How Big Apple Knitters Guild Cut Admin Time by 50%
A 400-member craft guild streamlined membership tracking, eliminated manual processes, and achieved 25%+ renewal rates with automated reminders.
Big Apple Knitters Guild
The Big Apple Knitters Guild is a vibrant community of approximately 400 knitting enthusiasts in New York City. The guild brings together crafters of all skill levels to share their passion for knitting through meetings, workshops, and community events.
The Challenge
Managing memberships for a 400-person guild using PayPal and Excel spreadsheets created a significant administrative burden, with multiple volunteers spending 14-18 hours per month on manual data entry and reconciliation.
The Solution
Communal provided an integrated membership management platform that eliminated manual data entry, automated renewal reminders, and introduced digital membership cards accessible on any device.
Members access cards via Apple Wallet or Google Wallet—no more laminated cards to print and mail
Scheduled email reminders notify members before their membership expires
All membership data in one place, accessible to authorized volunteers
Online payments automatically update member records—no manual reconciliation
Members can view status, update info, and renew memberships independently
Multiple coordinators can access and manage the system simultaneously
The Results
Monthly admin time cut nearly in half by eliminating manual data entry and reconciliation
Over 100 members renewed their membership after receiving just one automated reminder email
Digital membership cards eliminated printing costs and distribution hassles entirely
All volunteers now work from the same up-to-date member database
"Communal has been a tremendous success for the Big Apple Knitters Guild. Our members – of all ages and technology abilities – have been able to use the system easily to track and renew their membership and access digital membership cards. From an administrative standpoint, the system is intuitive and tracks all information we need."
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