Are you worried about your organization’s membership – and what will happen to it in the future? It’s imperative to look to the future of your membership – young professionals and college students – to keep things going. But what happens when college students graduate and stop paying dues?

Off the top of my head, I can think of three professional associations that had very active presences on my college campus: the Society of Professional Journalists, Public Relations Society of America and National Association of Black Journalists. (Bet you can’t guess what I majored in!)

Despite my journalism school bias, I know there are tons of associations out there that have active student memberships, and then as soon as those members graduate, they let their memberships lapse. (And I’m one to talk. SPJ, call me!)

As a fairly recent grad myself, I wanted to discuss some (relatively) easy ways to retain your student members after they turn their tassels.

For starters, is there a big gap between the price of student membership and non-student membership? Not to beat a dead horse, but we all know unemployment rates are sky high right now. Unless your recent grads realize the value in their membership, they’re not going to want to shell out for it while they’re still living with mom and dad.

Consider offering a reduced membership rate for young professionals. For example, it could be for only those ages 25 and under, or for those who have been out of school for less than two years. Especially now (there’s that “economy” thing again!) younger members would do well to take advantage of the professional services associations have to offer.

Which brings me to my next point … do you make it clear how membership can make younger members stand out in a sea of resumes? Do you offer exclusive job boards and member profiles with their specific accomplishments? Take advantage of the terrible economy and show young potential members what you can do for them. The earlier in their careers they join, the more likely they are to retain membership down the road.

It should go without saying that ignoring technology and social media is a no-no if you want to recruit the younger demographic. It can be as simple as setting up a Facebook page for younger members to interact or as intricate as setting up your own social network on Ning. (See this post for more details on Ning.)

Speaking from personal experience (and on behalf of my friends), it can be very difficult to find your footing after graduation, especially right now. (For those keeping score, this is Terrible Economy Reference No. 4.) If you don’t already have a mentoring program, consider implementing one. Pair a recently graduated member with an established professional – mentoring works both ways. And maybe the young professional will find their chosen profession isn’t the right fit for them. There’s nothing wrong with that, and in my opinion, the sooner they discover that, the better!

What other suggestions do you have for retaining your student members after they enter the big, bad real world? What has worked (and what hasn’t worked) for your organization?

(Image via zitona on Flickr)