You’ve probably heard it said before that membership is the lifeblood of DAV, and our wide network of advocates stand together to ensure our nation keeps its promises to the men and women who served. It’s your unwavering commitment to our cause that has made DAV what it is today— a leading organization comprised of veterans serving veterans

But as is the case for any business or organization, maximizing our potential is as challenging, if not harder, than reaching it in the first place. In order for us to continue advancing our cause and promoting policies that ensure veterans and their families can live with respect and dignity, DAV and its members must evolve with the times and use every available resource at their disposal.

One example of this evolution is the use of smartphone technology to reach out to potential members. Leveraging this platform, we can educate veterans about DAV’s programs and services and even sign them up as members.

DAV is evolving and will continue to emphasize the importance of moving toward the online membership application. Nearly everyone has a smartphone, so nearly everyone has a membership application nearby.

In fact, I’d like to ask you to take these simple steps right now to ensure the DAV online application is just a touch away on your iPhone or Android. For our iPhone users out there, simply go to dav.org/memberapp in your Safari web browser. Once the web page opens you’ll see a short list of icons along the bottom of the screen. Select the middle icon.

This will bring up the option to “Add to Home Screen.” Simply select this option and now you have a DAV membership application a touch away on your iPhone’s home screen.

For Android users, launch Chrome and type in dav.org/memberapp to open the web page. A pop-up will open with instructions on how to pin the shortcut to your home screen. You’ll be able to enter a name for the shortcut, and then it will be added to your home screen.

Furthermore, this shortcut and the DAV online application tool are also available on iPads and Android-based tablets. This provides us the mobility and flexibility to introduce anyone at any time to DAV and the value of being a member.

This is also important because, as of Oct. 1, 2016, DAV will reward up to three recruiter points for a new full-life member signed up online instead of the two points rewarded for paper applications.

To brush up on eligibility requirements for possible new members, be sure to watch our new video, “The Value of DAV Membership,” at facebook.com/DAV/videos or youtube.com/watch?v=1LA6fOG4Fmw.

Let’s work smarter and not harder as an organization, developing good habits and utilizing the tools available to us to continue growing a strong and vibrant member base.