Case Study: Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
Using Research to Develop and Implement a Five-Year Membership Enhancement Plan
CHALLENGE
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) has achieved recognition as the world’s largest organization of scientists devoted to the study of the brain and nervous system. SfN boasts nearly 39,000 members and a healthy growth rate; however, the Society faced the challenge of accommodating and serving its core members while adjusting to the new dynamic created by its growth and success.
SfN sought McKinley’s expertise by engaging in a comprehensive research project with the goal of creating a Membership Enhancement Plan that would:
- Enable SfN to continue to be relevant by meeting the needs of new and existing members
- Provide an understanding of the marketplace and the Society’s growth potential
- Allow SfN to strategically plan membership retention and growth over a five-year period
APPROACH
The research spanned nearly a year, during which McKinley planned and implemented a series of eight focus groups, deployed an electronic survey that achieved a 27% response rate, created a comprehensive environmental scan of the neuroscience market and conducted a benchmarking study of relevant organizations. In total, more than 9,300 members participated in the research.
RESULTS
Alongside SfN’s Membership Enhancement Plan Steering Committee, McKinley leveraged the data to set SfN’s strategic direction for the next five years. The plan revolved around five primary goal areas.
- Position SfN as an association that meets member needs and offers opportunities to be engaged.
- Maintain and increase value for members through programs and services that meet their needs.
- Increase SfN’s international presence and stature as a truly global organization.
- Broaden the range of neuroscience-related disciplines reflected among the membership.
- Capture the breadth of neuroscience while providing satisfying experiences for scientists/members in their own areas of specialization.
McKinley provided actionable steps to address each goal including recommendations to create a pilot program for member communities, increase SfN’s presence in external publications, integrate word-of-mouth principles into marketing, promote engagement via episodic volunteer opportunities and to develop and define member profiles. Since the development of the plan, SfN has incorporated the MEP’s goals into its strategic planning process and has implemented a number of McKinley’s recommendations.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“What ensured the success of this project was McKinley’s willingness to immerse themselves in our field to the point where they were comfortable interacting with volunteers and staff at a high level. This commitment detail ensured that the research was tailored to our field. The result was a plan with recommendations that were actionable and grounded in reality.”
— Marty Saggese,
Executive Director, SfN