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This is the second part of Section II of Ideas for Action

Ideas for Action No 4. Future Development of Membership in Your Club

Introduction 

More questions relating to the future of membership in clubs who are 'failing' to attract new, appropriate members from the area covered by the Club. Setting targets and having a well thought through membership strategy is the first step.

  • What is your membership goal for the coming year?
  • What sources within your community have you identified as offering potential for new members?
  • Through recruitment, will your club reflect the diversity of your community?
  • Have you developed a brochure, attractive to those you want to interest, that provides general information about Rotary as well as specific information about your club?
  • What plans have you for obtaining a membership dividend from club events?
  • Do you know how you will explain the expectations of membership to potential Rotarians?
  • Are you clear about the procedure for making new Rotarians?
  • What plans have you to recognise Rotarians who sponsor new members?
  • Will you work with other local clubs in order to make a bid to participate in the RIBI membership development programme?
  • Have you developed an orientation and mentoring scheme for new members?
  • Have you developed a retention plan that focuses on maintaining high levels of enthusiasm through participation in interesting programmes, projects, continuing education and fellowship activities?
  • Are members of your club encouraged to join a Rotary Fellowship or Rotarian Action Group?
  • Will your club sponsor a new club in your town?

 Working with other Ideas for Action many clubs have operated very successful membership campaigns.

 

Ideas for Action No 5. Some Suggestions for Developing Fellowship

How to increase club member satisfaction

  • What do your club members want? (survey)
  • Education about Rotary (use District Officers)
  • Promoting the District Conference as a 'team' event
  • What builds trust and team spirit in your club?
  • ensure attractive club projects
  • arrange for the 'mentoring' of new members 

Why do members leave?

  • no direct involvement with projects
  • club was not proactive in seeking attractive projects
  • didn't feel part of the club
  • competing pressures for time
  • cost of Rotary
  • wrong public image

 How to prevent membership loss

  • use a mentoring scheme for new members in your club
  • family participation (include spouse in information meetings)
  • involve new members in club projects from the outset
  • educate new members about Rotary
  • new Rotarian to introduce a new member within six months
  • be conscious of competing time demands
  • Do your club members really value membership?
  • Annual survey of member's interests - are you meeting them?
  • enable members to evaluate speakers and programmes

"I lost interest"

  • Give them a job to do
  • Introduce them to the Guests (Rotary or not)
  • Moving away - recommend to another club
  • Exit survey with leavers (why did they leave?) 

Why Join Rotary?

  • Friendship
  • Business Development (networking)
  • Personal growth and development
  • Leadership development
  • A way of achieving active citizenship within the community
  • A way of achieving active world citizenship
  • Continuing Education from speakers, programmes etc.
  • Fun
  • Public Speaking Skills (confidence)
  • Assistance when travelling
  • Developing a Social Life (small groups etc.)
  • Development of Social skills
  • Family Programmes - youth exchange etc.
  • A chance to use and develop your vocational skills
  • Development of ethics - 4 way test etc.
  • Cultural awareness of the world
  • Prestige
  • An opportunity to work with decent, like-minded people
  • Absence of an official creed
  • The opportunity to serve

 

 

Ideas for Action No 6.   Planning for a Membership Dividend

Introduction

It is important that the effort put into events and activities that include face to face contact with the general public, visitors to the Club events, guests, friends, colleagues and other potential Rotary members should work in parallel with providing information on Rotary membership.

This is the Membership Dividend.

Whatever the activity – there is always a potential for encouraging new members, but, this must be carried out without pressure, and with integrity. The various events may be divided into these categories.

From a supermarket/street collection or similar

From a school activity

Data collection

 

From a supermarket/street collection.

Resources

  • Collectors
  • Membership awareness team
  • Display
  • Leaflets
  • Data capture
  • Follow up plan
  • Data Collection

 

1.     The Collection Team.

This is the main purpose of the exercise and all collectors should be briefed on how to respond to questions about Rotary and when to pass on the interested person to the Membership Awareness Team.

For example - a street collection team for Marie Curie Cancer charity will have 'uniform' from the charity and perhaps a Rotary tee shirt.

2.     Membership Awareness Team

A team wearing name badges and willing to identify themselves with no responsibilities to collect money. They will require specific skills and knowledge: ‐

a. The ability and willingness to approach people and talk enthusiastically about Polio eradication, the Thanks for Life project and Rotary more widely.

b. The willingness to market Rotary beyond their own club. We must recognise that the public may come from a wide area and have different requirements.

c. Recognise the need to be customer focussed. I.e. when talking to shoppers we need to establish their level of interest, suitability for Rotary and, then, what kind of club they may be interested in.

d. The professionalism to recognise the level of interest being shown and to decide how to take things forward. Whether to record details for contact later or to simply hand out a leaflet.

e. Knowledge of the RIBI website so that they can direct those showing interest to it.

