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Features

Action steps: Executive committee responsible for…
• personalized communication;
• workshops; and
• activities for members to get to know the DKG Purposes (benefits, personal and professional
growth).

Integration with Avenue M
Due to a decrease in membership, an increase in chapter dissolutions, and declining applications for
leadership positions, the 2022–2024 DKG Administrative and Executive Boards contracted with Avenue
M Group, a consulting firm, to help evaluate what is needed by the Society’s membership in order to
attract, engage, and retain members today and into the future.
The Avenue M report* was published in November 2023 with a variety of action plan recommendations.
Many different options are available for using Avenue M ideas to enhance established Logic Model plans.
Some of the suggested next steps may fit into plans in place. Leaders may decide to replace or revise
previous inputs or actions to help achieve their outputs and outcomes. And some may find that research
results and suggestions from an Avenue M topic resonate
with what is happening in their state organization and
choose to add new actions to their plan. Here are several
examples of how state organization plans align with
Avenue M findings:

Michigan
Problem of practice: Chapters are dissolving.
Root causes:
1) Aging out.
2) Not connecting with new teachers.
3) Lack of leadership at chapter level.
Theory of action: If we give our members a structure
and strategies to connect with prospective members, then we would grow and retain new members in
chapters.
Action steps:
• Develop scripts for presentations to groups; make list of potential contacts.
• Develop Marketing for the state organization.
• Create opportunities to connect with potential members.
• Communicate with and train chapters in hosting State Continuing Education Clock Hours
(SCHECH) opportunities.
This plan aligns well with Avenue M recommendations: To increase the value of membership, DKG
should provide updates on state/federal policies affecting education (35%) and improve communication
about member benefits, activities, and events (34%) (p. 13); and To make membership more attractive to
nonmembers, DKG needs to improve communications surrounding member benefits, activities, and events
(24%) and attract more members that reflect their demographics (17%) (p. 15). These ideas from the
Avenue M report may help focus outreach content.

8 · Volume 90-4
8 · Volume 90-4