It’s no secret that summer is the quiet period for member engagement.

Across associations, nonprofits, alumni groups and societies, we consistently see a slowdown in activity as members go on holiday, inboxes fill up and events take a back seat. 

These slower weeks don’t have to be wasted , in fact, this can be one of the most valuable times of year to improve how you engage members. While things are quieter on the surface, you have the breathing space to reconnect with your community, tidy up data and prepare for a strong September.

Here are four practical things you can do right now, and how our software helps you make each one count.

1. Review engagement dashboards

Why it matters: Understanding which members are engaging, and who isn’t, helps you take action before someone disengages further. If a member hasn’t opened recent emails or attended events recently then this is a good opportunity to check in and re-engage them.

Action: Identify members who haven’t opened emails or attended an event in the last 3 months. Use campaign stats to find those who open emails but don’t click any links in the email or those who haven’t engaged at all. Prioritise follow-up with these members, especially if they are approaching renewal. Use this as an opportunity to remind them of key benefits, or a targeted invitation to an upcoming event.

How we can help: Our platform makes it easy to view both events and email engagement. You’ll see trends at the individual level, helping you target follow-ups where they’re most needed.

2. Tag users and personalise your messaging

Why it matters: A one-size-fits-all approach rarely leads to engagement. People are more likely to act when they receive something relevant to their role, interests or recent behaviour.

Action: Create tags based on activity (e.g. new joiners, active participants, at-risk members) and send tailored messages. For example, reintroduce benefits to low-engagement members or invite your most active members to give feedback.

How we can help:  On the VeryConnect platform, you can tag members and send one-off or regular email campaigns to these members.You can also filter based on factors such as event attendance, membership type and member location so your email campaigns can reach the right people.

3. Strengthen member connection

Why it matters: Members often stay for the relationships, not just the resources. Giving them spaces to connect, especially during quieter months, can build loyalty and increase retention.

Action: Promote your member forums or mentoring programme. You could launch a summer Q&A thread, create new member groups or start a discussion forum on a particular topic.

How we can help: Our software has the features you need to boost member connection such as groups, discussion forums, member directories and direct messaging. If you want to go a step further, we have a mentoring portal that matches the most suitable mentors and mentees. 

4. Plan ahead for September

Why it matters: Once September hits, everything speeds up. By using the summer slowdown to refine your strategy, you can deliver more for your members in the final quarter of the year.

Action: Run reports and review your key metrics, check what worked last year, and schedule your next campaigns. Pre-build September’s emails, event invites or blog posts now.

How we can help: With email automation, scheduled communications and reporting on your CRM and event data, the VeryConnect platform helps you get the full picture of your event data so you can make data-driven plans for the future.

Make this a season of preparation, not pause

Summer might be quiet, but it’s far from unproductive.

With fewer day-to-day demands, you have the opportunity to review engagement trends, reconnect with members who may have slipped off the radar and put plans in place for the months ahead. The steps you take now can strengthen relationships, improve retention and set you up for a busy and successful September.