Please review this post for details and the general timeline.
Why are you moving? What’s wrong with Meetup?
Meetup has been our home since the group was founded in 2006 (with the exception of a few months during a transition in leadership in 2008-2009.) The platform has been sold several times since, and functionality has decreased. In the beginning, groups were the focus. Now, events are the focus, and this takes away from the community we have built. Plus, with the restrictions on members communicating with each other, and the ads for third parties as well as promotion of other groups in the area, Meetup has just become impractical for a group like ours where support, relationships, and connection are the focus.
How do I leave Meetup?
Note: Meetup is the overall platform. The South Jersey Writers’ Meetup Group is hosted on that platform. If you just want to leave the SJWG Meetup Group:
- Sign in to Meetup.
- Navigate to the group: https://www.meetup.com/south-jersey-writers
- On the right side, below the main header, click the white box that says “You’re a Member”
- Select “Leave this group” from the drop down list.
- Complete the next page and click “Leave the group”
If you want to leave the Meetup platform, and all other groups you belong to completely:
- Sign in to Meetup.
- On the top right of the screen, find your profile picture. Click the drop down arrow to the right.
- Select “Settings” from the drop down list.
- On the next page, on the LEFT hand menu, select “Account Management” (third link down)
- Scroll to the bottom of that page, click “Deactivate my account.”
- Follow the prompts and complete the process.
As a reminder, Amy and Eden will be working through the membership list and will communicate with you directly if you haven’t moved to Heylo before your dues renew.
Note throughout this process, when we say “leave Meetup”, we mean leave our group on Meetup. Of course you are welcome to stay a Meetup member! We just won’t be there. 🙂
Can’t you just move me over to the new group?
No. It’s very easy to join, and much easier to navigate than Meetup. You can also message members directly! And you’ll need to learn how to use it to participate in our events.
Will the dues I paid on Meetup in December, January, February, etc. transfer over to Heylo?
The short answer is yes, although you may have to be a member of both groups for a while. This affects fewer than 10 people, so we will be working out a solution for this over the next few months–after we close the Meetup group to new members (probably in May). Thanks for your patience.
How do I know when my dues are due?
On Meetup, you should receive an email a week or so before they are due. However, this may not always be the case.
If you are charged and you didn’t expect to be, please do not “dispute the payment” with your bank; this causes many problems on our end. Reach out to Amy via Meetup or Heylo, and we will refund your dues if you do not want to support the group during the transition period.
You can avoid this unpleasantness (and extra work) by just leaving the Meetup group now.
Do I have to pay dues when I join Heylo?
Not yet! If the non-profit continues, we may have a different dues structure, with write-ins being free to all, and other events being available to paid members. However, if we do not have new leadership for the non-profit, it will close and we will no longer charge dues as a community group.
Doesn’t Meetup do a lot of advertising for the group? Or at least, help people find the group?
In the past, yes. However it appears that there have been some changes to the visibility that private groups like ours have in search results both on Meetup and in Google. Or the algorithm in general. Try it now for yourself and see what comes up…..
So why not just make the group not-private again?
Because Meetup does not allow groups to change from private to public.
What do you mean, the non-profit might close? How is that going to affect the group?
Currently, the group collects dues to help pay for speakers and our meeting space (and miscellaneous expenses, such as Meetup fees, website, Zoom, etc.) However, if the non-profit closes, there won’t be a bank account or any financial management, so things will need to change on an official level. But we can still meet and communicate for education, networking, and support.
Officially incorporated non-profit or not, there will need to be leaders, or “organizers”, aka someone to make the plan, if we want to meet.
Why are you even a non-profit at all? What’s the point of that?
See above re: financial management. The group was incorporated in 2014 to help with transitions like these, to ensure continuity instead of just changing on the whims of one person, and to keep things active with more than one leader. It is a possibility to dissolve the non-profit, but to have an individual assume financial responsibility, at which point they could make the decision to charge members dues or event fees however they wish.
I’m interested in helping the group continue, but I don’t have any experience/don’t know how to be a Board member/don’t have a lot of time/can’t take anything else on/etc.
If you really want the group to continue, contact Amy at amyahaha@gmail.com. We will schedule a time to meet/chat, and can help you find a place in leadership. This group has been most successful in the past with many different leaders each handling small tasks. Do you know someone who could speak on a topic, or would you be interested in hosting a genre-specific meeting? Would you like to host a write-in or an Open Mic Night? Lots of options to connect our community.
No one is paid to organize events (although we do pay our presenters for their time and knowledge!) We all pitch in because we appreciate each other and the knowledge and support our group provides.
What if I don’t want to be a member anymore?
Leave the Meetup group, and leave Heylo. You may also wish to unsubscribe from our newsletter. We will not issue a partial refund for any dues paid more than 30 days prior.
What if I can’t access my Meetup account?
First, reset your password. Check your spam folder, and check any alternate email addresses you may have used to set up the account (and their spam folders). If that doesn’t work, contact Meetup Support using this link.
If you have other questions, join us at our upcoming Board Meeting! Wednesday, May 7 at 8 PM. RSVP here.