3. Display

a. At the planning stage check with the store management that they will agree to a display, its location and the contact activity described above. We must be sensitive to the management's views but also seek to maximise our impact.

b. The display must be professional in appearance and include: ‐

i. Polio eradication posters etc

ii. Thanks for Life posters etc

iii. "Join Rotary & Make a World of Difference" posters

4. Leaflets

A good supply of TFL leaflets, Join Rotary & make a world of difference leaflets and, if available, leaflets describing local club activities, contact etc.

A local Rotary Club will also have a Club leaflet with local information – see separate Ideas for Action Sheet.

5. Data capture

We are interested in people who may want to join us. It follows that those showing interest will expect us to be able to record their names and contact details professionally. We should also reassure them that they will not be pestered so we need to establish and record the means and level of contact acceptable to individuals. You should be willing to provide your own contact details too.

6. Follow up plan

Having collected a list of potential members it is important that they are followed up.

Arrangements should be made to make contact, to introduce them to a club (perhaps to accompany them) and to maintain contact until they have either joined or decided not to do so.

In the latter case it is crucial to find out why not and to learn from the experience

From a School Activity

Resources

  • Speakers
  • Equipment
  • Leaflets etc
  • Data capture
  • Follow up plan

This action plan is specifically for membership development – it is assumed that a separate plan exists for the activity itself

Objectives

The overall aim is to inform the pupils, teachers, governors and parents about a specific project and, as a result, to maximise membership development opportunities from parents, governors and teachers.

First contact

  1. An appointment to see the Head or their designated deputy will be needed.
  2. Bear in mind that it may be necessary to send an information pack before the meeting can be agreed.
  3. Whoever attends the meeting must be prepared and knowledgeable about the project, have a good understand of the school and the education process and have clear objectives. It is important to be flexible, aware and alert to the school's needs. Perhaps we will need to demonstrate a willingness to help the school in some way – it could lead to a good community project too. Perhaps they will be willing for you to address the children at an assembly, the parents, and staff or perhaps they just prefer to take the information and use it themselves; whatever they want our objective is to gain a membership dividend so we need to get information to parents and staff. Be ready to show the DVD at this first meeting.

Speakers

Need to be knowledgeable & appropriate to the audience. Addressing a school assembly is not the same as speaking at a Rotary meeting. Choose someone with the skills.

Equipment

a) A lap top and projector to show the DVD

b) Other display material about Polio, Thanks for Life, Join Rotary & Make a World of Difference, Local club activities (Especially community projects)

Leaflets etc

a)    Information pack. This could include items from the website, DVD, Konnie Hoq article, Guardian article. Whatever is appropriate to the situation?

b)    A good supply of TFL leaflets, Join Rotary & Make a World of Difference leaflets and, if appropriate, leaflets describing local club activities and projects.

c)    Be ready to give these to staff and parents or to ask the school to distribute them to parents for us – perhaps with a suitable covering letter from yourself.

d)    Consider the provision of a local Club leaflet.

Data Capture

You should be interested in people who may want to join Rotary. It follows that those showing interest will expect us to be able to record their names and contact details professionally. We should also reassure them that they will not be pestered so we need to establish and record the means and level of contact acceptable to individuals. You should be willing to provide your own contact details too.

Follow up Plan

Having collected a list of potential members it is important that they are followed up.

Arrangements should be made to make contact, to introduce them to a club (perhaps to accompany them) and to maintain contact until they have either joined or decided not to do so. In the latter case it is crucial to find out why not and to learn from the experience.

Data Collection

THANK YOU FOR BEING INTERESTED IN OUR PROJECT.

We are looking for men and women of all ages and backgrounds to join our network of Rotary clubs throughout Great Britain & Ireland, to use their time, talents, professional skills and energy to improve the lives of people in their local communities and others around the world. And, in the process, you can enjoy the benefits of business networking, personal development, meeting new friends, and hearing inspiring speakers, plus having great fun and experiencing that special sense of fulfilment that comes from achieving something really worthwhile.

Please provide us with your contact details below

 

Title                                                                 Day time telephone number

Full Name                                                       Evening telephone number

Address                                                           e‐mail address

Date of Birth                                                   preferred means of contact

 

Ideas for Action No 7. Finding the Membership Dividend 

Introduction

With careful planning, you should be able to attract new members through almost any event that your club (or some other group) runs involving the general public.  This is the membership dividend.

Most usually it works best if your club asks a member (or a group of members) who are not involved with running the actual event to plan and run the membership dividend.

