Article Membership 1 min read
Membership Pro Tip: Free Courses as a Renewal Incentive
A program initially conceived as a recruitment tool for a hard-to-reach membership segment became a successful renewal incentive when the pandemic hit.
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How does it work? When a member of the New Jersey Society of CPAs renews, they get access to 20 free continuing professional education (CPE) courses through NJCPA’s Membership+ program. They can browse the preselected list of courses—including speakers and topics—for the program online.
The webinars are mostly live, with most offered as scheduled replays. A joint effort among the membership, marketing, and education teams, the courses are planned six months in advance, instead of an entire year, to make sure content is timely for members.
“We want to be flexible in case any there are any new tax laws or breaking news we need to educate members on,” says Susan Dyer, NJCPA’s membership development director.
Why is it effective? CPAs need to have a minimum of 20 CPE credits every year to maintain their licenses and this program helps them meet that requirement just by paying their membership dues.
What’s the benefit? The program provides a cost savings for members. It has also increased NJCPA’s membership retention rate, which is currently above 90 percent. “It has helped us a lot to show value,” Dyer says.
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