Just Another Non-Relevant Discount Club?
Absolutely not. Here’s what sets our member-owned organization apart.
National President
Jon Walker, F268778
jwalker@fmca.com
Jon and Sondra Walker
Recently I met with a longtime FMCA member who shared with me that he believes FMCA has become just another discount club. He also noted that he doesn’t think FMCA is relevant to RVers in today’s digital world. Although I do not agree with his assessment, the conversation prompted me to think about what makes FMCA different from other RV organizations. I thought I’d share some of those thoughts with you.
FMCA is the world’s largest not-for-profit RV association. FMCA is member-owned and member-led. We do have a paid staff at the national office in Cincinnati, and they do an excellent job, but volunteers are the heart of our organization. Those volunteers include everyone from national officers, area officers, and chapter officers to the members who volunteer at FMCA international conventions and area and chapter rallies, and those who serve on committees. FMCA is a member-driven organization, and my goal is to make it even more so as time progresses (more about that in a bit).
Everything FMCA does is geared toward helping and benefitting our members, who own the association.
FMCA is about community and connections. From the very start, FMCA has been about bringing together RV owners. That mission continues today, although it takes various forms.
One of the most rewarding continues to be face-to-face meetings. And one of the best ways to do that is via chapter membership. FMCA has more than 350 subgroups, or chapters, members can join, and if you don’t find one that interests you, we’ll help you form one that does. Members have made lifelong friends by becoming involved in chapters. There is no limit as to how many chapters you can join. And who knows? Joining a chapter may be the next best thing to finding the fountain of youth! Research tells us that people with social support tend to live longer. Social connections also contribute to our physical and mental health. What do you have to lose? Visit www.FMCA.com/chapters.
Another way FMCA members can connect in person is by attending an FMCA international convention and RV expo. In 2019, FMCA will host its 100th convention. So, we have quite a few years of experience under our belts. It’s fun to get together with people who share our enthusiasm for traveling by RV. It’s also educational. More about that aspect of FMCA in a bit, but first…
FMCA has been working to expand its footprint in the digital world, beyond FMCA.com. FMCA has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, and RVillage. FMCA had almost 9,000 followers on these social media platforms in 2015. Today, we have more than 38,000 and growing! This provides a means for FMCA members to stay in touch throughout the year, to share information, and to spread the word about FMCA to RV owners who don’t know about our association yet. As is true of most organizations today, FMCA has staff members dedicated to making sure FMCA has a presence on social media.
We recently created a Member Engagement Committee with the goal of tapping into the fantastic resource we have — FMCA members, who have a wide array of experience and knowledge. This stems from my interest in making FMCA more member-driven. This new committee has been charged with determining how best to collect information about members to help us find the most qualified members to serve on committees, or to use their talents in other ways within FMCA, as the association continues to progress.
FMCA is about information sharing. This tradition dates back to FMCA’s earliest days, and while it is no less important today, communication methods have become more sophisticated. FMCA’s monthly magazine, Family RVing, continues to be an anchor when it comes to information sharing and is a key benefit of membership. Most members still want to read it in print form, but many also take advantage of the digital edition. The digital edition becomes available about a week ahead of the print copy landing in mailboxes, so it provides an advance read, and it’s helpful to have this resource when traveling. The digital edition also makes it easy to visit websites referenced in the text and in ads. Click and you’re there. An email is sent each month to remind members that the digital edition is available, but unless you opt out (visit your member profile at FMCA.com), rest assured a print copy will keep coming to you.
Material from the magazine also appears at FamilyRVingmag.com.
Our new FMCA University is another true benefit afforded by your membership in FMCA. I think that as our University grows — through the able hands of our Education Committee members and the staff support from RV Doctor Gary Bunzer and FMCA’s IT team — you will see this benefit become one of the most, if not the most, used features of FMCA. Just imagine having the world’s largest source of RV information at your fingertips.
As alluded to earlier, FMCA conventions play a key role in information sharing. Approximately 100 seminars take place at each convention, and some of the foremost RV experts serve as presenters.
By the way, chapter membership is another great way to learn from your fellow RVers — people who have “been there, done that.” Your fellow members can be an invaluable source of advice about your RV, places to visit, and things to do during your travels.
Other ways FMCA communicates with members — and helps them communicate with each other — include the monthly FMCA Mile Marker newsletter, blog posts (https://fmcadventure.com), and the FMCA Forums (community.fmca.com).
FMCA is about benefits. We strive to provide benefits that you cannot obtain apart from being a member of FMCA. An example of this is FMCA’s Roadside Rescue benefit. In November 2017, we rebranded the roadside assistance program and announced new rates. We compared it to all of the major programs on the market to make sure it was the most comprehensive roadside program available, as well as the most economical. The “proof is in the pudding,” so to speak. Check out the Roadside Rescue plan (www.FMCA.com/roadsiderescue) and compare its benefits and price to any other program on the market. You cannot get this plan at the $69 rate FMCA offers unless you are an FMCA member. Our members have responded to the Roadside Rescue offer in record numbers since it launched.
Another member benefit that is exclusive to FMCA is our FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program. Every one of our members are covered by this JUST because they are a member of FMCA. If you were to buy this plan as a nonmember, you would pay approximately $105 per year for this coverage. Similar plans cost even more. This is a true benefit afforded by your association.
