Is the ARRL finally feeling the heat?

Could it be that the ARRL is finally beginning to realize that the drop in membership is a real problem. The latest news regarding the ARRL makes it appear so. The news is that they have contracted with a firm to survey lapsed members. Here are the questions:

The Readex Survey

Before receiving this survey, were you aware that ARRL membership includes digital access to QST and three other ARRL magazines, plus access to their archives?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Before receiving this survey, were you aware that a mailed, print subscription to QST is available to members for an additional $25 per year?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

What are the main reasons you have not renewed your ARRL membership? (please select up to three options)

• My age or health makes it difficult for me to be involved in amateur radio
• Restrictions from my HOA prevent me from being active in amateur radio
• I am no longer interested in amateur radio
• I cannot afford the $59 annual dues right now
• Membership does not provide enough value to me
• Print edition of QST is no longer included with membership
• I am not satisfied with the other benefits and services provided by ARRL
• Supporting ARRL to protect amateur radio spectrum is NOT important to me
• I have lost trust or confidence in ARRL
• I intended to renew, but forgot or did not get around to it
• I am not satisfied with the content in QST
• The January 2024 increase in ARRL membership dues
• Negative things I have read about ARRL on social media or elsewhere
• I have little or no time for amateur radio
• I disagree with the direction or decisions of the ARRL Board of Directors
• The $35 FCC license renewal fee
• I get my amateur radio content from free online sources (such as YouTube)
• None of these

If we missed one of your reasons for not renewing your ARRL membership, please provide it:

What, if anything, would need to change for you to consider re-joining ARRL?

Is there a different membership format that would be a better fit for you? Please describe:

The last three are open-ended questions.

It will be very interesting to see if they publish the results and what, if any, action they take in response. I’m not very hopeful that they will publish the results, and the vast majority of commenters on the web forums that I monitor don’t feel that they will do much in response.

Personally, I think it’s a good sign that they’re finally coming around to realizing that the membership decline is a real problem. Do I have confidence that they’ll take effective measures to increase membership? That I’m not so sure about.

In the past, I’ve suggested that the ARRL set a membership goal, and that goal should be to recruit at least 25% of licensed radio amateur as members. I still think that’s a reasonable goal.

Of course, they’re going to have to hire someone to be responsible for the membership program. For the longest time, the ARRL Letter advertised for a Membership Manager. They are now calling this position Membership Marketing Analyst. The job description reads, in part:

ARRL is seeking a Membership Marketing Analyst to help grow, engage, and retain our national membership community through strategic marketing and insightful data analysis. In this role, you’ll combine direct marketing expertise with strong analytical skills to develop and optimize multi-channel membership campaigns, identify trends and opportunities, and translate complex data into actionable recommendations that support organizational growth.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes them to fill this position, and what “actionable recommendations” they come up with.