Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Seeking Advice on Membership Outreach

[Berrins (Berrins]

In a message dated 3/15/2000 1:20:29 PM, hodee [at] chesapeakenet.com writes:

<< Currently, only seven families are invested in the project (although a few
others are considering it seriously). We need to step up our membership
outreach efforts, and are looking for advice from more experienced
cohousers. >>

Do you have a web site?  We got several people through ours.  If the URL at 
the end of your post is your web site (http://users.supernet.com/rhubarb), 
then, IMHO,  you need a new name, one that has "Hundredfold Community" or 
"cohousing" in it.  

Try the newspapers.  Our local newspaper (the Daily Hampshire Gazette, 
"www.gazettenet.com") did several articles, including a crucial one just as 
the original 8 core members started looking for an additional 16.  Cohousing 
is a catchy concept, and all you need is one interested reporter.  A reporter 
can get plenty of cohousing information from you folks and the Cohousing 
Network web site, as well as all the other cohousing sites.  Several other 
newpapers have done stories, including the Boston Globe just a few weeks ago. 
 Your CSA goal is also a good hook for a story.

When the original core members started looking, they also held a few ""dog 
and pony" informational workshops at the local YMCA, the first of which my 
wife and I  and some close friends attended (they are also moving in soon, 
two houses away from us!).   We also tried flyers, posters and other outreach 
ideas- they got some response, but my guess is that the newspaper articles, 
informational presentations and website got the vast majority of members.

Once you get people at your meetings, you then have to keep them.   
Well-organized, pragmatic meetings that show how much you love and respect 
each other will go a long way towards hanging onto the folks who are truly 
interested.  

I hope this helps.  Good luck!

        -Roger Berman
          Pathways Cohousing
          Northampton, MA
        (where we are right in the middle of move-ins; 9 households already 
in, my family is #12 to move in, closing on March 24th- yow!)