Member survey
results announced

By Dan Hoffman

Information garnered from the 2001 member survey of the Colorado Mountain Club has been compiled by a group of dedicated volunteers and professionals. The entire survey will be available on-line at http://www. CMC.org/CMC/tnt/ and click on the “survey” button.

Summary of findings

When you compare the Colorado Mountain Club at its inception and now, there has been quite an evolution. In 1912, its initial membership was twenty-five members; now it is approximately 10,000. Over the years, this increase in membership has resulted in an increase in the number of programs and services that are available to individual members. It also has increased the complexity of managing the organization in terms of meeting members’ desires and needs.

To meet the needs of members and offer programs and activities they desire, the Membership Services Committee conducted a member survey in June 2001. Surveys were sent to every member in the groups with smaller populations, and a sample of members in the Boulder, Denver, Ft. Collins, Pikes Peak, and Shining Mountains groups. In total, 543 people responded. A previous membership survey was conducted in October 1990; longitudinal comparisons for some similar questions are included in this article.

The overall goal of the research was to provide the CMC with information that guides its direction over the next few years in terms of purpose and activities. The specific objectives of this survey were to learn the following:

General perceptions about
the CMC membership, activities, and dues

In general, members tend to be satisfied with most aspects of their membership. On a one to five­point scale, where one means very dissatisfied and five means very satisfied, they gave a score of 4.2 (above average) to their membership. Eighty-two percent gave an above average score. About one in five could be considered at risk of leaving—fifteen percent gave average marks to the CMC, while four percent were dissatisfied and gave a below-average score. Among those who gave neutral or below average scores, their concerns dealt with the trips available (23%), not participating in the CMC activities (19%), or the perception of the CMC being too bureaucratic (17%).

Members also were satisfied with other aspects of their membership and gave above average scores. Using the same rating scale, their experiences with their group have been positive (4.1). In a related question, nine out of ten say they are generally satisfied with the activities sponsored by their own group. They have enjoyed their group’s newsletter (4.1) and Trail & Timberline magazine (4.1). Positive marks also were given to the CMC trips (4.1), educational activities (4.3), and the office in Golden (4.2).

It is interesting to look at what first attracted people to the CMC and what has kept them as members. The reasons are the same. The motivations are part participating in outdoor activities with others, part social, and part educational.

The most important reason people joined the CMC was to go on trips to the outdoors with others. This was a draw to 85% of those surveyed. At the same time, meeting people with a similar interest in the outdoors was important as well (62%). A sizable plurality wanted to learn skills or become more educated about mountaineering. About four in ten joined the CMC either to participate in its seminars or schools or to learn more about mountaineering skills.

These motivations also are what keep people as members. The number one reason they are now a member is to go on trips to the outdoors with others (71%). Meeting other people interested in the outdoors is important to 53% of those surveyed. The educational components have an appeal as well. Thirty-seven percent have remained a member in order to participate in the CMC’s seminars or schools, while 30% want to learn more mountaineering skills.

Several other factors become more important to members once they joined. About one in four say they have remained a member either to support the CMC’s environmental advocacy efforts or to receive the CMC publications.

When members were asked what the single most important thing the CMC could be doing to keep them as a member, two areas stood out. The most important area is to meet members’ expectations for trips. About four in ten mentioned this. This makes sense—it is a major reason why people join and remain members. Another one in four respondents would like to see the CMC “stay the course”—continue doing what it has been doing.

In any organization, meeting members’ needs is paramount. It also has to be done for a price that conveys value. This was measured by asking respondents what their perceptions were about the dues they were paying. About four in five (82%) feel there is a lot of value—they gave a good or excellent rating. About one in five have mixed or negative perceptions—13% believe the amount of dues they pay represents an average value, while five percent consider it to be below average.

In a related area, members were asked whether they thought the CMC’s dues rate was justified in light of the services and activities provided. The vast majority feel this is the case. Nearly four in five agreed with this statement compared to just eight percent who disagreed. Respondents also were asked whether they thought the CMC was spending its members’ dues wisely. If they had an opinion, members generally thought this was the case, although not quite to the degree that they did when evaluating whether dues rates were justified. Among those with an opinion, nearly seven in ten (68%) agree that their dues are being spent wisely. One in four are on the fence about this. However, another 20% or so were unsure and did not answer the question.

Several other issues surrounding dues also were explored. One had to do with members’ expectations for whether dues should continue to be raised in future years to offset the cost of inflation. Another issue was concerned with whether members felt that dues should cover only the direct costs of membership or should also cover some indirect costs. The third issue dealt with how receptive members were to a dues increase to help expand the work of the CMC and improve service to members.

