---
title: "Membership Hack: Digital Handbook"
id: "43177"
type: "post"
slug: "membership-hack-digital-handbook"
published_at: "2018-06-29T20:40:52+00:00"
modified_at: "2018-06-29T20:40:52+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/06/29/membership-hack-digital-handbook/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/06/29/membership-hack-digital-handbook.md"
excerpt: "A digital handbook gives members access to the information they need about member benefits, services, and support—all in one place."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Membership"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "health benefits"
  - "Membership"
  - "reengagement"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Director"
  - "Manager"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Association Professionals"
---

[Home](https://associationsnow.com/)
 » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/)
 » Membership Hack: Digital Handbook

**How to hack it?**The American Chemical Society gives its members [a digital handbook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/membership/member-handbook/memberhandbookfinall.pdf)
 [PDF] detailing all the opportunities that membership affords, including events, products, services, and other benefits.

“Because we are a complex organization with a variety of member-only, public, and other product offerings, the member handbook is a way to comprehensively map out everything we do,” says Amelia Grana, manager for membership strategy at ACS.

**Why does it work?**The handbook gives ACS members a detailed view of the value of their membership, all in one place. It’s distributed by email and printed at small events. The publication is updated each year to include any changes to benefits or programs.

**What’s the bonus?**A handbook is an effective tool for onboarding new members, Grana says. It also increases the chances of new-member engagement, which can lead to the all-important [first-year renewal](https://associationsnow.com/2017/03/digging-deeper-into-membership-renewal-trends/)
. “An informed member is a more engaged member, and a more engaged member is one that tends to stick around,” she says.

(izusek/E+/Getty Images Plus)

[Tim Ebner](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/)

Tim Ebner is communications director and press secretary at the American Forest & Paper Association in Washington, DC. He is a member of ASAE’s Communication Professionals Advisory Council and a former Associations Now senior editor.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/)

Tags: [#health benefits](https://associationsnow.com/tag/health-benefits/)
 [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/)
 [#reengagement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/reengagement/)

**Stay Informed**

[Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/)
, *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day.

## You Might Like

- [TemplateMembers onlyORA MembershipGuide Booklet First Half Of YearJune 15, 2018](https://associationsnow.com/2018/06/15/ora-membershipguide-booklet-first-half-of-year/)
- [VideoThe Impact of Delayed Retirement on Your Association’s Bottom-LineFebruary 26, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/02/26/the-impact-of-delayed-retirement-on-your-associations-bottom-line/)
- [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/)
- [TemplateMembers onlyStaff Phone A Thon ScriptApril 18, 2018](https://associationsnow.com/2018/04/18/staff-phone-a-thon-script/)

## Comments

**Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/)

[Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F06%2F29%2Fmembership-hack-digital-handbook%2F%23comments)
 to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/)
!