Get Strategic with Mission-Based Non-Dues Revenue

Economic development and tourism formerly fell under the umbrella of the Greater Pensacola Chamber (Fla.). But when all three agencies became independent in 2015, the chamber found itself focused solely on what Jessica Simpson, vice president of membership and operations, called ‘chamber work,’ centering on local business, connecting and convening, advocacy and networking.  Simpson said the chamber needed help with reorganization and bolstering revenue, member engagement and retention.

“Our chamber had done a membership drive and the consensus from our board was that it did not go well,” Simpson said. “It was not a positive experience for us and we needed to focus more on our existing members and what they paid outside of their member dues.”

The Pensacola team started researching other chambers and the industry in general to find a solution. Simpson discovered the concept of a total resource campaign and decided it could serve all the organization’s needs. Total resource campaigns, or TRCs, market annual sponsorships and recruit new members by utilizing chamber volunteers.

“While the name TRC is in there, everyone knows it as a sponsorship drive,” said Jason Ebey, the Principal Consultant and CEO of YGM, a company that conducts TRCs for chambers. Ebey said the Greater Pensacola Chamber wasn’t just looking for money – they wanted organizational strategies and membership engagement. “Through a TRC, through that sponsorship aspect, all of those come into alignment,” he said.

Before implementing a TRC, the chamber raised about $60,000 through sponsorships. The team’s first TRC with YGM resulted in a 300 percent increase in non-dues revenue. They raised $240,000, created 12 new events and engaged about 80 new volunteers, giving the chamber additional supportive voices in the community.

“A lot of times, as chambers, we get in that rut of doing the same thing over and over and over,” Ebey said. “Events can be tied to our programs and initiatives.”

In Pensacola, for example, a monthly breakfast featured a community speaker and networking. They shifted one of those breakfasts each quarter and hosted a topic-focused luncheon, creating a new “State of” series. During its second TRC, the chamber increased non-dues revenue by 34 percent. The two TRCs resulted in a combined total of $500,000.

As the chamber embarks on its third TRC, team members learned that volunteers don’t always need gifts to get involved. “The response to professional development is higher than the response to rewards,” said Genna Anderson, the chamber’s director of member relations. Anderson said the highest performing volunteer wanted to connect with a chamber board member and the TRC created that opportunity. “Networking is probably the biggest sale for volunteers,” she said. 

To watch (or re-watch!) this #ACCE21 Partner Solutions Session, click here. You can also see other topics covered during the Partner Solutions Session in this video playlist.