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LET’S REVIVE OUR FOOD JUSTICE MOVEMENT TOGETHER.

The 2022 Membership Drive is a key opportunity to share your chapter’s successes and hopes with your geographic community and inspire individuals and small businesses to join you in fighting for good, clean and fair food for all. Thank you for helping us rebuild the table — together.

KEY INFORMATION

Basic information about the drive
  • The 2022 membership drive will run from Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Friday, Sept. 30
  • Our goal: 1,000 new or returning members in the month of September
  • Give What You Can days are Thursday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 28. Please don’t share these dates until 24 hours before the event. Here’s the link: https://slowfoodusa.org/become-a-member/give-what-you-can/ 
  • Always direct your audience to our membership page in your outreach: https://slowfoodusa.org/become-a-member/ 
  • We’re hosting a new Member Day on Thursday, Sept. 8. One lucky member who talks about being a member on their social media channels using the hashtag #SnailingIt will get a jam-packed swag kit!
  • Grow the number of Small Business Supporters in your area and get a share of the funds raised! Learn more here.
Core messages
  • Slow Food USA is a driving force for food justice at the local, national and international level. We believe in uniting the joy of food with the pursuit of justice. We are committed to transforming the world to guarantee good, clean and fair food for all. 
  • We do this through nurturing networks that serve more than 36,000 people through education, trainings, events, food distribution, and so much more.
  • The Slow Food movement in the US focuses on five core areas of impact: Embracing racial equity and justice, nourishing cultural and biological diversity, increasing access to food and nutrition, mobilizing people and communities, and advancing policies that transform food systems.
  • We need to grow our membership to bring new ideas and more lived experiences to the table that we are building together, slowly but surely. We must achieve true food justice and racial equity in our network and our world.
  • Let’s regenerate and heal our food systems together. Become a member of Slow Food USA.

 

Why become a member?

Join a passionate local chapter that’s building relationships with your community and uniting the joy of food with the pursuit of justice. Support a national network that’s building tools, campaigns and resources to make an epic impact on our oppressive food systems. Plug in to a global Slow Food movement that’s fighting for good, clean and fair food for all.

What do I get by becoming a member?
Becoming a member of your local chapter comes with the following benefits (bold items are new for 2022):

  • 25% discount on most Slow Food USA merchandise
  • 10% off annual Slow Wine Guide
  • 5% discount on all products at The Foodocracy
  • Three e-updates just for members from the Slow Food USA team each year
  • Discount on 2022 Plant a Seed bean dinner tickets
  • Discount on all virtual events hosted by SFUSA
  • News and updates from your local chapter, with information about events, volunteer opportunities and ways to support your local food community
  • A limited-edition gift at the end of the year
  • Opportunities to join national working groups focused on sustainable fishing, policy and advocacy, rare food preservation, reading circles and more

What does my membership pay for?
The Slow Food USA network of more than 100 local chapters cannot exist without support from our members! Here’s where your dollars go:

  • Engagement with our earth and heritage plants through our Plant a Seed program, which gives hundreds of free growing kits to schools across the US
  • Robust learning and growth with our national network around racial equity and justice through trainings, office hours, national book discussions and more
  • Annual programs like the School Gardens initiative, which sustains gardening programs in dozens of local schools
  • Support for the USA’s Ark of Taste, which identifies and preserves the stories and legacies of Indigenous and other important foods 
  • News and storytelling content that amplifies a diverse array of voices and ideas from across the Slow Food movement
  • Administrative support for the complex needs of 80 volunteer-led chapters in the US, so that their initiatives and partnerships can thrive
  • Maintaining a small but mighty team of 7 Slow Food USA employees, who support these local, national and international efforts

If your chapter is participating in our revenue share pilot program, mention to your audience that their membership dollars will directly benefit the work your chapter is doing.

STRATEGIES FOR YOUR CHAPTER

As our world starts to transition out of unprecedented challenges and demands on our food systems, we recognize there is still much work to be done to reawaken and reengage your community.  September is a time to celebrate all you have accomplished, maintained and hope to achieve. Your work as a Slow Food champion should be recognized and our annual membership drive is an excellent platform to showcase your talents and the work being done close to home! Take the time in September to reach out and remind your network that you and Slow Food are still here, working to make good, clean and fair food a reality for all

Email

  • Send a dedicated email or two to your whole email list sharing our message of hope, togetherness and change. Share an update of what you’ve been up to in 2021 and what you’re looking forward to in the coming year. Inspire your network to find justice and joy at your chapter level!

Social media

  • Share some of these messages on your social media channels — or, better yet, share messages about what your chapter is doing to embrace Slow Food values in your geographic area.
  • Consider boosting some of your posts to new audiences in your area or friends of people who follow you on social media. Need help? Contact Communications Director Brian Solem for help.

