Private Club Websites
Is a Website Right for Your Club?
If your club is new to the notion of having a website then you may have some nagging questions about the matter. On this page we will attempt to resolve those concerns. Private club websites are becoming more popular every year. And while something like half of all clubs have websites, that leaves a huge number that have not yet made the commitment. Why, in a world where virtually every business, service and government agency has a website…why are clubs lagging so badly behind?
Well, first of all, let’s qualify ‘lagging behind’ part. Some clubs have intentionally, directly and with much forethought, decided against private club websites. They have all sorts of reasons, all founded on good principles, all thoroughly debated, and unfortunately, mostly all wrong. There are a couple great arguments against private club websites. First is that your community has no conntection whatsoever to the internet, and second, that the community is without electricity! Rare possibilities indeed, but we want to be fair about this issue. ;-)
Here are some reasons cited for not having private club websites and the argument against the argument.
- Our members are too old and don’t use computers. First of all, a CMAA survey showed that, on average, computer use in clubs is now above two-thirds of all members. Second, older members are joining the young and buying computers more now than ever before, often prompted by their kids and grandchildren to do so as a way to keep in touch via email. Thirdly, the older the average age of members, the more the club must be looking for new members and virtually all newer members will be web users who are very much in favor of private club websites – actually, they expect them.
- Private club websites would jeopardize our non-profit 501(c)(7) status. This is just plain wrong. Clubs of every entity type have websites; there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It is possible to jeopardize the status of the entity by putting the wrong information on a website but the same can be said of putting the wrong information in the newspaper, on scorecards or posters in the club lobby...reasonable care must be given to content and working with an experienced provider of private club websites is a good place to start. But if there is genuine concern, don’t forego having a website with this incorrect assumption; consult a tax expert, preferably one that specializes in tax issues for clubs such as Mitchell Stump. An article by Mitchell Stump on 501(c)(7) website issues appeared in Boardroom Magazine and is reprinted here with permission of the publisher.
- We have no need for private club websites because we have nothing to sell. This argument makes the awful assumption that websites are only for selling. And while it is true that most websites are involved in selling, the main idea of private club websites is communications. Improving communications between the club and the members is a tremendous need for almost all clubs. Think about it: in corporate America, failure to communicate is the biggest reason for job failure. Okay, clubs aren’t corporate America but when you consider the need to keep members informed and to get feedback from members, most all clubs can do a better job and private club websites is one giant step in the right direction.
- Private club websites cost too much to maintain. In the not-too-distant past this may have been true when a programmer was needed and every little change resulted in an hourly labor charge. That is not the case today when your website is provided by a company specializing in user-maintainable websites. Our websites are developed on top of a sophisticated infrastructure that enables an employee with simple clerical skills to update all information on the website without any programmer intervention.
- We are a club and we have no business running a website. A website is certainly not the end-all and be-all of a club. However, like the club’s accounting system, it is a tool that is very useful in effectively delivering on the club’s main premise of serving its members. Is the accounting system essential? Of course it is. Does the accounting system contribute directly to the enjoyment of the members? No, but without it the club would be less efficient, more costly and a greater expense to the members. Websites are an effective way to improve communications and while they may not yet be judged essential by some, most clubs are realizing that this type of tool is a very important part of the club’s communications program.
There are undoubtedly other seemingly valid reasons why a website may not be right for your club but the greater likelihood is that the advantages of having a private club website far outweigh the disadvantages.
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