Back to: National Committee – Membership

Membership Description

As the nation’s largest patriotic women’s service organization, the strength and influence of the American Legion Auxiliary is derived from its members. The Membership Committee works to ensure the future growth and prosperity of the organization by partnering with units, departments, and divisions to develop strategies to retain current members, recruit new ones, and engage all in mission-related activities.

Current members renew their memberships when they believe the Auxiliary continues to offer them something of value for their lives. The Auxiliary's Strategic Plan has set forth a goal for the organization to attract new members and retain 95 percent of its current members year after year, and the Membership Committee is responsible for reaching that goal. The Membership Committee educates departments and units on national member benefits and encourages them to implement member benefits of their own. The Auxiliary’s Call to Service Corps VISTA project volunteers used the results of a membership survey to develop new tools to aid departments and units in recruiting, engaging, and retaining their members.

Reaching out to a new generation of potential members requires innovative strategies. The Membership Committee’s new ALA Support Tools will serve as a valuable resource to provide instruction on utilizing social networking media such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter to engage younger women in ways that are standard for today’s multimedia, multitasking generation. The Auxiliary is taking advantage of other electronic outreach tools, such as webinars and Skype, to facilitate cost-effective membership engagement. The next wave of membership growth will likely come from the expansion of e-units. Virtually any woman with an interest in participating in the mission of the Auxiliary may now do so conveniently and effectively.