SAE Membership Board

The Membership Board is poised to ensure that SAE provides a robust portfolio of highly valued member benefits that are locally relevant, globally accessible, and address the needs of both mobility engineering professionals and institutions.

Created in 2010 through an integration of the goals of both the Membership Services Board and the Sections Boards, this board collaborated to design a bold, new membership model for SAE International.

Members consistently indicate that the three things they want most from SAE:

• Timely access to technical news and information
• The ability to connect with colleagues and others in the industry
• Career management tools, including a "transcript" of your SAE experience

Setting the standard for other organizations, SAE International now offers three key elements for members:

• New levels of membership that allow members to customize their benefits
• EngineerXchange, a member only website that dramatically improves networking and communication
• A Rewards Program that acknowledges the dedication of members who volunteer their time with SAE

These three elements were designed to complement each other and strengthen the member value proposition. In addition, they provide a greater enticement to encourage non members, especially those who volunteer, to become members.

The key strategies that will be addressed by the new Membership Board include:

• Increase SAE's ability to attract and retain members.
• Enhance the awareness and perceived value of SAE membership.
• Integrate membership with the core business of SAE.
• Make membership a self-sustaining endeavor.
• Enhance SAE's distribution channels to the worldwide market by connecting individual members with common interests and encouraging opportunities for professional and technical networking.
• Provide Section leaders with the resources, training, and tools necessary to deliver quality activities at the grass roots level.
• Provide Section leaders with a variety of models for managing their Sections.
• Promote opportunities for Section leaders to improve the knowledge and skills needed for Section management, specifically these are directly transferrable to the member's career.

The Membership Board, which reports to the SAE Board of Directors, is committed to helping SAE achieve its Vision 2020 goals and will incorporate different strategies over a multi-year time frame. Over the next 3-5 years, the Membership Board will continue the implementation of the new membership model (modifying as necessary), improve benefits delivered to members through Sections; expand member benefits that are globally relevant, especially outside North America, finalize and implement the SAE Rewards Program, redefine the existing affiliate model, and develop a strategy to attract members from new industry sectors based on evolving technology. Long term, the Membership Board will investigate strategies for corporate and institutional membership, expand the new affiliate model, and continue to promote and expand membership in new sectors.

These efforts will work to build the awareness and loyalty of the SAE brand, attract new members, increase the satisfaction and retention of current members and continue to position SAE for future growth and sustainability.