New findings from the MemberWise Digital Excellence Report 2026 reveal that the majority of medium and large UK membership organisations are now using Umbraco as their primary CMS platform to support member retention and attract new members.
Representing 8,000 professionals working across more than 2,500 UK membership organisations and associations, the annual MemberWise Digital Excellence survey gathers insight from decision-makers across the sector on their key priorities, challenges, strategies, and investments in digital technologies.
This year's findings show that, for the fifth consecutive year, Umbraco has been cited as the most commonly used web content management system among medium and large membership organisations.
"Growth is now a requirement for all membership bodies and this is increasingly dependent on delivering engaging and value-driven digital journeys and experiences," observes Richard Gott, MemberWise Network Founder and Chair.
Over the past five years, the report notes that membership organisations have adopted more sophisticated CMS platforms to optimise – and increasingly personalise – online member engagement.
The report also highlights a number of key trends shaping digital investment across the sector:
Jacob Howell, Umbraco UK Partner Manager, comments:
"We're delighted to see that the majority of medium and large membership organisations continue to choose the Umbraco CMS platform to support their member acquisition, engagement and revenue growth. This is a testament to our digital agency partners, including Cantarus, who turn membership organisations’ ambitious digital strategies into exceptional digital experiences. We’re proud to provide them with an open-source platform that gives them flexibility to integrate additional technologies, whenever required, while offering an intuitive interface for content editors at membership organisations.”
As Umbraco's first transatlantic Platinum Partner and an official MemberWise Network Partner for over a decade, Cantarus works with more than seventy membership organisations to design and deliver digital platforms that support long-term engagement and organisational growth – including the Chartered Institute of Marketing, British Medical Association, Royal College of Physicians, and The Law Society of England and Wales.
Commenting on what the findings mean for membership organisations, Lee Adams, CEO at Cantarus, said:
"We’ve been heavily invested in the membership sector for over a decade and it’s now our most important individual sector. When you’re responsible for the performance, stability and security of a membership organisation’s site, it’s important to have full confidence in the technologies selected to build it.
As an open-source CMS platform, Umbraco allows digital agencies to build websites and digital experiences, tailored to the immediate requirements of membership organisations, with the flexibility and scalability to extend the platform as each organisation grows. Because Umbraco is a powerful open-source platform, we can tap into that creative ecosystem to offer clients a lower-cost implementation with no risk of vendor lock-in, and without limiting their technology options as members’ digital preferences evolve."
For more information about Cantarus and its services, visit www.cantarus.com or contact [email protected].
Follow Cantarus on LinkedIn for more news, updates, and industry insights.
This article is based on a press release originally issued by Umbraco, adapted here to reflect Cantarus’ involvement.