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Viewpoint

Recognition with Rebranding: One More

Tool to Use for Our Membership Crisis

By Helen Ballam and Donna-Faye Madhosingh

Fact: DKG is in trouble because of our membership numbers.
This message has been stated repeatedly by our 2022–2024 International President, Debbie LeBlanc,
and our Executive Director, Nita Scott. The organization is in crisis. At the DKG Officers’ Training session
held in June 2023 in Dallas, Texas, very somber historical membership statistics (Figure 1) showed a very
bleak future unless we implement change.

Figure 1
Overview of Membership Numbers

By doing some simple math, these data show that, on average, from 1991 to 2023 DKG’s membership
decreased by 3,400 members per year. If this trend continues, such decreasing membership would cause
DKG to cease to exist by the year 2038, or within 15 years. Roughly 4 months after the training session
in Dallas, at the November 28 Town Hall meeting, LeBlanc and Scott reported that our membership had
continued to decrease to fewer than 50,000 members. This proves that the downward trend in membership
is an alarming fact.

The message: DKG is in trouble because our membership numbers are down. We
must do something.
A study by consultants Avenue M was commissioned, for a cost of around $55,000 (per DKG
Administrative Board minutes, Nov. 2022), to provide valuable data that Society members could use to
address the membership dilemma. The study describes the demographics of our membership and professional
challenges facing our working educators. It also focuses on the value of DKG membership, including the
benefits, both personal and professional. One of the most important parts of the Avenue M study considers
the challenges of membership in terms of retaining members. Although most existing members reported
valuing their membership in terms of fellowship and personal and professional development, many stated
that they had too many personal and professional challenges to consider continuing with DKG. Sadly, the
value of membership was not worth their commitment.

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