For many associations, the pandemic wasn’t just a disruption; it was a complete operational shift.

This was especially true for Distress and Crisis Ontario (DCO). As an organization that supports distress and crisis lines across Ontario and Nunavut, the pandemic threw them “into a place where everything shifted and changed.”

For two years, they had to put membership growth “on the back burner” to focus entirely on supporting their existing members through a global crisis. But when the dust settled, they faced a new challenge: returning to growth mode felt like “starting from scratch.”

This case study explores how DCO used Member Lounge’s strategic workshops to map a clear member journey and redesign their digital presence to serve both the public and their members.

The Challenge: Restarting After the Shift

DCO provides critical promotion, collaboration, and training for member centers. However, the pandemic created a gap in their growth strategy.

1. The “Back Burner” Effect

During the pandemic, the priority was survival and support.

• Caitlyn Plant, Program Manager, noted that they focused solely on supporting their current members while operations became virtual.
• While necessary, this meant that active recruitment and value definition were paused, leaving them unsure how to best pinpoint what the value of membership was when they were ready to grow again.

2. Starting From Scratch

Coming out of the pandemic, the team felt disconnected from their acquisition processes.

• “We’re trying to come back into building membership, and it felt like we were kind of starting from scratch.”
• They needed a way to reset and look at their processes with fresh eyes.

3. Website Hierarchy Issues

Their website had to serve two distinct masters: people in immediate distress and potential members.

• Balancing these priorities was difficult, with membership information often buried halfway down the page.

The Solution: Mapping the Member Journey

DCO participated in a Member Lounge workshop to regain their footing.

Learning from Peers

Caitlyn joined a group training session, which provided a unique value: perspective.

• “It was interesting to hear stories from other organizations that are either bigger or smaller than us and learn some of the unique challenges.”
• Seeing different websites and approaches helped clarify what DCO could change to make things easier for our members.

Defining the Journey

The core breakthrough was shifting from a static view of membership to a dynamic one.

• Caitlyn appreciated viewing the process as a “journey of kind of potential members to retaining members.”
• She admitted that while it seems obvious, “it just wasn’t something that occurred to me” until they went through the formal process.

The Results: “A Tangible To-Do List“

The workshop didn’t just provide theory; it provided a punch list of fixes.

✅ UX Improvements for Impact

The session triggered immediate ideas for website optimization.

• Caitlyn realized they could update the website to place membership links right underneath the ‘Are you in distress?’ button.
• This made sure that people in distress could easily find what they needed first, while also making membership more visible.

✅ Structured Action Plan

The ideas generated during the session were captured in a formal plan.

• “The Action Plan that was given at the end is really helpful for organizing that to-do list that I was making already.”
• It turned scattered ideas into a roadmap for execution.

✅ A Fresh Perspective

The workshop served as a necessary reset.

• Caitlyn recommends it for any association, whether long-standing or new, to get a “fresh look” at their processes.
• “Things might be different now from when you originally set up your website,” and this process helps identify those necessary changes.

Getting Started: Lessons from DCO

If your association has been stuck in maintenance mode, you can follow DCO’s lead to restart your growth engine.

Recap the core lessons

• Audit your digital hierarchy: Ensure your website serves your members without compromising your public mission.
• Map the journey: Don’t just look at members; look at the path they take from prospect to retained.
• Look outside your bubble: Learning from associations of different sizes can reveal solutions you hadn’t considered.

Member Lounge provided the strategic framework DCO needed to transition back to growth.

If you are ready to map your own member journey, check out our pricing options or read more client success stories.

FAQ

How can an association restart membership growth after a period of stagnation? Associations can restart growth by moving beyond maintenance mode and mapping a dynamic member journey that tracks a prospect from their first point of interest through to long-term retention.

What is the best way to balance public service and membership goals on a website? For organizations like DCO, the priority is public mission (e.g., “Are you in distress?”), but membership information should be placed strategically right underneath primary call-to-action buttons to ensure it isn’t buried.

Why should associations look at peer case studies for growth? Participating in group workshops allows associations to hear unique challenges from organizations of different sizes, providing fresh perspective on their own website hierarchy and value definition.