1. SWE Membership A Lifetime of Opportunity Thoughts & Advice from the SWE Membership Committee August 2012

2. Agenda What is SWE? What is your SWE affiliation? How can you develop your role in SWE? Recruitment and retention of SWE members Appendix

3. What is SWE? The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is a non-profit educational service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and receive the recognition and credit for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders.

4. What is SWE? Society of Women Engineers …somewhat of a misnomer. You do not have to be a woman or an engineer. ANYONE CAN JOIN SWE! It’s a commitment to align with SWE’s vision!

5. What is SWE? Do you know? Less than 15% of the engineers working in the U.S. today are women* Each individual can help increase that percentage. Together, we (SWE) can change history! *factfinder.census.gov United States Occupation by Sex 2005-2009 American Community Survey

6. What is SWE? SWE’s mission is to: Stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders; Expand the image of the engineering professional as a positive force in improving the quality of life; and Demonstrate the value of diversity.

7. What is SWE? Diversity is our strength! Women of courage and vision founded the Society of Women Engineers. These trailblazers nurtured an organization that empowers women engineers to advance and succeed. Their legacy is an organization where all women in engineering and technology bring together their unique contributions and authentic views.

8. What is your SWE affiliation?

9. What is your SWE membership grade? What SWE region are you in? Do you belong to a SWE section?

10. What is your SWE affiliation? What is your membership grade? Professional Senior Fellow Collegiate Associate (See webinar appendix for definitions per the SWE bylaws.)

11. What is your SWE affiliation? What SWE region are you in?

12. What is your SWE affiliation? What is your SWE section assignment? Each member selects their preferred Section/MAL (Member at Large)/International assignment when joining or renewing Section/MAL/International assignments are generally based on postal code/country of the preferred mailing address SWE members can belong to ANY SWE Section/MAL/International but may only have one membership assignment at a time (See webinar appendix for accessing list of current SWE chartered sections.)

13. How can you develop your role in SWE?

14. How can you develop your role in SWE? Do you support SWE and its mission only? Do you read SWE Magazine or register for SWE webinars? Do you attend annual and/or regional SWE conferences? Do you attend local SWE meetings/activities/events? Do you serve on a committee or hold an officer position? Do you want to become more involved but not sure where to start?

15. How can you develop your role in SWE? “My role in SWE has changed greatly over a 30 year period…SWE has been an important part of my life every step of the way!” –S.T.S. While in college, the local SWE section reached out to me as one of few women in an engineering program. They assisted us in obtaining a SWE collegiate section charter. (New College Student) While forming the collegiate section, we arranged meetings/events which included a SWE organized company tour and led to my first engineering job. (Collegiate SWE Member) Practiced talking in front of groups at SWE meetings and schools about what I did at my job. Gained tremendous speaking experience. (Collegiate Graduate/Transition Member) Worked closely with my employer, encouraging them to attend/sponsor SWE conferences, which helped them recruit at SWE career fairs. (Professional SWE Member) Moved to a new area of the country and contacted my local SWE section; served on committees, increased my network, offered my help and learned skills along the way. (Transfer Member) Started a family; looked forward to SWE meetings for the adult conversation! (Senior Member) Headed local SWE section committees, took on officer positions, attended SWE conferences & meetings over the years, made friends and contacts coast to coast. (Life Member)

16. How can you develop your role in SWE? Are there skills you want to improve? Writing? Write for your local SWE newsletter, submit to the electronic newsletter All Together, or become a contributor to SWE Magazine. Finance? Serve as a section treasurer or join an audit committee. Build confidence? Join a local or national committee to learn a new skill. SWE offers leadership opportunities and value for everyone

17. How can you develop your role in SWE? It is helpful to have a SWE resume and a SWE plan for what you would like to do in the future. Within your plan, specify steps you will need to achieve your goals. Many members’ career paths and SWE paths complement one another.

18. How can you develop your role in SWE? Opportunities for networking, sharing and serving as a resource to others: SWE’s Multicultural Committee (MCC) Affinity Groups – Where people sharing the same aspect of diversity can come and work together Elements of diversity: ability, age, class (socio economic, education, resources), country of birth, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. (See webinar appendix for list of current SWE Affinity Groups.)

