It’s a new year and increasing the number of HOA meeting attendees is the goal. So, how do you go about accomplishing this seemingly difficult task?

In an article originally posted by Burke Nielsen in the Utah Chapter Community Association Institute 2017 Quarter 4 Newsletter the following 3 ideas were offered:

1. Be Open to Member Feedback

Homeowners have ideas and opinions about their community, and what they think is best for it. Sure, sometimes their ideas are just plain nuts. But if you listen you will also find that homeowner input can provide insight into concerns and ideas regarding issues that may be worth exploring. In addition, homeowners are happier with their community when they feel like the board members share their same interest and are willing to listen.

2. Ask for Help

Many homeowners think that they aren’t needed or even wanted at the HOA meeting. This makes it difficult to communicate community needs and encourage involvement. In some cases just asking for help can go a long way to getting neighbors involved.

3. Make it a Social Event

Most HOA meetings are just business as usual – and to be honest, they kind of need to be. After all, most HOAs only have one meeting a month to get their work done. But homeowners find these meetings boring.

By combining the annual meeting with a neighborhood social, homeowners have another, “fun” reason to go to the meeting. You can always sneak in the financial summary and board member election before dessert. By making the annual meeting a positive experience that meets the social needs of the members along with the business needs of the HOA, you can improve homeowner moral and encourage more participation.

Boosting the attendee numbers will remain a challenge for community leaders. But, as community leaders continue to encourage the importance of meeting attendance, community members will grow to value being involved.