Young Professionals of Wichita Falls: Consulting Project to Build a Sustainable Future

Abstract

Young Professionals of Wichita Falls (YPWF) was a non-profit organization established in 2012 with over 100 members. By 2017 the membership had declined to 62. The organization wanted to ascertain the reasons for this decline. The authors embarked on a consulting project with the aim of assisting YPWF to attract and retain members. We conducted a qualitative study and interviewed 12 stakeholders. The major obstacle discovered was a lack of clarity regarding the organization’s purpose. Grounded in the data analysis of the interviews with key stakeholders, we created an identity focus for the organization based on a trifecta of goals: social networking, professional networking and civic involvement. We also made recommendations of the activities YPWF should undertake to attract new members. The suggestions were presented to YPWF in Spring 2017. The board utilized some of these suggestions in an eventual merger with the city’s chamber of commerce in 2020.