If you are an executive director, manager, or board member of an organization seeking to initiate a membership program The Nonprofit Membership Toolkit is an ideal, comprehensive resource. A savvy expert in the field, Ellis M. M. Robinson has more than twenty-five years of experience in the nonprofit sector and conducts workshops and training seminars nationwide on establishing and maintaining membership programs. In Toolkit, she generously shares her expertise with nonprofits seeking to diversify their revenue streams, and provides an easy-to-read manual for embarking on the process of either building a membership base from scratch or upgrading an existing membership program.

The book is nicely designed, and there are four main sections that make up the content of the volume. Part One, Integrating Membership into Your Organization, starts at the ground level as it focuses on the overall concept of membership as a partnership and the establishment of the necessary systems and protocols. The following section, Managing Your Membership Program, discusses building a renewal program, the value of sending special appeals, and also includes useful advice for creating effective publications. The third section formulates strategies that an organization can employ in order to expand its membership base by recruiting new members as well as converting in-house prospects. Robinson describes the advantages of both a direct mail campaign and electronic mail and online newsletters. The final chapters make up the last section on strategic planning for future growth, which covers regulatory issues and details a variety of membership plans.

Along with the wealth of useful information on creating or enhancing a membership program, perhaps the nicest feature of Toolkit is the integration of real-life case studies, worksheets, exercises, and sample publications throughout each of the four sections. The easily reproducible worksheets are practical tools that are designed to help users with tasks such as formulating goals, developing a campaign calendar, identifying mailing estimates and capturing in-house prospects. The availability of these worksheets via the Internet provides a convenient way for users to customize and file them electronically. In addition, the sample fundraising letters, newsletters and special mailings are effective in providing readers with tangible documents that can be adapted to meet the needs of their own organization.

Throughout the last thirty or so pages of the book, the author has included a special "Resources" section that expands on several of the tips and suggestions described in the previous chapters. Included are listings of relevant books, Web sites and organizational contacts, as well as copywriting tips and the recommended protocols for handling incoming mail and data processing. The book's table of contents is tight and well structured, and there is an index in the back, which makes information easy to navigate within this rather thick volume.

In today's economic times, The Nonprofit Membership Toolkit is a welcome how-to guide for nonprofit leaders who wish to identify potential, dedicated partners within the community, while working towards the long-term financial success of their organization.

For additional citations to materials on this topic, refer to the Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject heading "Membership drives."