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Making the most of your AGM

An Annual General Meeting can be a poorly-attended event – with committee members there but scarcely anyone else! But it’s actually a great opportunity for a showcase event – with a positive impact on those attending; and which perhaps can also raise some useful funds for your organisation.

Here are some tips for making the most of your AGM, and – crucially - getting people to come along to it.

Plan your AGM around your members

An AGM is a members' event and – to get a good attendance – you have to think about what your members will find both convenient and attractive:-

·          are most of your members free in the day-time or do you need to hold your AGM in the evening?

·          do many of your members have young children – should you organise a creche, or at least have some games to play after the AGM is over?

·          which venue is easiest for people to reach – and sensitive to different cultural traditions, and with facilities for disabled people?

·          is there a section of your membership who you hope will become more involved – such as younger people – and at whom you need to target your plans?

Make the formal business interesting

The formal business is vital in running your organisation. It’s the occasion when the committee have to account to the membership for the activities of the organisation during the past year - problems as well as successes - and report on the finances, and when members are able to ask questions. And of course committee members are elected at the AGM.

Your organisation's constitution will usually set out all the rules of procedure for the AGM.  Generally, the agenda for an AGM is:-

·          minutes of previous AGM and matters arising

·          presentation of annual report and accounts

·          appointment of auditors or independent examiners (if required)

·          election of committee members.

Make sure that you are familiar with all the procedures so that the formal business runs smoothly and efficiently – especially elections. You don't want to lose people's attention or have disputes about whether particular resolutions are in order. If you’re inviting non-members - and who aren’t entitled to vote - then it’s a good idea to sign everyone in; and give cards to members for them to use in a “show of handsâ€� vote. 

You can make the formal business more interesting – and tell members and others much more about your organisation. For example:

·          create a display area with information about your organisation and its work

·          produce a brochure about key events and achievements, and give a presentation which highlights these

·          arrange the presentation so that different committee members and staff or volunteers contribute to it – perhaps talking about their own work with the organisation

·          make an easy to follow summary of key financial information – where your funding came from, how much it was and how it was spent – perhaps with graphics like pie charts

Plan a popular event to take place straight after the AGM

You can expect to get a much better attendance at your AGM if you combine it with an event that will be popular with    your members – and potential members.

It's quite common to have a guest speaker – often someone who has some connexion with the work of the organisation. It's also usual to serve some refreshments.

An alternative approach is to hold a social event – and which will bring in members who wouldn't usually bother with the AGM, and their friends and family. Among the many possibilities are:

·          food! – a special lunch or supper, or even a barbecue in summer

·          live music – a local band or choir

·          a tea dance or a disco

·          a quiz night or games evening

·          a "thank you" party for volunteers and helpers

·          (if you work with young people), an exhibition – or even a karaoke session – which allows them to take centre-stage

There's no reason why you shouldn't make a entry charge (or sell tickets) for the social event so long as any member who only wants to attend the AGM can do so free of charge.

At any social event – or even if you're just serving refreshments after the AGM – you can do some fundraising too such as:

·          a raffle

·          a charity auction – maybe including a limited edition commemorative T-shirt or something similar

·          selling promotional pens or bookmarks

·          selling homemade products – like greeting cards or chocolates

Make sure your AGM (and social event) is widely advertised

Your constitution may require you to give notice of an AGM to every member. Even if it doesn't, a mail-out could be a good idea – as well as publicity in local newspapers and newsletters, and places like the Post Office.