John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Challenge. In the early 1990s, the Kennedy Center — a premier performing arts organization — was struggling with an underperforming membership program. Member retention was faltering, average gifts were down, and the acquisition program was not producing a positive ROI.
Avalon's Solution. Avalon assessed through telemarketing, member surveys, and focus groups that members were disgruntled. Drawing on this feedback, Avalon helped the Kennedy Center: 1) rethink member benefits; 2) upgrade the production quality of solicitations to match member expectations for a high-quality arts organization; and 3) introduce more segmentation and telemarketing to enhance targeting and personalization.
Results. Through these and other strategies the Kennedy Center reversed the pattern of attrition, rejuvenated its membership, and exceeded Avalon's long-range forecasts — growing more than 40% in the last five years.