Mensa Connect, our new community hangout
Mensa Connect is a social extension of our website providing members with new ways to interact with each other, their Local Groups, local and national officers, and Special Interest Groups.
If you’ve used Yahoo Groups or similar forum software, you should find it very familiar. Included are public forums where you can connect with other members and private communities for Local Groups, national committees, and officer roles.
Benefits of the move include a mobile-friendly interface, easy-to-access archives of past messages, and automatic membership checks — features often desired by Local Groups trying to admin online communities elsewhere.
And now we’re debuting perhaps the most sought-after benefit: an all-inclusive mobile app. Download the “MemberCentric” app in the App Store or Google Play, search for “Mensa” when asked to choose an organization, and log in using the same username and password you use here.
Download the Mensa Connect App
Mensa Connect Communities
- One general interest discussion community
- Communities for each national committee
- Communities for each Local Group officer role
- Communities for registrants of national events (e.g. Annual Gathering, Mind Games)
- Communities for each Local Group
- Communities for Special Interest Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need to remember another login?
No. Mensa Connect will integrate seamlessly with our current website, including single sign-on.
How can I change my notification settings?
Posts on Mensa Connect can also be delivered to your inbox. You can adjust your email notification preferences to real-time, daily digest, or none at all. This can be done per community.
Will I be able to opt out of email notifications?
Yes. For each community, you can select from among: real-time notifications, daily digest, or no notifications at all. If you select the latter, you’ll get updates only by visiting Mensa Connect.
Must I really use this thing?
Nope. It’s simply another way to connect with Mensans. We also have Facebook groups, if that’s more your speed. You can opt out of all Mensa Connect communities at any time. And if you change your mind, it’s easy to rejoin.
Will Mensa Connect have its own Terms of Service?
Yes, and you can view them here. We’ve had terms of service on the forums before; they’re not going away.
Local Group communities
How will a member join a Local Group community?
Members will be added automatically to their Local Group community. If they update their address with the National Office, they’ll automatically be moved to their new group’s community.
I live in one Local Group but often travel to another. Can I join additional Local Group communities?
Yes. You can request access from the admins of that Local Group.
I’m not interested in hearing from my Local Group. Can I leave my Local Group community?
Yes, you can leave your Local Group’s Mensa Connect community at any time. Note that this is not the same as leaving your Local Group. For that, please contact the National Office.
Who administers Local Group communities?
By default, the admin for each Local Group community will be the group’s Local Secretary. LocSecs can also assign additional admins, such as Communications Officers or Social Media Managers.
Does this mean that all communications need to go through Mensa Connect now?
No, this is an additional channel of communication. As an officer, you will still have the Email My Members and Newsletter Upload tools.
Our Local Group does not want to moderate a community on Mensa Connect. Do we have a choice?
Local Group communities will be enabled by request. Each Local Group will need to assign an admin to manage the group before it can be activated.
What if we don’t want a whole “community” for our Local Group and only want to send announcements?
You can skip Mensa Connect entirely and continue to use the Email My Members tool currently available.
My group gets Google Calendar notifications through our mailing list. Will this work after the change?
We’re still working on this.
My Local Group uses multiple lists for subgroups. Will they all transfer over?
We’re still working on this one, too.
Gifted Youth
Will minors be able to access Mensa Connect?
No. Mensans under the age of 18 will not have access to Mensa Connect.
Special Interest Groups
I am a SIG Coordinator. Can I request a community be created for my SIG?
Yes! There are a few options available to move your SIG’s communications to Mensa Connect:
You can choose to manage membership in your SIG community on your own by manually adding and removing members.
- Pro: You keep total control of your SIG’s membership roster
- Con: You’d need to perform a lot of manual processes to keep your roster up to date.
You could also provide the National Office with a membership roster, and we can take care of automating everything.
- Pros: You would not need to manually add or remove members. You’d just need to alert the National Office of additions to your SIG. We’d also automatically remove members should they lapse their membership.
- Con: You would not be able to manually add or remove new or exiting SIG members.
There’s one additional thing to remember: Mensa Connect is available only to members of American Mensa and other national Mensas. (International members must request have an American Mensa website account to access Mensa Connect.)
I have international members in my SIG. Will they be allowed to use Mensa Connect?
Yes! We have the ability to provide members of any national Mensa with guest access to our website — including Mensa Connect. International members must set up an American Mensa website account to receive access.
If you have questions about Mensa Connect or how your Local Group or SIG can leverage the platform, please email Member Services.