Membership has its repetitiveness?

As a LACMA member, I loved getting a free poster at the Magritte show last year (in addition to two free tickets and a set time reservation). Maybe it's a small thing but I never shop in the gift shop and take advantage of the discount. A free poster made my day.

How about this: a sense of personal well-being. Admission to the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth is free -- permanent collection and special exhibitions -- and 99.9 percent of its public programs are free. The only exception would be, for example, a photography workshop where a small supply fee might be involved. The Carter offers the standard Museum Store discount, the exhibition preview receptions, the members magazine. But...the real and lasting benefit of a Carter membership is a sense of ownership in the idea that all people are entitled to free access to their cultural heritage. Carter members are happy knowing that their financial support enables the museum to give this gift to the community.

The Lab at Belmar has an interesting/ironic way of appealing to its membership base. Learn more at: http://www.belmarlab.org/becomeamember.php

I disagree and agree with Brett... Disagree: The tax deductibility of a $30-$50 membership is negligible at best. Agree: Affiliate membership groups offer more bang for the buck. They are the single sign of innovation coming out of membership departments in the last 20+ years.

Here at the MF, we have a green, 100% paperless membership level. Helping out the environment is a perk, right?

One of the best membership-related perks for an artist is unpublicized. MOMA has an Annual Artist Pass for $25. To get it, you have to bring in to the museum proof that you are an artist (show announcements are the easiest). Can't get it by phone or website. It's a bare-bones membership - no guest passes, no invites to openings, but you do get unlimited museum admission for a year, so it's a great deal. It's strange that, while they do offer this, it's not mentioned anywhere on their website. I guess they figure too many people would take advantage of it, so they keep it as one of those word-of-mouth, insider perks.

One of the problems with trying to be innovative with membership perks is that it affects the tax-deductibility of the membership. Too many perks, and your members have very little to write off. I've noticed that most museums save the really cool features for their additional fee groups - young professional and social groups - rather than at the basic membership levels. The easiest $$ free perk to offer, usually at a mid to high membership level, is to enroll in a reciprocal admission program.