Recruitment Idea Exchange

Following are notes from the Idea Exchange on Membership Recruitment at the International Convention in Montreal. The participants were from around the world. Though many of these ideas are not new, you might find some great tidbits to consider - or share the list with the clubs in your district!

MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT IDEAS
Notes from the Idea Exchange – Montreal RI Convention – June 21, 2010

ASK – ASK – ASK

Have a club representative on the Chamber of Commerce or community business group.

Invite prospects, who feel they don’t have time at the moment to join Rotary, to help with projects.

Keep a database of prospective members – i.e. parents of RYLA, Interact, and scholarship students. Stay in touch with them, sending club bulletin or newsletter and copy of Rotarian magazine.

Ask each member think about who they “touch” on a daily basis.

Plan a Refreshment Evening or Open House, inviting prospective members to socialize and hear about Rotary and your club. One club invited 140, had 35 attend, and 5 joined.

Retain members to recruit.

Membership drive

PLAN!!

Website – attractive, user friendly and current!
See www.rotary7090.org – video

Utilize District Membership Chair and committee – they have been trained to help clubs.

Advertise:
1. collaborate with other Rotary clubs and other service clubs, such as Lions , listing time of meetings, activities, projects (even average age)
2. members sponsor ad and receive acknowledgment or reference to their businesses.

RI PR grants

Attracting younger members:
1. cost effective
2. family friendly
3. creative classifications
4. See Rotary Club of Edmonton Urban Spirits (D5370)
“This is not your father’s Rotary club!”
http://www.urbanspirits.ca/

Meetings at different hour than traditional lunch venue
1. After – five, meeting after work for about 1 hour – liquid refreshment, no meal, home in time for dinner with family.
2. Saturday morning, meeting for coffee, meal optional, and babysitter!

Community based Rotaract in every major community is a natural feed to Rotary.

Divide membership into groups to work on recruiting.
Facilitator’s note: Consider the “Five for One” plan – see http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/five_for_one_plan_en.pdf

Members are the customers – what do they want?
What are prospective members looking for in Rotary?

Partners of Rotarians

Game – submit name of potential member or pay $1.00

Survey club membership
One club’s example - http://gilletterotary.com/membership_survey
Membership Satisfaction Survey - http://www.clubrunner.ca/data/7090/html/51968/Membership%20Satisfaction%20Questionnaire%20%28RI%29.pdf

What are the RI criteria for membership? See Manual of Procedure (MOP) Article 5, Section 2 of the Standard Club Constitution
http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/035en_full.pdf

TRF Alumni -
Ambassadorial and Peace Scholars, GSE team members, Rotary Volunteers.
(Also consider former Youth Exchange students, RYLA students, Interactors, scholarship recipients – where are these young adults now?)
We have spent time and money to send these people as our Rotary “ambassadors” – they know Rotary and usually want to remain involved with Rotary.

Friends of Rotary
(Group of community folks who are supporters and helpers of Rotary clubs, either with financial support or hands-on assistance with projects.)

Family members!

Attendance – be creative within RI rules – make sure lots of options for make-ups.

Membership information, newsletters and club bulletins emailed to club members who then forward to friends. Membership committee does follow-up to “close.”

Build Effective Rotary Clubs! (Build it and they will come!)

See Also: Membership Development Resource Guide – 417EN