Supporting Remote Members

Purpose

Remote members are often a significant — sometimes majority — portion of a Local Group. Engagement is not limited to event attendance.

This page provides guidance on how to support, engage, and retain members who are not able or choose not to participate in person, recognizing that serving them well is essential to long-term success.

What Is a Remote Member?

A “remote” member is anyone who feels they are too far from the Local Group’s population center(s) to participate in person.

This may include:

• Members living long distances away
• Members separated by geography (lakes, mountains, etc.)
• Members in areas without other Mensans
• Members who are homebound

Remote status is defined by experience, not distance.

Why This Matters

Remote members often:

• Receive fewer opportunities for connection
• Feel overlooked or disconnected
• May leave if they do not feel included

At the same time, they join for the same reasons as any member:

• Intellectual connection
• Community
• Personal or professional growth

Guiding Principle

Remote members are not “less engaged” — they are differently situated.

Success means ensuring they feel:

• Informed
• Included
• Valued

—not just invited to events they cannot attend.

Core Strategies

Stay in Contact

• Reach out proactively — don’t wait for them to engage
• Periodically check in (email or phone)
• Reach out during major events or disruptions (e.g., disasters)
• Let them know they are part of the group

Make It Personal

• Inform new members if others live nearby
• Introduce remote members to each other
• Invite input on local opportunities (marketing, testing, events)
• Consider creating a small outreach team

Provide Ways to Engage

• Newsletters
• Email updates
• Online communities
• Supporting Virtual Engagement
• Intellectual or written content

Not all engagement needs to be in person.

Supporting Remote Connections

Area Coordinators

Area Coordinators help connect members in outlying areas.

See:

• Area Coordinators

They can:

• Organize local meetups
• Serve as a point of contact
• Help build local momentum

Connecting Nearby Members

• Identify members in the same geographic area
• Introduce them to each other
• Encourage small, informal gatherings

Even a few members can form a meaningful connection.

Events and Accessibility

Make Events More Accessible

• Schedule some events on weekends
• Avoid late-night end times for long-distance travelers
• Announce events well in advance (at least 1–2 months)

Bring Events to Them

• Host occasional events in remote areas
• Encourage officers or members to host while traveling
• Consider rotating or “traveling” events

Even occasional effort has a strong impact.

Support Travel

• Encourage carpooling
• Help coordinate meet-ups
• Offer to personally meet and introduce new attendees

Communication and Visibility

Newsletter Inclusion

• Include content from different geographic areas
• Feature remote members or communities
• Include Area Coordinator contact information
• Consider maps of your service area

Online Engagement

• Keep your website current
• Help members find online communities:

 * Mensa Connect  
 * Facebook groups  
 * Other platforms  

• Personally invite new members to join

Supporting Members Near Other Groups

If a member is closer to another Local Group:

• Share that group’s newsletter and website
• Connect them with nearby contacts
• Inform them about preferencing options

The goal is member experience — not ownership.

Long-Term Strategy

One of the most effective ways to support remote members:

• Build local density over time

 * Encourage testing in remote areas  
 * Support local outreach  
 * Retain existing remote members  

Today’s remote area can become tomorrow’s active cluster.

Related Topics

• Welcoming New Members
• Member Engagement
• Area Coordinators
• Events and Activities
• Supporting Virtual Engagement