10/28/2021

Professional Membership Tip: An Updated, Low-cost Mentorship Program

Oct. 28, 2021

Looking to cut costs, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) switched from a fully automated mentorship program, which was hosted by a vendor, to a hybrid version that is partially automated but also manually driven. It’s been very popular with members—and SWANA’s membership team. Here is a closer look at the nuts and bolts that make it work.

How Does It Work?

Looking at the program from a long-term perspective and scheduling the whole year ahead of time is a big part of the program’s success, said Shelby Truxon, SWANA’s membership program manager. Mapping it out a year in advance helps Truxon keep track of notifications and mentor matches and prepares her for times when it’s a heavier lift, so she isn’t caught off guard.

Promoting it is also essential. Initially the team thought people would just sign up for the mentorship program—and they did—but over time they realized some targeted messaging was in order. They started plugging it in to other programming, like SWANA’s young professionals’ program, student groups, and conferences.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.