Introduction
After a communications audit identified strengths and weaknesses in the internal and external communications of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA), the organization approached the PIE Center again to conduct a membership survey.
In order to uncover the benefits and barriers to membership in the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, the PIE Center distributed a web-based survey to 1,771 current and former members of the organization. Of the 566 people who responded (a 32 percent response rate), 452 were current FCA members, about 27 percent of the list. Respondents who had been members for less than four years composed the largest group at 44 percent, while members who had been involved with FCA for more than 10 years were the second-largest category at 34 percent.
Key findings
Both current and former members indicated that supporting the beef industry was the primary reason for originally joining FCA, followed by political representation and educational opportunities. Current members added networking and professional opportunities as reasons for continuing their involvement. When asked why they left FCA, 39 percent of former member respondents stated that they forgot to renew membership. Another 32 percent listed “other,” including reasons such as an employer discontinuing payment membership and the perception that FCA focuses only on larger operations.
Current member respondents identified important benefits of FCA involvement: public relations and issue management to protect the industry, political representation at state and federal levels, research program development, as well as representing an interest of working with other segments of Florida agriculture.
When asked to identify barriers to membership in FCA, current member respondents’ top responses were the perception that membership is not valuable, and that potential members have never been asked to join.
Recommendations
Because the majority of members left FCA within five years, the PIE Center recommended that FCA consider instituting programming that focuses on and caters to new members. With a program that promotes leadership, FCA would engage new members and also equip them to lead the association in the future.
The PIE Center also recommended that FCA should effectively communicate the dues structure or revise the structure to eliminate confusion.
Several members cited a lack of concern for small ranchers as a barrier to membership. FCA should consider a program that caters to small ranchers. Such a move would fight the perceived exclusion and promote communication with FCA’s internal audiences.
A few respondents indicated that the magazine did not contain the appropriate information. The PIE Center recommended a readership survey to determine what readers would prefer to be included.
