There isn’t anything profound or new to what I am about to tell you, only a reminder of some of our past and present strategies we all continually striving to achieve. We have, amongst our fellow Clubs and RI, continuing information and strategies to develop membership efforts.
Membership is always a challenge for any organization.
The strategies and efforts to attract potential members constantly changes and are always relative to the times. Always strive for a balance of young members; male and female. 2022-23 President Elect Jennifer Jones said “the growth in membership under the age of 40, female and male demographic, needs to see their own reflection in leadership!” Also, consider the costs for a potential new member joining Rotary, e.g. fees, meal costs, club meeting times and days when held.
Networking, beyond the aspirations of Rotary is important to young business leaders and professionals. Also, younger members are always interested in community service projects. Offering club leadership positions to new members will always enhance personal resumes.
Develop and promote your club to the community thru media, be it written, TV, radio, public Rotary events and projects. There isn’t anything wrong about saying, “We are great!!!” Communication is paramount towards membership. Personal contact, telephone, the written word are tools which are still effective, however in today’s world we have expanded our opportunities to connect by texting, Facebook, email, websites. In fact, as we know, a large part of potential member bases exist in these environments.
In our world today, a person’s time and when their time is available are major components to an individual’s consideration to join beyond their desires to give and serve community!
Organizations must have an appeal and purpose if they are going to attract. Fun, camaraderie, enthusiasm and motivation are very important! Advise about your club’s hands-on local and international programs.
If a person is considering your club, learn what their interests are, what are their personality traits and why they think our club has an appeal for them. Potential candidates and existing members bring different skills and interests to the table and all are important to the fabric of a club! If the Club is what the person wants or is impressed by, there is a good chance the person will find a way to become a part of the Club. “Busy people find ways to do things!”
Sustainability…..what does your club appear to be for a new member? If they joined, is the club actually what they had anticipated it would be? Our first step is to welcome the new member and the next step is to mentor and involve!