Although these questions were hypothetical at the time of the survey, there is some price sensitivity among members to dues increases to cover inflation. If the CMC were to increase dues to offset inflation in future years, eighteen percent indicated that they would be unsure or unlikely to renew. On the other hand, 82% think they would remain a the CMC member—45% thought they would definitely remain a member, while 37% believed they would likely remain a member.

Members are far from unanimous when it comes to whether dues should cover only the direct costs of membership or cover both direct costs and work furthering the CMC’s mission. When it comes to the issue of state dues covering only the direct costs of membership, there is quite a bit of ambivalence. Members are in favor of this by a 44% to 36% margin. However, another 21% are neutral.

A majority of members do seem receptive to having state dues help support work that helps the CMC’s mission, but it is not overwhelming support. Fifty-six percent are in favor of this, while 18% are neutral and 26% are against it.

Another area explored was whether members would support a future dues increase on top of offsets for inflation to help expand the work of the CMC and improve service to members. It is one thing to raise dues to cover the costs of inflation—82% of members thought they would definitely or likely remain a member. However, it is quite a different story to raise dues on top of inflation, even if the money appears to be directed toward activities that benefit members. This was a controversial issue. Although a majority (58%) think they would support this, a substantial plurality (42%) would not.

Another barometer to measure members’ satisfaction is how likely they are to renew. Many of those being polled did not have their memberships expiring at the time the survey was conducted. So they expressed an intention that may or may not translate into intended action. Still, this type of question does help provide a general indication of what to expect. At the time this survey was fielded, about two-thirds were quite satisfied and said they were “definitely” likely to renew. Another one in four were satisfied and indicated they were “probably” likely to sign up again. Ten percent were unsure or unlikely to renew. It is realistic to expect that some of those who are probably likely or unsure/unlikely will not renew their membership.

It is interesting to note that a sizable number of members have passionate feelings toward the CMC and would probably remain a member even if they did not participate. Nearly seven in ten (68%) indicated they would continue to belong to the CMC to support its mission regardless of whether they participated in any activities.

The obstacles to renewing membership center around people’s lack of free time, their perception that the dues are too expensive, or the feeling they have gotten all of the benefit out of the CMC they are going to get. Lack of free time is the biggest issue. Thirty nine percent of those who are unsure or unlikely to renew either have not gone on any trips or enough trips. Fifteen percent thought the CMC was too expensive, while twelve percent had received as much benefit as they thought they were going to get.

Even though not everyone plans to renew, this does not mean they think poorly of the CMC. When asked whether they would recommend membership in the CMC to a friend or neighbor, nearly all of them (97%) said they would. This is virtually identical (96%) to the last time this survey was conducted in 1990.

Perceptions of the
CMC Publications

Several questions were included in the survey to find out members’ experiences with Trail & Timberline and their preferences for how the activity schedule should be published. Generally, Trail & Timberline gets read by a lot of members, although not necessarily the entire publication. About seven in ten indicated they look at almost every or every issue. Another twelve percent will look at most issues. In contrast, eighteen percent are not regular readers; they either look at some of the issues (sixteen percent) or no issues (two percent).

Although over eighty percent will look at most of the issues, not everyone reads the publication from cover-to-cover. About half could be considered thorough readers: they say they read at least half of the most recent issue. Another 26% are moderate readers and looked at somewhere between one-fourth to less than half of the stories and articles. In contrast, 19% are light readers and looked at less than one-fourth of the publication, while six percent did not read any of it.

Since the internet became such an important communications medium, there has been a lot of discussion at Board meetings about whether the CMC Activity Schedule should continue to be mailed or put on-line. Members do not seem ready for the Schedule to be available only on-line. Only one in ten are in favor of this. In contrast, the vast majority would like to continue receiving a hard copy; some would like the internet to be used as a supplement. Fifty-eight percent would prefer delivery by mail, while one third would like mail delivery and on-line-access.

Lack of internet access is not an issue. Over eight in ten (86%) of those filling out the survey have access to the internet for personal use at home or work.

One of the appeals of putting the Activity Schedule on-line is the ability to make additions or changes quickly. Members were asked whether they preferred the current twice-yearly Activity Schedule or to see trips listed in a newsletter published more often, approximately every two or three months. The status quo seems to win out. Two-thirds like the current frequency, while one third would be in favor of a more frequently published newsletter.

Specific CMC trips
and activities

Members seem to participate in more summer trips than winter trips. About three in four went on at least one summer trip, compared to sixty percent who went on at least one winter trip. Both of these participation rates are up from the last time this survey was conducted in 1990. At that time, 59% went on at least one summer trip and only 41% went on a winter trip. This may be a function of the types of people who are now members. It also may be due to the increased types of activities available year-round.

