Sign up more members!

BY:

Jason Routman

July 7, 2023

Over the years, financial assistance has become an extremely important part of meeting the mission of the YMCAs. Today, many Ys offer financial assistance to members, but getting prospective members to apply for it and then processing the applications, it’s becoming a real challenge.

One barrier to entry when signing up a new member can be the cost of the membership. Imagine, you have a prospective member who really wants to join, they love the tour and the facilities, but the cost of the membership feels like its just too expensive. In an effort to get them to join, financial assistance is offered, but there’s a problem – we have to let them “walk off the lot” to collect the appropriate documentation, never knowing if we’ll see them again. Or they may be a little embarrassed because they don’t want to go home and find a paycheck stub. This is where FAcheck, the new online tool by Insightful Markets, comes to rescue.


FAcheck is an online portal that give Ys direct access to a member’s household income, so that the Y can instantly qualify the member on the spot.


The process is simple: input the members name and address, then click submit. FAcheck “pings” the databases of one of the three main credit bureaus, and then returns if the member is qualified for financial assistance based off their household income (This is not a credit check). If the member’s HH income falls in to the income range that’s been set up by the Y, then FAcheck returns a table that shows what rates they qualify for, and we can move directly to signing them up. Gone are the days of not knowing whether we’ll see them again.


What are some of the other benefits that Ys are seeing.


  1. No longer do Ys need staff to process applications. Some Ys have staff that work on processing applications as a near full time position. With the cost of FAcheck, Ys will save thousands and be able to repurpose these staff members to positions that are more important at their Y.
  2. How many more memberships will Ys be able to sell because front desk staff is able to provide a financial assistance decision on the spot
  3. Lets no longer use cost as an excuse to cancel our membership. Imagine being able to offer a quick discount, while on the phone or in front of a member that’s using the cost as a reason to cancel


Here at Insightful Markets, we’re excited to bring FAcheck to the front desks of Ys all across the country. Call today to schedule a demo!


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