Fostering Transformation and Growth

For nearly a decade, the SYASL team has played a key role in the transformation and growth of the California Association for Nurse Practitioners (CANP). Under our guidance, and ultimately the direction of the Association’s board of directors, CANP has been revitalized into a financially prosperous, powerful health care advocate. Since 2010, revenue has more than doubled to produce an annual operating budget exceeding $1 million. From 2013 through 2018, CANP recognized a 70 percent increase in membership revenue and a 160% increase in annual conference revenue.

The transformation began with strategic planning and a subsequent reorganization of bylaws, policies and procedures to align with CANP’s goals. SYASL staff created and enhanced new business development revenue streams such as advertising, the online Job Center and corporate memberships. We focused on growing and strengthening CANP’s grassroots outreach efforts to local and state elected officials, and in 2018, SYASL added an in-house social media expert to fully integrate all communications, increase engagement, and improve the content, frequency and timing of posts.

SYASL has executed several key membership-building campaigns driven by social media and reinforced through high-touch, traditional direct mail. These efforts included the wildly successful Nurse Practitioner (NP) Selfie Contest, which kicked off in January 2015, generating a surge in social followers and engagement. The growth on social media reached a new audience of NPs and students, which resulted in an increase of members.

A subsequent campaign conducted from April to October of 2017 centered on the 40th anniversary of the organization’s founding. SYASL highlighted 40 individual members on social media, including their photo and one word that describes how they feel about being an NP. Social media followings grew across all channels, and CANP increased brand awareness and engagements, generating thousands of views on some posts.

SYASL’s most recent upgrade to CANP’s brand is a second complete redesign of the CANP website that debuted in September 2018. The new site is designed as a “virtual membership brochure” emphasizing the three pillars of CANP membership: Community, Advocacy and Opportunity.

As part of the launch, SYASL worked with Traina Design an award-winning design firm to create a hard copy brochure for mail that highlights the CANP experience and community. In October 2018, this brochure was mailed to over 21,000 NPs in California with the goal of increasing awareness of the association and to grow membership.