The average number of summer trips a member goes on is 3.7. During the winter, this dips to 2.5 trips. Winter or summer, members seem satisfied with their experiences.

Among those who went on at least one winter trip, satisfaction levels are above average. On a five-point scale, members’ overall satisfaction with winter trips was 4.4. The performance of the trip leaders was rated just as positively (4.4). The quantity of winter trips was rated above average (3.8), although some people would like to see more offerings. Twenty-six percent gave a neutral rating to the quantity of trips while ten percent were dissatisfied.

Summer trips are well thought of also, receiving above average scores on all dimensions. Those who went on at least one summer trip gave an average rating of 4.4, identical to the score given to winter trips. The performance of summer trip leaders was just as solid (4.4). There is somewhat more satisfaction with the number of summer trips available compared to winter offerings. Members gave this an average score of 4.1.

There are some things that seem to affect members’ satisfaction with the CMC trips. Although in the aggregate, the overall scores given to winter or summer trips are above average, this does not mean that members were fully satisfied with every single trip they went on. Nearly half (46%) of those who went on any trip during the past year were less than fully satisfied with at least one of them.

There are two issues that seem to affect members’ trip satisfaction the most: other participants not being prepared or fit, or the participants being too spread out due to pace problems. Forty-one percent had been on at least one trip where other participants were not prepared of fit. One third have experienced pace problems with the group they were in. Some other things were secondary issues that detracted from the trip experience. Between 13% and 19% were less than fully satisfied either because they felt there were too many people, the leader was not prepared, or the trip was not accurately described.

Members interest in trips is not limited by geography. About three in four say they would be seriously interested in someday going on a CMC outing. There are quite a few locations they would consider. The most popular is nearby states—this appeals to 69% of those interesting in going on an outing. However, approximately one in two would consider other parts of the U.S., Central/South America, Canada, or Europe. Africa appeals to 39%.

Given peoples’ busy schedules, the outings will need to be shorter trips. Fifty-eight percent would prefer an outing that lasts one week. There are 38% who think they could go on a two-week trip. Pricing will be important. Fifty-eight percent want to spend under $1,000, with approximately equal numbers willing to spend under $500 or $500 to less than $1,000. In contrast, 42% are willing to consider spending at least $1,000 on a the CMC outing.

CMC education and training activities have been popular with members. On average, members have taken 3.0 different activities through the CMC. In total, a minimum of 19% say they have taken at least one of seven activities. This is considerably more participation than when this survey was last done. In 1990, only three education and training activities had been taken by at least 19%. The three most popular activities have been basic mountaineering (37%), basic hiking/trekking (32%), and mountain-oriented first aid (30%). Other education and training activities that have been popular include the avalanche school (26%), cross-country skiing (23%), leadership training (23%) and basic first aid (21%).

There also seems to be pent-up demand for education and training activities, which is similar to what occurred with the non-education activities. Members say they would be likely to take 3.7 different activities. Again, there is strong demand for a variety of education and training activities. There are a minimum of 19% who would participate in at least one of seven activities. Once again, the potential demand for education and training courses is much greater now than it was in 1990. Only two potential activities were of interest to at least 19%.

The education and training activities with the highest interest levels include mountain-oriented first aid (34%); bicycle maintenance (22%); CPR (22%); winter survival (21%); avalanche school (21%); basic first aid (21%); and orienteering (19%).

There are surprisingly high number of members who have done some volunteer work for their group. Thirty-five percent have lead a trip, taught, or done some other activity. This is up from what it was the last time this survey was conducted. Even though the wording of the question in the last survey included a three-year time frame (as opposed to a more recent time frame in this survey), the participation levels back then were at 23%. Even if they have not volunteered, it is clear to the vast majority of members that it is easy to become a volunteer. Seventy-eight percent think it is easy to volunteer if they want to. In contrast, only 14% are neutral and just nine percent disagree.

Perceptions of the CMC’s Mission
and Areas of Activities

With the CMC involved in so many activities, it is important to understand how members view this. Specifically, what is their support or opposition to the CMC’s involvement in a variety of different areas. Members were asked to use a five-point scale to indicate how much they opposed or supported the CMC’s involvement in 15 different areas. Overall, they supported the CMC’s involvement in most of these activities. Members showed very strong support for seven areas—they gave scores of at least 4.3 which is well above average. These areas included the following:

Six other areas also received above average support, although not to the same degree as the preceding activities:

In contrast, members were lukewarm about only two areas, participating in the planned AMC Mountaineering Museum and organizing non-trip social activities for members. They gave scores of 3.2 to 3.3, which are close to being in the middle of the five-point scale.