Planning for a Membership Dividend

  • Can you identify the best person (or group of people) in your club to run the membership dividend?
  • Will it be possible for them to work closely with the main organisers of the event?
  • What is the event and will the membership activity get in the way of the main event?
  • What type of person will this event attract?
  • What will be your target group?
  • Will the event attract those in the 30 – 55 age range?
  • Will the event attract those in the 50+ age range?
  • How might Rotary be attractive to any/all of these?
  • How best can you make them aware of Rotary through the event?
  • Are there particular individuals who might be particularly attracted?
  • What materials will you need?
  • What special arrangements will you need at the event?

You might think it appropriate to use a video loop, flyers, banners, posters, pull-ups, personal contact etc.

If you choose to use a team of members to work through personal contact at the event, they might need some brief 'training' about how to use that contact most effectively.

This could cover points like:

Avoiding talking about

  • Regular club meetings and 'attendance rules'.
  • The financial or time 'costs' of Rotary.
  • The predominance of elderly members.
  • Criticising Rotary systems, district etc.

A focus on positive points such as:

  • The fellowship and fun (new members tell us that it is the main reason that they join so it must be the MAIN FOCUS)
  • The way in which Rotary offers individuals the opportunity to help others.
  • The impressive projects that your club promotes.
  • The impressive work of Rotary in Polio Plus and Thanks for Life.
  • The impressive work of Rotary through projects like Shelter Box.
  • The business and personal skills, the sense of humour and the desire to help others that they could bring to Rotary.
  • The role of rotary in personal development.
  • The international nature of Rotary.

Make sure that you have a system for recording contact details for anyone who seemed interested in Rotary.

Follow up by 'phone or email contact.

Perhaps the potential member would fit into your club.  Perhaps they would not in which case you may need to introduce them to another nearby club.  In either case monitor their introduction to Rotary.

Some clubs run a 'Friends of Rotary' to keep potential members informed about club activities.

Rotary East is very useful for circulation to potential members.

 

 

Ideas for Action No 8.   Membership Retention

 

Introduction

Equally important as attracting new members and starting new Rotary Clubs – may be more important – is retaining the interest of existing members and ensuring that you are aware of any members considering leaving the Rotary movement. It cost less and takes less effort to keep the members you have on board than to engage in the process of recruitment.

Time MUST therefore be spent making sure all members are engaged, interested, involved and having fun.

Some suggestions for developing the existing membership in your club are provided in these Ideas for Action. These suggestions should be used in conjunction with the Club Survey, Audit and the Club M.O.T.

How to increase club member satisfaction

  • Find out what do your club members want (survey).
  • Provide more specific information and education about Rotary (use District Officers where appropriate)
  • Why not promote the District Conference as a 'team' event?
  • Take the Club into a 'Scatter Week' visiting other local clubs.
  • Find out what builds trust and team spirit in your club.
  • Agree as a Club which club projects will be of most interest to most members.
  • Ensure that the education, mentoring and information provided to new members is adequate. Remember – Rotary is a complex organisation and very strange to new members.

Why do members leave?

  • Totally ignored by existing members – yes, this does happen!
  • Little or no direct involvement with projects and the day to day operation of the club or committees.
  • The club was not proactive in seeking attractive projects
  • The new member did not feel part of the club and was not supported enough
  • Competing pressures for time – work, family etc.  Remember – family comes first, business second and then, only then, Rotary.
  • Use the Family of Rotary to support new members. 
  • Always bear in mind the overall cost of Rotary.
  • If the wrong public image exists in your town – use the press, publicity etc the change the image.

How to prevent membership loss

  • Introduce and use a mentoring scheme for new members in your club
  • Ensure family participation (include spouse in information meetings)
  • Involve new members in club projects from the outset
  • Educate new members about Rotary
  • Encourage new Rotarians to introduce another new member within six months
  • Talk to new members and be conscious of competing time demands
  • Give all members many good reasons to really value membership
  • Carry out annual survey of member's interests - are you meeting their requirements and expectations?
  • Enable members to evaluate speakers and programmes
  • Do not let members say "I have lost interest" – LISTEN to members
  • Give all members responsibility and a job to do
  • Introduce new members to the Guests (Rotary or not)
  • If a member is moving away - recommend them to another club
  • If you have lost a member, carry out exit survey with leavers (why did they leave?)

If these points are just some of the reasons why people join Rotary – are their expectations being met?

  • Friendship
  • Business Development (networking)
  • Personal growth and development
  • Leadership development
  • A way of achieving active citizenship within the community
  • A way of achieving active world citizenship
  • Continuing professional development and education from speakers, programmes etc.
  • Fun