---
title: "Data Nugget: Carrot or Stick?"
id: "45487"
type: "post"
slug: "data-nugget-carrot-or-stick"
published_at: "2019-02-01T07:05:38+00:00"
modified_at: "2019-02-01T07:05:38+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/02/01/data-nugget-carrot-or-stick/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/02/01/data-nugget-carrot-or-stick.md"
excerpt: "Penalty or incentive? How different organizations handle renewals."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Membership"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "incentives"
  - "Membership"
  - "renewals"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "C-Level"
  - "Executive Team"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Association Professionals"
---

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 » Data Nugget: Carrot or Stick?

Before members click “renew,” most associations send a series of reminders weeks or months in advance. But how do you add urgency to that call-to-action message? Some associations offer incentives for early renewals, while some tack on penalties for late signups.

### Incentives

#### 18.8%

**of associations** offered a discount or other incentive

#### 62.4%

**did not offer** incentives

#### 18.8%

**were considering** this tactic

### Penalties

#### 6.1%

**of associations** charged penalties for late renewals

#### 90.9%

**did not charge** penalties

#### 3%

**were considering** this tactic

*Source:**[Membership (opens in a new tab)](https://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2012/07/03/membership-renewal-survey-results---infographic)**Renewal Survey, Wild Apricot, May 2018*

(Satenik_Guzhanina/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

[ASAE Staff](https://associationsnow.com/author/asae-staff/)

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

Tags: [#incentives](https://associationsnow.com/tag/incentives/)
 [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/)
 [#renewals](https://associationsnow.com/tag/renewals/)

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