Our story
Why we built Member Lantern
We built this for the volunteers who keep organizations running.
Why a lantern
A lantern is an old, simple tool for helping people find their way together. One person carries it, and everyone can see the path. When the watch changes, the next person takes it and the light stays on.
A good membership organization works the same way, and so should its website and its records. Most of the time they don't. The website was built by someone who moved away. The vendor list is in a drawer. The cash from the breakfast is in an envelope. The light goes out, and the new officers start in the dark.
Member Lantern is built so that doesn't happen.
Who builds it
Member Lantern is built and hosted by Scott Hiser and AskVTI, a small technology firm. Scott has sat in the meetings this is built for, where the volunteer secretary apologizes that the website is out of date and everyone nods. The first site on Member Lantern was a lodge's. It now runs sites for lodges, clubs, posts, chapters, church groups and boards.
We're small on purpose. When you write to us, someone who knows your site writes back.
“The website shouldn't be the thing nobody wants to inherit.”
— Scott Hiser
What we hold to
Free to try
You get 14 days free with everything turned on, then you pick a plan. No per-member fees and no contract.
Built to be handed on
We design everything for the day the current officers step down.
Easy to learn
If an officer can't learn it in an evening, it doesn't ship. And we say "coming soon" only when we're building it.
Where it's going
Online dues and payments, newsletters, text reminders and posting to social media are being built now. A members' area (profiles, directories, renewals) comes after that. Like everything else, each one stays off until you switch it on.