What do our Rotarians want out of Rotary?

An excerpt from a speech given by RI Director-Elect John Smarge at the March Rotary Coordinator seminar:

"Over the last few years there have been numerous surveys conducted regarding member satisfaction. There have been country wide surveys, Zone surveys in all parts of the world, as well as district and club surveys. Though in most cases the questions were posed in different manners, for the most part, overall, the responses have garnered the same results. I would like to reference, as an example, a survey conducted for the Rotary Club of Buffalo, NY USA, which fairly represents many of the other worldwide surveys.

"The Rotary Club of Buffalo contracted a company to do a survey of its members. They did so to try to understand the feeling of the members on a multi-million dollar, multi-year community service project that they were about to undertake. As part of the survey, they asked other questions, many of them relating to how the members felt about the club and their motivation for being part of the club.

"The survey revealed some interesting conclusions. When reviewing the results from the assorted questions on “why you are a member of the Rotary club” the survey takers found that the answers were very conclusive, yet varied depending on how many years you were a member of the club, which also can correspond the relative age of the member.

"For those members who had been in the club less than five years, what they wanted most out of the club was personal growth, business and professional development skills and networking opportunities. Networking!! In many parts of the world, the idea of being a member of a Rotary club for self-interest is unacceptable. Yet that, for the most part, is what our new members are looking for. Now understand that this group wants to be involved, yet are very often not finding the outlet in our clubs to do so. Think of the opportunities that experienced members have to mentor the newer members. Not necessarily in offering Rotary knowledge, but in providing professional development skills. I will tell you, from personal experience, that I joined Rotary at 22 years old for those exact reasons. 28 years later, I am the business person; I am the person that I am today, by following the examples and listening to the wisdom of those experienced Rotarians in my club.

"Looking back at the survey, we find that those members who were in the club 5 to 20 years, they were looking, most importantly, for opportunities to connect with their communities through hands on projects and secondarily, to make a difference in the world. This is the aspect of our organization that we are best identified with and which we have traditionally done quite well at delivering. Those worldwide studies will tell you, if you can get a member to the 5-20 year period, you’ll keep them

"More than 20 years? They wanted the social aspect, fellowship, staying in touch and connected with their Rotary friends, having a place to come each week where they feel comfortable."

This information is important not only in serving the members of our own clubs, but to remember when we're talking to prospective members. Are they being given the opportunity to talk about what they need to make Rotary a good value for their invested time money? Have you surveyed your current membership to see if their needs are being met?

Thank you for making Rotary a priority!
Judi