Warning: Our tool library almost folded because we ignored this one stat

I was digging through our local tool library's records last week and found out something wild. We had over 200 members but only 15% of them borrowed anything in a six month stretch. The rest just paid their annual fee and never picked up a single tool. Found this in a spreadsheet our treasurer had been sitting on since January. That means we were basically running a charity for people who liked the idea of a tool library more than actually using one. We changed our renewal policy to require at least one borrow every 12 months and our active numbers jumped to 60% in just 4 months. Has anyone else dealt with a big chunk of 'ghost members' killing their budget?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia_lee20d ago

Nah, kicking out paying members sounds like a terrible way to run a nonprofit lol.

harris.aaron20d ago

Oh wait, actually nonprofits can kick people out if they violate bylaws or membership rules lol.