We know how important it is to today’s RVer to stay connected to the internet while traveling. This facilitates everything from banking and shopping to entertainment (movies, music, gaming) and keeping in touch with family. With that in mind, late last year FMCA introduced its tech benefits, with great rates exclusive to members. The offerings: Connect-on-the Go, a 25GB mobile internet access plan from Verizon Wireless for only $49.99 per month, and Tech Connect +, a package that includes unlimited mobile internet from Sprint for $49.99 and some other great offers.
That’s only the beginning when it comes to the member-exclusive benefits FMCA offers. Does FMCA broker discounts for members? Yes. Who doesn’t love to save money? But FMCA is so much more than a discount club.
FMCA’s primary goal is to provide value and enjoyment to our members, to help them live their RV life to the fullest. If that’s not relevant to today’s RVer, then I don’t know what is.
Remember, it’s still all about having fun!
Spread The News About FMCA
Recruiting RVers you know to join FMCA — families, veterans and active-duty military personnel, and also commercial members — has its rewards.
Executive Director/CFO
Chris Smith
csmith@fmca.com
Chris Smith
Being member-owned sets FMCA apart from other RV organizations. You, the member, have a voice in the decision-making process for the association you love and support. How many organizations truly can make that statement?
We seek out and encourage your feedback. We want to hear your thoughts and suggestions, because that is how we improve your FMCA. FMCA is stronger when members are engaged.
Whether sharing your thoughts via an online submission, a survey, or the good ol’-fashioned telephone, many of you take a sincere interest in FMCA. I love that. Two topics repeatedly jump out at me when I am combing through your feedback: FMCA members love their country (and rightfully so!), and they love to talk about FMCA with other RVers. That is why I am excited to tell you about two new membership initiatives we recently launched.
The first is an online new-member offer for veterans and active-duty military personnel. Regardless of the country they served or are currently serving, new members who fit this criterion receive $10 off their first-year dues by using promo code VETERANS18. So, spread the word about this to your RV friends who have served or are serving in the military. We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all current and former military members for their service. To learn more, visit join.fmca.com/veterans18.
The second initiative is a call for FMCA members to recruit new members. We see it all the time in our surveys — new FMCA members who joined because another member recommended it! FMCA members are undoubtedly the biggest and best recruitment tool we have.
Therefore, my FMCA friends, I offer you this challenge: Help us reach our goal of 90,000 FMCA families by October 1, 2018.
During this special promotion period (May 1 to October 1), in addition to the standard $10 voucher members earn when they recruit a new member, FMCA will send you a FREE 9th edition FMCA Road Atlas and Travel Guide if you recruit five new members by the October 1 deadline. Recruit six or more new members, and we also will send you a handy FMCA RV Trip Log Book. Use this log book to make notes about campgrounds you visit, to record contact information for friends you meet during your travels, to keep track of fuel purchases and miles traveled, etc.
It won’t be easy — the bar is set high — but I know you are up to the challenge! Think about this: If every member recruited just one new member to FMCA, our family would double. That means more “buying power,” resulting in improved benefits for you! Plus tons of fun, new friends, and great benefits for those you recruit. That’s what I call a win-win.
Visit www.FMCA.com/recruit to learn more. This site includes recruitment material that you can download and print and then share with other RVers you meet.
Don’t forget that the $10 voucher that is rewarded for each new member you recruit can be applied toward your dues renewal. So, recruiting five new members earns you a free year of membership. The vouchers also can be used for event registrations and for FMCA logo merchandise.
We also are excited to report that we have launched a revamped FMCA RV Marketplace. This new, improved RV Marketplace appears at FMCA.com. Previously, we worked with a third-party vendor called Multiview to host the RV Marketplace.
The goal of the FMCA RV Marketplace is to provide RVers a one-stop-shopping experience for all of their RV-related needs. It features information about FMCA’s commercial members and allows them to showcase their offerings for RV families. This is FMCA’s way of creating our own online shopping outlet for our members. FMCA members selling and buying products from other FMCA members; now that’s keeping it in the family!
Our in-house debut means lower advertising rates for our commercial members, customer service from FMCA staff members, and continual upgrades to the interface and features. Our favorite addition is the Product Gallery. With the purchase of an enhanced listing, commercial members receive two free Product Gallery entries to promote their company’s top products.
Exposure in the FMCA RV Marketplace is a very nice benefit for FMCA commercial members. All commercial members receive a basic listing as part of their membership dues. The basic listing includes company name and contact information only. By purchasing an enhanced listing, companies can increase the value of their online listing by adding a description, a list of products, a logo, and a live link to the company’s website.
We’ll also be offering banner ads and a number of other advertising options to commercial members. Feel free to contact the FMCA sales team — (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622; advertising@fmca.com — for more information.
Family members can view product offerings, and commercial members can offer exclusive discounts in the descriptions. Head to www.fmcarvmarketplace.com to view the new FMCA RV Marketplace, and see for yourself!
And while you’re recruiting new members to FMCA, don’t forget to spread the word to the companies you encounter during your travels. Have you enjoyed a stay at a campground you think other FMCA members should know about? Or done business with an RV dealer, repair facility, or service organization that merits attention? Encourage them to become FMCA commercial members. If they join and mention that you referred them, this will count toward the members you have recruited, just as family members recruited do. And remember that recruiting has its rewards!
Enjoy your summer travels.