TDHA - Support Question

Chris, I keep thinking there are two main reasons people don't sign up...

First, primarily hog hunters get targeted, and you can only get so much saturation in each group. The more groups that are approached, like bird guys and trappers and anyone else who uses working dog, the more potential members are reached. You have to remember that some people just aren't joiners, and many people don't have a long-term interest in the sport, especially when it comes to hog dogging. How many people do you see jumping in and selling out in the classified ads each day? Why would people with fickle tastes dedicate themselves to the future of an activity they may not be a part of in 5 years? Perhaps there will be greater traction with hunters who have a longer lifespan in their sport.

But I also don't think people truly know what the TDHA does. I'm a member, and I have no qualms at all about donating a mere $25 each year, but I still don't totally understand how it's being used. I think the legislation is the best example. There are a ton of disconnected posts in a bunch of places. Yes, even in the Courtroom section on the TDHA board, there isn't a clear narrative to follow to know what's going on. And there is a lot of reposting from other groups that doesn't get pulled back to dog hunters. And since Mr. Mason already has so much going on, there should really be another person (or people) who work on concisely communicating these issues. There should be easily scanned and digested stats for everything - how much was donated, how much was raised, how many votes made the difference - so people can see in simple numbers what the TDHA does.

When someone asks, "What does my $25 get me," there is a page that says "It funds X scholarships, feeds Y hungry people, influences Z critical votes, defeats A bills and passes B bills, etc etc." Without numbers like that, it can sound like lip service. Because I know the people involved and have heard about their positive impact from friends, I trust my money is being put to good use, but if I didn't have that personal background, I wouldn't join without details.

And what Gilbert said about advertising on the TDHA board is right on. Once all this information is in place, get it out there and let people know about it. It makes for a very powerful marketing campaign. Just saying "We help you" doesn't convert new members the same way as "We get you XYZ concrete results."

There are so many things on my plate between my job, the eating disorder advocacy and the Lacy association, not to mention working to keep my dog sane, that I don't have the time to do the legwork. But I'd be happy to give advice as a marketing professional, nonprofit activist and former journalist.