These 15 areas were condensed into five general areas of activity. Although members say they are supportive of the CMC being involved in many different areas, it is important to understand where their priorities are. This helps the organization allocate resources to best meet members’ expectations. To accomplish this, members were asked to divide 100 points among five different areas:

These priorities also tie into what people think about the CMC’s mission statement, originally written in 1912. Respondents were asked to read the actual mission statement and evaluate it with regards to how well they believe the CMC is meeting the goals expressed in it and to indicate how relevant they believe it is to the mission that the CMC should have today.

In both areas, members are pleased. They gave above average ratings. Members gave a score of 4.1 to the CMC for meeting the goals expressed in the mission statement and a 4.3 rating for its relevance.

Finally, members were asked how much they disagreed or agreed with a series of statements about the CMC’s image. These statements dealt with members’ perceptions about the social activities offered by the CMC, what they think about the CMC in environmental issues or advocacy, how well it has performed on governance, and how well it has done on providing member services.

In general, members feel that the CMC offers social opportunities, although this is not a unanimous perception. Between 59% and 62% agree that it is easy for them to make friends through the CMC and its activities or that the organization offers a good range of social activities for members. However, there are a sizable plurality—30% to 32%—who are in the middle on this.

In the environmental issues and advocacy areas, members generally believe that the CMC is effective or spends its funds wisely, although once again a sizable segment are neutral. When it comes to whether the CMC is an effective leader in environmental issues, 64% agree while 27% are neutral. A similar number (58%) feel that the funds the CMC devotes to environmental advocacy are well spent. However, a third are in the middle about this. Another 16% were unsure and did not answer the question.

In the area of governance, a sizable plurality of members are uninformed. When asked whether they thought that the CMC state representatives did a good job, nearly three in ten did not answer the question. Those with an opinion believe that representatives do a good job, although some are neutral. Sixty-two percent think that the representatives do a good job, although one third are neutral.

Lack of information also hampers what members think about the CMC’s state committees. About three in ten did not provide a rating. Among those that did, 56% believe that the committees are effective. However, nearly four in ten are neutral. Lack of information also affects what members think about the CMC’s employees. About one in four did not provide an evaluation about whether the full-time employees were put to good use. Those with an opinion generally believe the employees are put to good use. Two-thirds feel this way. Thirty-one percent are in the middle.

In evaluating how attentive the CMC is to serving members, lack of information again is an issue. Nineteen percent did not rate how attentive the CMC is to the needs of its members, regardless of where they live. Those with an opinion were either likely to believe the CMC is attentive (53%) or to be neutral (35%). Lack of information was not an issue when members were asked to rate the kind of job the CMC does in explaining its policies and rules to members. Two-thirds thought the CMC does a good job, while 23% were in the middle. Members are very satisfied with the educational activities available. Eighty-one percent think that the CMC offers the right kinds of educational activities. Only 16% are neutral.

The issue of growth is a controversial one. Increasing the membership garners mixed responses, with members mostly neutral or negative. Only 22% are in favor of the CMC trying to substantially increasing its membership. In contrast, about three-fourths are either neutral (43%) or negative (34%).

Demographic profile

CMC members seems to be a mixture of older and newer members. Thirty-five percent joined the CMC prior to 1990. Approximately one in five became members somewhere between 1990 and 1995. A substantial number of members are fairly new, since 1996. Over four in ten joined the organization since that time—22% became a member between 1996 and 1999, while a similar number (21%) signed up in 2000 or 2001.

Marital status varies widely. Only about half of the membership (45%) is married. Nearly as many (37%) are single. Relatively speaking, few members are divorced (15%) or a widow (er) (3%). The relatively lower numbers of members who are married also is revealed in the low number with children. Just 16% have any children under age 18 living at home with them, which is less than half of the Colorado incidence (35%). Compared to the 1990 survey, there are now more members who are married (45% vs. 38%) and fewer who are divorced (15% vs. 26%).

The age range of the CMC members is somewhere between 30 and 70 years of age. Just four percent are under age 30. The most common age groups include those in their forties (30%) or fifties (26%). The two other age groups with sizable numbers of members are those in their thirties (18%) or sixties (16%).

Members have gotten “grayer” since 1990. In this survey, about two-thirds (64%) are at least 45 years of age compared to 50% previously. The other findng about age that stands out is that when compared to adult Coloradans, the CMC members are less likely to be under 35 (13% compared to 32%) and more likely to be 45 to 64 (53% versus 31%).

The formal educational levels of the CMC members are quite high. Nearly nine in ten (87%) have a college degree; one out of two has a postgraduate degree. This is not a recent phenomenon, either. In 1990, 83% had a college degree. These educational levels are much higher than for Coloradans in general. In the 2000 Census, only one in three Coloradans had a college degree. P