There was a proposal floated on the TLCA conference call last week to offer a joint subscription/membership between TLCA and Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC). As you know, BRC is committed to land use issues and keeping trails open. I will let you read the details below, but the bottom line is to give a reduced price one-year subscription to TLCA ($25 a year instead of $28), plus a reduced price one-year membership to BRC ($15 instead of $29), plus a free $25 gift card for Four Wheel Parts. This is a combined $84 value for only $40. You could potentially use this to join, extend, or renew your subscription to TLCA.
So, this sounds like a no-brainer that we should go ahead with it. However, some of the delegates are concerned that we should not be offering anything at a "cut rate" right now given the tight financial situation that TLCA is in right now. On the other hand, we could bring in enough new members who will (hopefully) renew at the regular rate that this could prove to be a positive thing in the long run. And to muddy the waters just a little bit more, we have fixed costs in place (the printing of Toyota Trails, for example) that do not increase one-for-one with new members. (We already pay a fixed price for the printing of a certain number of Trails.)
If you have an opinion on this topic, I'd like to hear it. The Board has tentatively set a special meeting for next Monday, November 30, to vote on just this issue so we can get it in place as soon as possible (if the vote passes). Most of the feedback that I have heard from other chapters is that they plan to vote for it. I am tentatively in favor of the proposal, but we don't really have any substantive financial analysis to show that (financially) this is a good deal or not. However, it would be hard to argue that it's not a good idea to support the BRC and responsible land use.
Here's the entire proposal if you'd like to read the details. This was written by Greg Mumm, the Executive Director of BRC. Greg is also a TLCA member and writes the land use column in the Trails. His wife is the TLCA delegate for their club and they are also involved with the Black Hills Cruiser Classic held every year in South Dakota.
Here's the proposal:
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So, this sounds like a no-brainer that we should go ahead with it. However, some of the delegates are concerned that we should not be offering anything at a "cut rate" right now given the tight financial situation that TLCA is in right now. On the other hand, we could bring in enough new members who will (hopefully) renew at the regular rate that this could prove to be a positive thing in the long run. And to muddy the waters just a little bit more, we have fixed costs in place (the printing of Toyota Trails, for example) that do not increase one-for-one with new members. (We already pay a fixed price for the printing of a certain number of Trails.)
If you have an opinion on this topic, I'd like to hear it. The Board has tentatively set a special meeting for next Monday, November 30, to vote on just this issue so we can get it in place as soon as possible (if the vote passes). Most of the feedback that I have heard from other chapters is that they plan to vote for it. I am tentatively in favor of the proposal, but we don't really have any substantive financial analysis to show that (financially) this is a good deal or not. However, it would be hard to argue that it's not a good idea to support the BRC and responsible land use.
Here's the entire proposal if you'd like to read the details. This was written by Greg Mumm, the Executive Director of BRC. Greg is also a TLCA member and writes the land use column in the Trails. His wife is the TLCA delegate for their club and they are also involved with the Black Hills Cruiser Classic held every year in South Dakota.
Here's the proposal:
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Synopsis of the TLCA/BRC joint membership co-op offer:
BRC is proposing to do a joint membership incentive program with the TLCA including a gift card incentive under the current arrangements BRC has with Four Wheel Parts.
Under this proposal, BRC and TLCA would promote a joint membership offer where, for its part, the BlueRibbon Coalition would offer a special, one-time, one-year, individual membership in the BlueRibbon Coalition for $15 (discounted from its normal rate of $29.) The TLCA would likewise establish a rate for membership under the offer at whatever level it chooses. Together they would promote the joint membership offer as:
Join-Renew-Extend your membership for $XX.XX, and participants would get a one year membership in both organizations plus, Four Wheel Parts would send them a free $25 gift card for participating in the offer.
For example, if the TLCA would set a rate of $25, combined with the rate of $15 from BRC, the joint membership offer would be promoted as follows:
Join-Renew-Extend membership for $40 under this special offer and you get a one-year membership in the TLCA, a one-year membership in the BRC, and Four Wheel Parts will send you a $25 gift card for participating in the offer. That is a combined $84 value for only $40.
Along with this offer, the BlueRibbon Coalition is proposing to:
1) Develop and provide the necessary graphics artwork for ads in the Toyota Trails and develop a pdf flyer suitable for printing and distribution among the TLCA membership, at events, and other outward promotional efforts.
2) Develop and maintain a special online webpage for online sign-up for
participation
3) BRC will manage the program including sign-ups, ensuring database distribution to TLCA membership manager of new participants on a weekly basis, distribution of funds generated to TLCA on a weekly basis, and distribute the participant database to Four Wheel Parts to ensure timely and accurate distribution of the free gift card.