19. Recruitment and Retention of SWE Members

20. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Celebrate the tremendous value the engineering profession provides and advertise. Proudly wear the SWE logo and the SWE pin! (At www.swe.org, select Membership/Member Services/SWE Store)www.swe.org

21. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Collegiate Is not employed full-time in an engineering position Is pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering Collegiate to Career (C2C) One-time fee of $50.00 throughout collegiate career through first year of professional membership (what a great graduation gift!) Collegiate Dues (if not participating in C2C) $20.00 annually

22. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members SWE Life Membership Option Life membership is available with a $2,000 donation to the SWE Endowment Fund Inc. (paid in full or over four years) Tax Deduction Excellent Investment Future dues waived after paid-in-full Personal Preference “Best Decision I Ever Made!” Consider giving as a gift

23. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members DateMembership Note July 1Start of new Fiscal Year (dues are due) AugustReceive rebate check from HQ for dues payments made from January 1 st to June 30 th September 30Un-renewed member drop date January 1Membership half-price starts (new members only) JanuaryReceive rebate check from HQ for dues payments made from July 1 st to December 31 st March 31Determine section/MAL representation for next FY April 15Memberships applied through next FY Until June 30Renewing professional members can apply a $5 “on time” discount

24. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Online at www.swe.org you can:www.swe.org Join Renew Reinstate Share with a friend (Step by step instructions are in the Appendix)

25. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Why would I change my membership assignment? Collegiate member to a Professional member transition Moving and want to be assigned based upon your new address Traveling on a rotation program for work & would like to participate in the SWE section near work or be a MAL until you are settled in one location You want to support SWE as a MAL How do I transfer to another SWE assignment? Make change during online renewal process or return renewal form noting this change Any other time, contact membership@swe.org or call SWE HQ at (312) 596-5223 and ask for Membership…they will helpmembership@swe.org

26. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Define Role/Responsibilities for: Data Officer Member to review membership roster monthly (at a minimum) to report additions, deletions & transfers Committee Members Member to put together “New Member Packets” and mail them to new members Member to make membership calls –Welcome new members –Periodic calls for meeting/event reminders, contact info updates, thank you for renewing membership, collecting “baseline data”

27. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Create a personalized member kit: 1.Letter on Section/MAL Letterhead (see sample letter in appendix) Introduce yourself Welcome member to their SWE area List section officer contact information 2.List of upcoming Meetings/Events with dates Be sure to include the upcoming SWE Annual Conference and your SWE Regional Conference info 3.Copy of SWE Newsletter or Website page 4.Any other literature you think appropriate

28. Recruitment & Retention of SWE members Where is your section/MAL group today? Gather “baseline data” from the SWE Leadership Portal (leadership.swe.org)leadership.swe.org Coordinate efforts with section leadership What SWE section & region do you belong to? How many members do you have? Where do they work? Where do they live? Where did they/do they attend school? When did/do they plan to graduate? What is their discipline?

29. Recruitment & Retention of SWE members What do I do with the “baseline data”? Evaluate the data Do you have a small (up to 35 members), medium (36 – 100 members), or large (greater than 100 members) SWE section? Which members are employed at the same company? Which members attended the same school? Make graphs or charts to organize your “baseline data” Ask questions based upon the data Are meetings and events held in areas close enough to where people work? Are meetings ever held at any of your members’ employers?

30. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Coordinate with section leadership to be a go-to person Tell your members to talk with people at work, school, in the neighborhood, in their night class, etc. Ask people if they are familiar with SWE Ask if your go-to person could contact them to chat further about SWE Collect prospective member contact info Contact prospective members in a timely fashion Explain how easy it is to join SWE on-line Once a member has joined, give them a welcome phone call or send them a new member packet

31. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Know your members Contact every member on your roster (best by phone) Introduce yourself. Be positive and upbeat. Verify their contact information from their SWE profile. Ask lots of questions. Get to know member and garner their interests for section planning. How long have they been a SWE member? How familiar are they with SWE? Have they held any office within SWE? What do they like about SWE? What could SWE improve upon? Do they ever read SWE Magazine or SWE newsletters? Ask if they have a particular volunteer interest (ex. Outreach, Professional Development, etc.) Would they be interested in chairing a committee or being a member of a committee? Are they familiar with SWE webinars?

32. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members …Know your members Gauge the conversation to determine how long to talk. If you sense it is not a good time, ask if there would be a better time they could be contacted. Tell them of upcoming SWE activities Leave your contact info in case they have future questions Follow-up with an e-mail if possible Recommend reviewing the SWE Directory database monthly. Note membership additions, deletions and transfers & compare with previous month’s findings. Report findings to your leadership team.

33. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members …Know your members Maintain contact with members Meeting reminder Periodic information update Thank you for renewing membership Make a point to call all members, this includes: those new to SWE a former member who rejoined member transitioning from collegiate to professional or a member transferring from another location

34. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Talk the Talk Make “SWE business cards” Individually or as a group Talk with people! at a class you are taking, at a technical society meeting, neighbors, co-workers, friends, those in the headlines If they seem interested in knowing more about SWE, get their contact info so someone from your membership committee can follow-up Offer Incentives * Bring a potential SWE member to a meeting and earn coupons toward: A future free SWE meeting A SWE pin SWE membership *May require executive council approval

35. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Every Stage of Your Life Collegiate New Graduate Single, Married, Divorced With or Without Children Full-Time Employment Part-Time Employment Stay-At-Home Mom or Dad Adult Returning to School Retired Every Stage of Your Career New Engineer First Job Working in industry, academic, government, self employed A Few Years of Job Experience 10-20 Years Job Experience > 20 Years Job Experience Adult Returning to School Retiree SWE Has Something for Everyone!

36. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Help collegiates and professionals stay connected! Share SWE Section Officers Contact Info Share SWE Meeting/Event Invites Conduct an Event in a Box from the Membership Toolkit Share Newsletters Organize a joint professional/collegiate yearly planning event Coordinate joint and complimentary events Provide those graduating with SWE transition memberships

37. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Reward Members’ Efforts Give appreciation certificates Nominate qualified individuals and their committees for SWE awards on the local, region & societal level Write personalized thank you notes

38. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Avoid Section Burnout Succession Planning! Clear Ground Rules Assign primary/secondary person to be responsible for a meeting/event Generate fresh ideas from all members “Meet & Greets” Understand roles, responsibilities and expectations

39. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members Membership Retention Send reminders to pay dues (May – Sept) Use the sample postcard in the Membership Toolkit “I’m not an active SWE member, so I’ve decided to drop my membership.” STOP! Remind members of the greater good that SWE does to promote & support women in engineering, such as: - administering a large scholarship program; - professional development webinars; and - public policy advocacy. In addition, a percentage of membership dues is rebated back to the local section or MAL organization to fund worthwhile events and activities!

40. Recruitment & Retention of SWE Members … Membership Retention Remind members of unemployed and retired membership rates Find out why a Member does not plan to renew What can we do better? Have they asked their company to pay their dues? Do they work for a corporate/CPC member? Talk up the region and society annual conferences. Gather a group to attend.

41. SWE Membership A Lifetime of Opportunities Have more questions? OR Have membership ideas to share? Contact: Susan Thomas Schlett, Membership Chair susan.schlett@swe.org susan.schlett@swe.org Jonna Gerken, Director of Membership Initiatives jonna.gerken@swe.org jonna.gerken@swe.org Mary E. Carravallah, Director of Member Relations membership@swe.org membership@swe.org

42. SWE Membership Webinar A Lifetime of Opportunities Appendix

43. Appendix Materials Appendix Materials include: SWE Membership Grades SWE Dues Classifications Glossary of Acronyms Collegiate & Professional Section/MAL Listing Sample Welcome Packet Letter Webinar Presenter & Contributor Info Member Application Website Screens

