Sample Presentation: Membership Growth in District 6330 Ron Denham

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Membership Growth in D-6330 A Strategy for the
Future Presentation by Ron Denham RIMC to
D-6330 PETS March 8, 2003
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Key Messages

• The need for Rotary Humanitarian Service is
  expanding everywhere
• Our numbers are not growing to meet this need
• Past practices will not solve the problem, a new
  approach is needed
• Success will depend on
• Re-energizing sleepy clubs
• Implementing an integrated strategy for
  recruitment and retention

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Recent headlines show an escalating need for
Rotarys humanitarian service
Violence stalking community
Abuse and violence tied as No. 1 concerns for
young people
20 Detroit residents live in poverty
Canada Homelessness growing
Growing list of groups fighting homelessness
Canadas effort to help homelessness got off to
rocky start
Children eating food not fit for dogs
Child poverty in Canada reaches alarming rate
One in every 65 people going hungry
Child poverty A National Scandal
Russias child crisis 1 in 10 healthy
Alaskas homeless find shelter or die
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And, internationally, how can there be peace in
the world with this injustice
A third of the worlds population carries the TB
bacterium
Wests aid for dying children too little, too late
19,000 children die each day because of world debt
Children dying of hunger, disease
Children dying of malnutrition in Northern
Afghanistan
Poverty gap growing wider
Children of world dying for assistance
Four million Kenyans facing starvation
1.2 billion exist on less than 1 a day
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Despite this need, the number of Rotarians is
falling behind except for last year, existing
clubs have been in steady decline
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In D-6330, despite extraordinary efforts to
develop membership, the net gain has been small
Members as of June 30
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But, if over the past seven years you had
retained 50 of the members you lost, you would
now be over 3000 members
Lost Members
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Especially serious is the loss of members who
have been in Rotary fewer than 3 years
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20
10 years
1-2 years
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5-10 years
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2-3 years
3-5 years
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42 of lost members had less than three years of
membership
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And, when we examine reasons for termination, not
all are beyond our control
Business Transfer
Disinterest
Moved
Attendance
No Reason Given
Business Pressure
Health/ Personal
Other
Deceased
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This loss threatens our ability to meet
humanitarian needs the gap is growing
Humanitarian Needs
The GAP
Membership
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We are at a trigger point
What is your clubs future?
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If Rotary is to remain relevant, we must close
the gap

• This implies
• Strengthening, revitalizing, re-energizing our
  clubs
• Organizing to attract and retain outstanding
  members
• Adopting a cohesive, integrated strategy for
  attracting and retaining members

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You and your leadership team must strengthen,
revitalize, re-energize

• Develop a vision, a purpose for the club what
  does the club want to be known for
• Identify and develop a meaningful hands-on
  community service project
• Dont try to be all things to all people be
  focused
• Keep everyone involved in club activity

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You and your leadership team must strengthen,
revitalize, re-energize

• Attract the highest quality speakers, on topics
  of interest to members
• Provide good programmes and meals
• Communicate up, down, sideways
• Have fun
• Have fun
• Have fun

Your club is either growing or dying You will
make the difference
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You and your team must ORGANIZE and ASSIGN
RESPONSIBILITIES to attract and retain members
Membership Growth
Recruitment
Retention
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Organize to make it happen
Membership Growth
Recruitment
Retention

• Assign responsibility
• Set objectives
• Develop strategies
• Prepare action plans
• Offer incentives
• Target segments of society
• Monitor progress
• Recognize/reward performance

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Organize to make it happen
Membership Growth
Recruitment
Retention

• Assign responsibility
• Set objectives
• Develop strategies
• Prepare action plans
• Offer incentives
• Target segments of society
• Monitor progress
• Recognize/reward performance

• Assign responsibility
• Analyze causes
• Set objectives
• Manage mentoring program
• Get feedback on club
• Recommend club initiatives
• Build programs around new members
• Measure impact/ track drop-outs

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Adopt a strategy that will create a DEDICATED
ROTARIAN
Retention begins before the member is inducted
into the club
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An integrated strategy to create a dedicated
Rotarian
Excite About Rotary
Educate In Rotary
Involve In Club
Inform About Rotary
Induct into Rotary
Identify prospective members

• Classification survey
• Business, professional leaders
• Community trends
• Business acquaintances
• Appointment notices
• Walk the streets
• Yellow pages
• Chamber of Commerce
• T.R.F. Alumni
• Former members

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An integrated strategy to create a dedicated
Rotarian
Excite About Rotary
Educate In Rotary
Involve In Club
Induct into Rotary
Inform About Rotary
Identify prospective members

• ABCs of Rotary
• Invite as guest
• Meet other Rotarians
• Why join Rotary (20 reasons)
• Why I joined Rotary
• Why am I still a member
• Discuss club projects
• T.R.F.
• High ethical standards
• Community representation

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An integrated strategy to create a dedicated
Rotarian
Excite About Rotary
Educate In Rotary
Involve In Club
Identify prospective members
Inform About Rotary
Induct into Rotary

• A dignified ceremony
• Invite spouse and family
• Invite business/ professional associates
• Spell out the meaning of Rotary and its
  obligations
• Present with
• 4 Way Test
• Object of Rotary
• Make it a memorable event

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An integrated strategy to create a dedicated
Rotarian
Excite About Rotary
Educate In Rotary
Involve In Club
Inform About Rotary
Induct into Rotary
Identify prospective members

• Assign mentor
• STAR program
• Assign as greeter
• Select committee, stake out role
• Vice-chair of committee
• Delegate to conference
• Attend Board meeting
• Participate in fellowship
• Classification talk
• New Members Committee

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An integrated strategy to create a dedicated
Rotarian
Excite About Rotary
Educate In Rotary
Involve In Club
Identify prospective members
Inform About Rotary
Induct into Rotary

• New members orientation
• Fireside
• Read booklets
• Give talk on Rotary subject
• Host Youth Exchange student
• Host Foundation scholar
• Host GSE team member
• Attend
• District conference
• Foundation seminar
• District assembly
• P.R.L.S. (potential Rotary Leadership Seminar)
• Other Rotary Clubs

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An integrated strategy to create a dedicated
Rotarian
Excite About Rotary
Educate In Rotary
Involve In Club
Inform About Rotary
Induct into Rotary
Identify prospective members

• Be part of winning team
• Accomplish major community project
• Recognition (in media?)
• Appoint to District Committee
• Select for special project

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Drawing throughout on extensive resources
available to you

• District membership team

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Drawing throughout on extensive resources
available to you

• District membership team
• R.I. materials
• Membership Recruitment Ideas
• 10 Easy Ways to Attract and Retain
• A Guide to Membership Retention
• Club Inventory
• Strategies for Member Education
• STAR
• Mentoring Worksheet
• Membership Survey

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Drawing throughout on extensive resources
available to you

• District membership team
• R.I. materials
• Membership Recruitment Ideas
• 10 Easy Ways to Attract and Retain
• A Guide to Membership Retention
• Club Inventory
• Strategies for Member Education
• STAR
• Mentoring Worksheet
• Membership Survey
• www.rotary.org/membership
• Materials for download

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Addressing the humanitarian needs of the 21st
century demands enthusiastic, dedicated,
committed Rotarians

• Changing club culture

• Listening to members

• Responding to community needs

This is the real challenge of membership growth