4) Optionally, if TLCA chooses, BRC will develop a professional mailing to be printed, published and mailed to TLCA membership urging their individual
participation in the program along with bringing a friend, fellow club member, or wheeler to the program. The total cost of such a mailing to the TLCA would be approximately $1500 to $2000 depending on black and white or full color. The mailing could also be used as an outreach to include expired and extended expired members of the TLCA as an incentive to rejoin the TLCA.
The program including the gift card bonus would be run for the months of December and January with the potential of an additional month in February if BRC can make the arrangements with our provider, Four Wheel Parts.
Following the initial gift card promotion, BRC would also extend the option to TLCA to continue the program for an additional 3-4 months at the special rate as a benefit to their members.
In short, all TLCA leadership has to do is:
1) Agree to the basic premise(s) of the proposed joint offer
2) Decide on what the rate would be for membership in TLCA under the offer
3) Determine whether or not they would like to have BRC do the optional mailing to their membership and, if so, approve the funding and use of the database for the purpose of the mailing only.
Note: If there is a concern with the use of the membership database, security to that end could be ensured by making the arrangements with the independent printing house to have TLCA provide the database only to them as is commonly done in the industry.
Upon agreement, it is to the benefit of both organizations to work together to aggressively promote the effort. To minimize the amount of administrative overhead on the volunteers at TLCA, BRC will manage the program as outlined above for the months including the bonus of the gift card from Four Wheel Parts and beyond if TLCA so chooses. Details can be worked out accordingly.
Respectfully submitted by,
Greg Mumm
Executive Director
BlueRibbon CoalitionBRC is proposing to do a joint membership incentive program with the TLCA including a gift card incentive under the current arrangements BRC has with Four Wheel Parts.
Under this proposal, BRC and TLCA would promote a joint membership offer where, for its part, the BlueRibbon Coalition would offer a special, one-time, one-year, individual membership in the BlueRibbon Coalition for $15 (discounted from its normal rate of $29.) The TLCA would likewise establish a rate for membership under the offer at whatever level it chooses. Together they would promote the joint membership offer as:
Join-Renew-Extend your membership for $XX.XX, and participants would get a one year membership in both organizations plus, Four Wheel Parts would send them a free $25 gift card for participating in the offer.
For example, if the TLCA would set a rate of $25, combined with the rate of $15 from BRC, the joint membership offer would be promoted as follows:
Join-Renew-Extend membership for $40 under this special offer and you get a one-year membership in the TLCA, a one-year membership in the BRC, and Four Wheel Parts will send you a $25 gift card for participating in the offer. That is a combined $84 value for only $40.
Along with this offer, the BlueRibbon Coalition is proposing to:
1) Develop and provide the necessary graphics artwork for ads in the Toyota Trails and develop a pdf flyer suitable for printing and distribution among the TLCA membership, at events, and other outward promotional efforts.
2) Develop and maintain a special online webpage for online sign-up for
participation
3) BRC will manage the program including sign-ups, ensuring database distribution to TLCA membership manager of new participants on a weekly basis, distribution of funds generated to TLCA on a weekly basis, and distribute the participant database to Four Wheel Parts to ensure timely and accurate distribution of the free gift card.
4) Optionally, if TLCA chooses, BRC will develop a professional mailing to be printed, published and mailed to TLCA membership urging their individual
participation in the program along with bringing a friend, fellow club member, or wheeler to the program. The total cost of such a mailing to the TLCA would be approximately $1500 to $2000 depending on black and white or full color. The mailing could also be used as an outreach to include expired and extended expired members of the TLCA as an incentive to rejoin the TLCA.
The program including the gift card bonus would be run for the months of December and January with the potential of an additional month in February if BRC can make the arrangements with our provider, Four Wheel Parts.
Following the initial gift card promotion, BRC would also extend the option to TLCA to continue the program for an additional 3-4 months at the special rate as a benefit to their members.
In short, all TLCA leadership has to do is:
1) Agree to the basic premise(s) of the proposed joint offer
2) Decide on what the rate would be for membership in TLCA under the offer
3) Determine whether or not they would like to have BRC do the optional mailing to their membership and, if so, approve the funding and use of the database for the purpose of the mailing only.
Note: If there is a concern with the use of the membership database, security to that end could be ensured by making the arrangements with the independent printing house to have TLCA provide the database only to them as is commonly done in the industry.
Upon agreement, it is to the benefit of both organizations to work together to aggressively promote the effort. To minimize the amount of administrative overhead on the volunteers at TLCA, BRC will manage the program as outlined above for the months including the bonus of the gift card from Four Wheel Parts and beyond if TLCA so chooses. Details can be worked out accordingly.
Respectfully submitted by,
Greg Mumm
Executive Director