44. Appendix Materials SWE Membership Grades Professional –Is or has been actively engaged in engineering work –Holds a baccalaureate or advanced degree in engineering, engineering technology, or science related to engineering; or –Has at least five years engineering experience Senior –Actively engaged in engineering work, holds baccalaureate or advanced degree plus 10 years of engineering experience; or –Has 15 years of engineering experience –A SWE Achievement Award recipient Fellow –Honor conferred on SWE members "in recognition of continuous service to the advancement of women in the engineering profession." Collegiate – Not employed full-time in an engineering position and is pursuing a undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering. Associate –Supports the Society goals but does not qualify for above grades, and: »work is related to engineering practice or training; OR applicant is sponsored by a member of the senate, a professional section president, member at large president, region governor, or corporate member

45. Appendix Materials SWE Dues Classifications Professional Transition Member – must be an active collegiate member for fiscal year immediately prior to transition Recent Graduate - graduated within the past 12 months but ineligible for transition membership since an inactive collegiate member in final year of school Life Member – dues paid through contribution to SWE Endowment Fund Corporate Member – dues paid through corporate sponsor Collegiate Collegiate to Career (C2C) Retired/Unemployed Professional Returned to School on Full-Time Basis K-12 Educator Joint Membership (professional or collegiate) with: AISES - American Indian Science and Engineering Society NSBE - National Society of Black Engineers SHPE - Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

46. Appendix Materials Glossary of Acronyms SWE – Society of Women Engineers MAL – Member at Large HQ – SWE Headquarters in Chicago FY – Fiscal Year* CPC – Corporate Partnership Council * SWE’s fiscal year is July 1 through June 30 - (FY13 began July 1, 2012 and ends on June 30, 2013)

47. Appendix Materials Do you belong to a SWE section? For a complete current listing of SWE collegiate and professional sections, go to www.swe.org, login and select Membership/Governance Docs. Use the “Category” dropdown menu and select “Section Information” to locate the section chartered dates documents.www.swe.org The professional section list begins with A001 (Golden Gate section in Region A) and ends with Z001 (International Members). Section 49 in any given region is the designation for MALs in that region (i.e., A049 is the Region A MALs). Collegiate sections are equal to or greater than 50 in a region (i.e., A050 is the University of California, Berkeley in Region A). An “S” in the collegiate numbering system indicates a Collegiate Interest Group (CIG) which is not a SWE Chartered Section.

48. Appendix Materials Sample Welcome Packet Letter Dear Ms. Jones, I am the membership chair for the Charlotte-Metrolina section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE-CM). We just received your name on our membership roster and we want to officially welcome you! You are in SWE section D002 which is the Charlotte Metrolina section located in SWE Region D. Enclosed in this new member packet you should receive: -A list of upcoming SWE meetings/events/conferences -A contact list of SWE-CM officers -A copy of the SWE-CM newsletter Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding SWE. Let us know what SWE can do for you! Sincerely, Susan Thomas Schlett Society of Women Engineers Charlotte-Metrolina Section D002 Membership Chair FY’12 Susan.schlett@swe.org Tel. 123-456-7890

49. Appendix Materials Online Membership Application Visit www.swe.org.www.swe.org Choose Join button.

50. Appendix Materials … Online Membership Application Choose Join Now button.

51. Appendix Materials … Online Membership Application Select Become a Member (Non-member) - for those who have never been a SWE member and would like to join.

52. Appendix Materials … Online Membership Application Enter appropriate information and choose Create Account button.

53. Appendix Materials … Online Membership Application Complete your profile and save.

54. Appendix Materials … Online Membership Application Choose the type of membership product that is appropriate for you. A membership product that is in light grey is unavailable to you at this time.

55. Appendix Materials Presenter: Susan Thomas Schlett SWE Membership Committee Chair FY13 SWE Life Member Chartered SWE Collegiate Sections Member of four different Professional SWE Sections in three different regions Section President and Membership Chair roles Passion for SWE and communicating its benefits Thank you to the following membership committee members for their contributions to this webinar: Emily Anderson, Cybil Boss, Elizabeth Buchanan, Mary Carravallah, Laura Geiger, Jonna Gerken, Michelle (Shelly) Gould, Paula McDonald, Angela (Angel) McMullen-Gunn, Omobolanle (Bolanle) Okanlawon, Diane Peters, April Privett, Susan Thomas Schlett, Lisa Schmalhurst, Claire Shortall and Katherine Van Dellen.