctly with a simple call to action were key components to making this an incredibly successful campaign." For more information, and to see the online petition, visit: http://bicyclecolo.org/site/intro.cfm Just think if Colorado had not been represented by a Thunderhead organization! We also received a news submission from the Iowa Bicycle Coalition on how they tapped the threat of a bike ban in 2004 to found their organization. Visit them at: http://www.iowabicyclecoalition.org. Thunderhead welcomes news items from our member organizations based on each month’s theme. Please send your suggested item (maximum 300 words) to: david@thunderheadalliance.org. We will publish the most inspiring story and list the web links of other contributors within that month’s theme. Next month's theme is: Complete Streets.
		ORG TIP: TURN YOUR MEMBERS INTO RECRUITERS For organizations that have their act together, a member-get-a-member campaign is a great way to increase membership. Assuming you thank your members when they join and provide regular communications so everyone knows the great work you’re doing, your current members can be your best recruiters. It’s a lot harder to say ‘no’ to a friend than it is to ignore a solicitation in the mail! The trick is getting these friends to ask! Successful member-get-a-member campaigns always have incentives. Every member who recruits at least one new member should get a prize. Everyone who recruits, say, three new members should get a better prize. The member who gets the most new members should get a valuable prize. You can also give everyone one entry in a raffle for every member recruited, although this is not as effective as guaranteed prizes for certain numbers of new members. Ideas for top prizes: a romantic night for two donated by an area hotel and restaurant, or perhaps a gift certificate at a favorite bike shop. Ideas for medium-level prizes: a new LED headlight, a t-shirt. Your campaign should last several months in order to develop some competition between your top recruiters. Keep reminding your members in your regular email about the campaign and encourage the top recruiters to continue their recruitment. Add a line called “Referred by” on your printed and online membership forms, and include an extra membership form in your newsletter when you announce the campaign. A Member-Get-A-Member campaign requires just a little bit of keeping track of who refers whom, and is an easy and cheap way to reach hundreds of new prospects. CUT AND PASTE FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER: MEMBER-GET-A-MEMBER CAMPAIGN This month’s cut-and-paste goes with the Org Tip of the Month: the member-get-a-member campaign. It’s not entirely cut-and-paste as you’ll obviously have to plug in your own words anywhere - we've noted some key points bracketed with [ ], but it should provide some good ideas to get your membership campaign going. - - - - - - - - - - GROW THE MOVEMENT AND WIN A ROMANTIC NIGHT FOR TWO Yes, 1,000+ members give us fantastic clout in our advocacy to make [Our Town] the best bicycling and walking town in North America. But as you know, we still have a long way to go, and there are thousands of people out there who want to help us improve our community and aren’t members of [the Our Town Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition]. And some of them are your friends! Get them to join, help us double our membership to [2,000] members, and earn yourself some great rewards. Everybody who recruits anybody gets a cool thank-you packet with some great stickers for your bike. Everybody who recruits three new members gets our stylish new t-shirt! And, the member who recruits the most new members by April 30 can take their sweetheart, or potential sweetheart, on [a lovely boat cruise and dinner down the Mississippi, courtesy of OTBPC supporter River Cruise Company]. It’s easy -- and important -- to recruit members for [OTBPC]. Just tell your friends why you’re a member: [the OTBPC is responsible for those new bike racks all over town; we helped over 2,000 children learn how to safely walk to school last year; we are fighting for a network of bike lanes so people can easily and safely bike all over town]. Remind them that all members get discounts at most Our Town bike shops. Membership pays for itself! And of course, they’ll get our fabulous newsletter, invitations to members-only events, and the satisfaction of joining the movement that’s going to transform Our Town! Just direct your friends to our membership page [www.otbpc.org/join] and ask them to put your name in the “Referred by” line. The campaign runs through April. We’ll keep you informed about the race for the most new members, and that romantic cruise for two! - - - - - - - - - - Good luck with your Member-Get-A-Member campaign! Email Dave Snyder, Director of Program Development: dave@livablecity.org if you have more questions about Member-Get-A-Member campaigns.
		This monthly Thunderhead Alliance Weather Report is for the leaders of our member organizations and our supporters. The Thunderhead Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the only coalition of state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations working in unison to break down the barriers to safe bicycling and walking in North American communities. Find more info at: www.thunderheadalliance.org