Building Member Loyalty through Meaningful Moments

There is often a quiet moment at the beginning of a gathering, before the program officially starts, when people look around and decide whether they belong. It happens at events like annual meetings, volunteer orientations, and committee kickoffs. Nothing formal has occurred yet, but something important already has.

This is where loyalty begins. Not with benefits or bylaws, but with experience. Research across social psychology and organizational design consistently shows that people remain committed to groups where they feel recognized and anchored. Geoffrey Cohen's work on belonging demonstrates that small signals of inclusion can have an outsized impact on engagement and persistence. Chip and Dan Heath, in The Power of Moments, show that a handful of meaningful experiences often outweigh dozens of routine interactions when people decide what an organization means to them.

For associations, the implication is practical and encouraging. Loyalty is shaped less by what members receive and more by how moments are marked.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE's Center for Association Leadership.