As association membership suffers, 3 hygienists organize a new path for advocacy
Dental hygiene organizations at the national, state, and local levels have struggled with declining membership for many years. Despite even the most vigorous campaigns, membership continues to dwindle in many states.
There are a variety of reasons this is happening, including personal, financial, and professional. But the reasons are not the issue. What matters is that membership is declining rapidly, causing concern among those of us who value the advocacy these organizations provide.
My local components in Florida are fighting to stay afloat. I was a die-hard supporter for years, steadfast in my belief that we could reverse this trend. My loyalty was unwavering, even in the face of stark reality. But one day, I started thinking about the thousands of dental hygienists who are not members or who have walked away from membership. Do they still want an organizational support system?
What if there was a way to create something different, something that could reach those who may never become members?
Rather than wondering, I decided to act. I reached out to others who felt as I did, and together we began to build a new platform for all dental hygienists in Florida, regardless of membership dues. If this sounds daunting, let me assure you—all it takes is passion and vision. Your limits are defined only by your vision and dreams.
Creating the FLDHA
Along with two friends who are incredible visionaries, we got to work. That’s how the Florida Dental Hygiene Alliance Inc. (FLDHA) was born. Believe it or not, it only took the three of us to launch FLDHA. We started by creating a Facebook page in mid-December and quickly expanded to other social media platforms. The excitement was palpable. Our goal was never to compete with existing organizations but to be an ally, advancing our profession and improving health outcomes for everyone in Florida.
As we built our social media presence, we reached out to other organizations with whom we had personal or professional ties to share our vision. The responses were overwhelmingly supportive. The challenges facing dental hygiene associations are not unique to our field, and many recognized the value of an additional organization to strengthen advocacy efforts in Florida.
In fact, some organizations believed so strongly in our mission that they offered us organizational development expertise and even a grant to further FLDHA's advocacy goals. Once someone makes the decision to form an organization, depending on their state laws, becoming incorporated is relatively easy and very affordable.
In all my years advocating for change in Florida as a member of my previous association, I learned one critical lesson: to be successful, you must align with like-minded organizations. That vision shared by two other people back in December blossomed into something truly remarkable.
Today, we are the Florida Dental Hygiene Alliance, an official organization with a website. We have applied for 501(c)(3) status and are developing a series of free virtual continuing education programs for all dental professionals. This has been accomplished purely by volunteer efforts.
We at FLDHA sincerely hope that our state association can weather the storm it faces. In the meantime, we will always be here, as partners and a voice for those who have long called for change.
For those of you who may be intrigued by this new path but fear it you might be turning your back on your current organization, I will say that my loyalty lies first with my profession, not any single organization. I feel a deep sense of peace with my decision to walk away to help build a new day and a path forward for our profession.
