When associations talk about recruiting new members at Board meetings, someone asks, “How do we get to young people?” Then follows a familiar cycle: a Facebook post, a mention in the newsletter, maybe a mailer to existing members. When no one under 40 responds, the group concludes: “Young people just don’t want to be part of associations.”
But the data tells a different story.
According to YMCA Canada,
74% of Canadians aged 18–34 say they lack a sense of community, and among them, three in four young people are actively seeking connection. They just are not finding it through your association, and that’s what you want to change.
The real question is not ‘how to get younger members for an association’. The question is: Where are we failing to make ourselves visible so that young professionals or emerging leaders can find us?
The Generational Channel Mismatch Hurting Your Association
Most associations rely heavily on channels used by older demographics, such as Facebook, email newsletters, and direct mail. And those channels work for your current members. The YMCA Canada Connections Snapshot report shows 56% of Canadians aged 65+ feel a strong sense of community belonging, and this media helps them feel included.
But the same research found that only 23% of 26- to 34-year-olds feel that same connection. Your best retention channels for boomers, Generation X, and some older millennials are actively invisible to, or little used by, many people under 30.
If your association marketing only happens on Facebook, you are not reaching anyone born after 1995. They are not there.
The Cost of Invisibility Is Higher Than You Think
When associations fail to show up where younger people are, the consequences go beyond low attendance or recruitment rates. They are about survival.
Without younger members entering the pipeline, there is no one to mentor. Without mentorship, younger members feel more isolated and become even less willing to participate. The cycle deepens. Eventually, there is no next generation of board members.
This is not a future problem. Although it’s not an association, the example works: Scouts Canada recently cut 30% of staff due to membership declines, with participation still 12,000 below pre-pandemic levels. Successful and lasting associations will be those that show up where future members are.
How to Attract the Next Gen to Your Association: Start with a Visibility Audit
OK, now, how do I show up where my potential young members are? Instead of asking “how do we get them?” ask a better question: How do we make ourselves visible to them?
Try this simple exercise with your Board:
- • Step 1: List every channel you currently use (Facebook, email, mail, website, in-person events).
- • Step 2: Estimate the average age of the people who actively engage on each channel.
- • Step 3: Find out what percentage of that participation is from people under 30.
If the percentage is low or nonexistent but there are many active members, you probably have a visibility problem, not a recruitment problem.
If your association has no presence on platforms that younger people use, you are blocking new members from joining.
One Low-Effort Fix That Does Not Require a Young Volunteer
When we talk about youth platforms, many Boards assume it means TikTok dances or hiring a social media manager. It does not.
Start with a “discovery channel” (a platform where new people can find you before they know you exist). Instagram works well for many associations. So does LinkedIn for young professionals. This way, someone under 30 might accidentally discover you.
If you also don’t have a big budget for creating content, repurpose the content you already have. Take photos from your last event or turn a member spotlight into a simple slideshow and post it on Instagram Reels or TikTok. No dancing required. Just presence.
Stop Asking. Start Meeting Young Members Where They Are
The next time your Board asks, “How do we get young members?” change the question.
Ask instead: Where are we not being visible? What would a 25-year-old see if they searched for us today? What is one channel we can add this month without burning out our volunteers?
Young people are not avoiding your association. They simply can’t find it.
That is fixable. But first, you must look in the right places. Engaging the next generation is vital to the growth and future-proofing of an association.