 Other ideas

  • Host an outdoor event or table at a local farmer’s market to connect with Slow Food fans old and new.
  • Conduct a small phone bank session where a few members of your board reach out to former members of your chapter to see if they want to rejoin the movement
  • Send ‘snail mail’ to like-minded local and small businesses thanking them for supporting the local economy and jobs and invite them to become a member of Slow Food USA. Need help? Contact Development Manager Patricia Hennessy for ideas.

copy for emails and social media channels

email campaign

Membership drive email 1: focus on the local

  • Thank you for continuing to be part of the [Slow Food chapter] community! One way you can help us move closer to transforming our world and guaranteeing good, clean and fair food for all is by becoming a member. For $60 per year, you can help fuel our efforts here in [city/region name] and strengthen a number of programs, campaigns and initiatives that are changing our world’s oppressive and unsustainable food systems.
  • Make the pledge to support our work year-round! This year, we are excited to announce we are offering an Evergreen membership. Instead of a one-time membership payment, you can now pledge to pay $5, $10, $15 or $20 per month making it even easier and more convenient for you to support our work.
  • How can your membership help [Slow Food chapter]? (Describe some of the efforts you completed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, or some educational programming you have produced, or some ways you are building partnerships, or other great updates from your chapter)
  • We can only rebuild this table together. We need more people to join our movement to unite the joy of food with the pursuit of justice. Please become a member today.

Consider including a quote or Q-and-A from someone in your network about why they are a Slow Food member — and please prioritize the voices of Black, Indigenous and People of Color, LGBTQ+ people, and women who are members or on your board. Meaningful and authentic representation matters!

     

    Membership drive email 2: focus on the global

    • Become a member today so that [Slow Food chapter] can continue to be our local hub of a national network and a global movement of people demanding good, clean and fair food for all.
    • Your membership doesn’t just help [Slow Food chapter] — it also makes sure that the US has an active policy and advocacy team helping us make major systemic changes, new and engaging programming that advances Slow Food values.
    • (Feel free to pull out a few items from the “What does my membership pay for?” section that you think would appeal to your community)
    • And we are only one of many countries represented in the Slow Food movement! Your membership fuels global work to fight oppression and uplift pleasurable, fair and sustainable food.
    • We can only rebuild this table together. We need more people to join our movement to unite the joy of food with the pursuit of justice. Become a member today.
    Social media

    Consider sharing content being released from Slow Food USA’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn feeds all month long and telling your audiences how it’s relevant to your chapter!

    You could also include a photo and quote from someone in your network about why they are a Slow Food member. People love to hear from real people! Please prioritize the voices of Black, Indigenous and People of Color, LGBTQ+ people, and women who are members or on your board.

    Make sure to always share a link to our membership page when you post: https://slowfoodusa.org/become-a-member/ 

    Content ideas about joining your local chapter:

    • Help [Slow Food chapter] move closer to transforming our world and guaranteeing good, clean and fair food for all: become a member. For $60 per year, you can help fuel our efforts here in [city/region name] and strengthen a number of programs, campaigns and initiatives that are changing our nation and world’s oppressive and unsustainable food systems.
    • How can your membership help [Slow Food chapter]? (Describe some of the efforts you completed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, or some educational programming you have produced, or some ways you are building partnerships, or other great updates from your chapter)

    Content ideas about joining the national and international network:

    • Our world is in crisis. We need to come together and rebuild the table so that we can all have access to good, clean and fair food. Join our movement to unite the joy of food with the pursuit of justice. Please become a member today.
    • Become a member today so that [Slow Food chapter] can continue to be our local hub of a national network and a global movement of people demanding good, clean and fair food for all.
    • Your membership doesn’t just help [Slow Food chapter] — it also makes sure that the US has an active policy and advocacy team helping us make major systemic changes, new and engaging programming that advances Slow Food values.
    • Your membership dollars also build up our grantmaking effort called the National Resilience Fund that’s supporting food businesses through this challenging time. Together, we can provide financial support to local community initiatives and food systems. 
    • (Feel free to pull out a few items from the “What does my membership pay for?” section above that you think would appeal to your community)
      Give What You Can Days: Sept. 15 and Sept. 28

      Give What You Can Day is a critical moment for you to raise awareness about joining your chapter as a member for any amount. On Thursday, Sept. 15, please post at least once on your social media channels with the following information.

      Today is Give What You Can Day for [Slow Food chapter]! All day long, you can become a member of our community for any dollar amount. We want to make sure we’re all able to come together and strengthen our momentum toward good, clean and fair food FOR ALL. 

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