MemberWise recently released the Digital Excellence (2026) Report which shares survey findings from 480 professionals at UK membership organisations. The report covers key areas like measuring digital engagement, budget allocation, system integrations, and the use of AI.
Here we share some stats and points in the report that stood out for us and suggestions on how membership organisations can overcome these key challenges.
Stats that stood out from the Digital Excellence 2026 report
- 77 of membership bodies report an increase in cost/workload
- 27% of membership organisations have a digital strategy
- Between 2% and 5% of total annual budget is spent on technology investment
- 61% of organisations are measuring digital engagement and 43% are using personalisation
- 26% of organisations have adopted AI, with ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot as the tools of choice
- 31% of organisations have automation linked to member journeys
- 54% are using bespoke AMS solutions
- 47% have an online community platform
- 52% have a mobile app, largely to support with events
Measuring member engagement has become the sector’s top challenge
Member engagement is the 2nd most important goal but measuring it is the biggest challenge! Organisations that are measuring engagement are completing this with online webinars/events attended, online survey tools, email marketing tools, social media interaction, web analytics and member portal activity. Essentially teams are looking at ways a member has taken interest in an activity or channel.
As such an important goal, it’s essential to have clear tools in place to help measure member engagement – and make sure all data gathered about member engagement is visible in one location.
Zentso’s solution
Zentso have set up engagement scoring for organisations using iMIS, Salesforce and Fonteva. Activity is given a score and they are accumulated, they can then be reported on in an engagement dashboard. Find out more about engagement scoring here.
Integration gaps continue to slow progress
Compared to previous reports, more organisations now have more integrations in place, particularly their website and CRM. Email Marketing tools and Learning Management System Integrations have remained the same. The main reasons for the lack of integrations are: cost, incompatibility and time required.
Results also show that most integrations have fallen short of expectations, with cost and ease of integration on the top of the reasons why.
Zentso’s solution
Most integration tools haven’t been set up with the needs of membership organisations in mind – unlike Cloudtoolz. Our integration platform was built specifically for the membership sector and there are a variety of connectors available to integrate email marketing tools, Learning Management Systems, and content management systems. Explore our apps and integrations.
Growing focus on strategy but gaps remain
Unsurprisingly, member acquisition, engagement and retention are the top goals for membership organisations.
With 77% of membership bodies reporting an increase in cost/ workload rising costs, membership organisations are looking for ways to diversify their income. This might include more training, events, and sponsorship opportunities.
Only 27% of membership organisations have a digital strategy and 20% have a data strategy. AI strategy was also added to this year’s survey and just 6% of organisations had one in place. As expected the larger organisations had the highest percentage of strategies in place. These stats also link with the fact that membership bodies are spending between 2% and 5% of their total annual budget on technology investment. If there isn’t a strategy in place, then there is no plan for what tech investments need to be made!
Zentso solution
Digital Success is a service that helps you align your technology with your strategic goals. You can identify what is working, where there are gaps in your systems, and what you need to have in place to achieve your core goals. It’s not just about having the right technology, it’s ensuring you have a clear strategy to get long term value from your tech investments. Explore Digital Success.
Final Thoughts
One of the key stats that stood out to Zentso was that 54% of organisations surveyed were using bespoke or legacy systems. While these platforms may have been built to meet a specific need at a specific moment in time, many are now outdated, difficult to integrate, and costly to maintain. As a result, organisations can find themselves stuck with tools that work against their goals rather than enabling them.
Zentso has created a Digital Maturity Assessment to help organisations understand how well they are aligning their tech with their goals. The survey considers whether your organisation has a strategy, how accurate your data is, and whether you have implemented AI.
Take the assessment today to understand your use of technology today!
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