# Membership renewal letter samples: five letters to post or adapt > Five membership renewal letter samples for associations, clubs and societies, laid out as posted letters, plus a free template you can download and adapt. No sign-up. - By: Crashielab (https://crashielab.com/) ## The short answer A membership renewal letter needs the member’s name and category, the renewal date, the fee, how to pay, and one reason to stay. Post the first letter about six weeks before the renewal date. The five samples below are laid out as posted letters; for the email sequence, see the [membership renewal reminder email templates](/guides/membership-renewal-reminder-emails/). ## Five membership renewal letter samples Replace everything in square brackets. Each letter fits on one page. ### Standard annual renewal letter for an association Use this when: most members pay once a year and you want one clear notice. [Date] [Member name]\ [Address line 1]\ [Town, postcode] Dear [First name], Re: your [year] membership of [Association] Your [category] membership is due for renewal on [renewal date]. The fee for [year] is [amount]. This year, [Association] [one concrete thing, such as ran twelve evening talks and published the new members’ directory]. Renewing keeps your place at next year’s programme and your access to the members’ area. To renew, you can pay by bank transfer to [account name, sort code, account number, reference: your surname], by cheque to [payee name] using the enclosed form, or online at [printed web address]. If you already pay by standing order or Direct Debit, nothing changes. If anything has changed, such as your address or category, please note it on the form. Thank you for being part of [Association]. Yours sincerely, [Name]\ Membership Secretary, [Association] Enc. renewal form ### Renewal letter for a club or society Use this when: the tone is personal and the coming season or programme is the draw. [Date] [Member name]\ [Address line 1]\ [Town, postcode] Dear [First name], Re: your [year] membership of [Club] The new season starts on [date], and we would love to have you with us again. Your membership is due on [renewal date], and the fee is [amount]. This year’s programme includes [two highlights, such as the spring exhibition and the away day in June]. The enclosed form has the details, and the dates are on [printed web address]. You can pay by bank transfer, by cheque using the enclosed form, or online. If you would rather pay in person, [name] will be at [venue] on [dates]. For charitable societies: If you are a UK taxpayer, ticking the Gift Aid box on the form lets us claim an extra 25p for every pound of your subscription, at no cost to you. Yours sincerely, [Name]\ Chair, [Club] Enc. renewal form ### Renewal letter for a professional body or chamber Use this when: the member is a business or a professional and the letter doubles as an invoice. [Date] [Member name]\ [Organisation]\ [Address line 1]\ [Town, postcode] Dear [First name], Re: your [year] membership of [Body]. Invoice reference: [reference] Your [category] membership renews on [renewal date]. The fee for [year] is [amount] [plus VAT at the standard rate, where applicable]. Renewing keeps your listing in the members’ directory, your access to [CPD programme, events or briefings] and your member rate at [event or service]. [One line on what the body did for members this year.] Payment is by bank transfer to [account details, reference: invoice number] or online at [printed web address]. If your organisation needs a purchase order on the invoice, reply with the number and we will reissue it. Yours sincerely, [Name]\ Membership Secretary, [Body] Enc. invoice and renewal form ### Final notice after the renewal date Use this when: the renewal date has passed and the grace period is about to end. [Date] [Member name]\ [Address line 1]\ [Town, postcode] Dear [First name], Re: your [Association] membership Your membership was due for renewal on [renewal date], and we have not yet received your payment. Your access to [members’ area, events, directory] continues until [grace period end date]. After that date it will stop, and your record will be kept so you can rejoin later. To renew today, pay online at [printed web address], or by bank transfer to [account details] with your surname as the reference. The fee is [amount]. If you have already paid in the last few days, thank you, and please ignore this letter. If you have decided not to renew, a short note saying why would help us. Yours sincerely, [Name]\ Membership Secretary, [Association] Enc. renewal form ### Lapsed member letter: winning back a member who did not renew Use this when: two or three months have passed since the membership ended. [Date] [Member name]\ [Address line 1]\ [Town, postcode] Dear [First name], Re: rejoining [Association] Your membership ended on [date], and we have missed you. Since then, [one thing that has changed, such as the new programme is out, or the members’ directory has launched]. If you would like to rejoin, there is no joining fee and nothing to fill in again. Pay online at [printed web address] or return the enclosed form, and your membership starts straight away. If there was something that put you off renewing, we would like to know. One line on the form, or an email to [address], is enough. This is the last letter we will send about it either way. Yours sincerely, [Name]\ Chair, [Association] Enc. rejoining form ## How to write a membership renewal letter 1. **Start with the renewal date and the fee.** Put them in the first paragraph, so a member who reads nothing else still knows what to do. 2. **Give one benefit from this year.** A real one, such as an event that happened or a resource that was published, not a general line about community. 3. **Make renewing one step.** A printed web address, bank details with a reference, or a form and a return envelope. Choose the one most members use and put it first. 4. **Say when access ends.** Name the grace period end date, so nobody is caught out. 5. **Have a named person sign it.** The chair or the membership secretary, with their role under the name. 6. **Enclose what they need.** The renewal form, and a return envelope if people pay by cheque. ## What every renewal letter must include - The member’s name and membership category - The renewal date - The fee, and the ways to pay - The deadline and the grace period - One concrete benefit from this year - How to renew in one step - A contact for questions - Thanks ## Posting letters: what to enclose and when to send Enclose a paper renewal form with the member’s details already filled in, and a pre-addressed envelope if members pay by cheque. Print the web address of the renew page in full, since nobody can click paper, and add a QR code that opens the same page. Post the first letter about six weeks before the renewal date, a second about two weeks before, and one final notice after the date. Postage adds up for a large membership, so many associations post only the first notice and send the rest by email. Keep lapsed members’ details only as long as you need them to invite people back, in line with UK GDPR and the consent you hold, and record when you last wrote to them. ## Download the template The five letters above are in one Word file: [membership renewal letter template (.docx)](/downloads/membership-renewal-letter-template.docx). It is free, with no sign-up, and the placeholders are in square brackets so you can find and replace them. ## Letter or email? Post works best for the first notice and for memberships where many people are older or do not check email often. A letter is harder to miss and feels more considered. Email works best for the reminders that follow, because it can be sent on time without anyone licking an envelope, and the renew link is one click away. Most small associations do both: one posted letter six weeks before, then the [reminder email sequence](/guides/membership-renewal-reminder-emails/) around the date. ## How Crashielab can help A [membership website](/services/membership-websites/) can merge these letters with each member’s details and send the email reminders automatically, so renewal season runs itself. The [Cultural Leadership Council](/projects/cultural-leadership-council/) case study is a prototype that shows the renewal flow from a member’s side. ## Questions ### How long should a membership renewal letter be? One page. Between 150 and 250 words is enough to say the renewal date, the fee, how to pay and one reason to stay. Anything longer gets skimmed. ### Who should sign a membership renewal letter? A named person, usually the chair or the membership secretary. A letter signed by a person gets a better response than one signed “The Committee”. ### When should we post renewal letters? Post the first letter about six weeks before the renewal date, to allow for delivery and for members who pay by cheque or bank transfer. Send a second about two weeks before, and a final notice after the date if needed. ### Should we write to lapsed members? Yes, once, about two or three months after their membership ended. Say what has changed, make rejoining easy, and ask one question about why they left.