Building Engagement & Retention

Assessing the Retention Issues  Total membership  Number joined and number departed  Attrition rate (“turnover”)  Engagement  Strong clubs

Retention #1 priority Focus on: Increasing engagement Addressing why Rotarians leave Increasing vitality of our club Goal: retention of 92% or higher

Retention  Goal: Reduce number of members leaving annually by 28%  Only 14% leave for uncontrollable reasons  Opportunity to reduce the number who leave for controllable reasons What are the opportunities in your district?

Engagement and Retention Same or different?  Think of retention in a new way  Engagement is prevention  Connection => commitment  Engagement => retention Retention is the measure of engagement

Creating a Real Focus on Engagement How do we make engagement happen?  Six steps to get started

Getting Started Six Steps to Begin 1. Set specific goals 2. Identify membership issues 3. Make a written plan

Getting Started Six Steps to Begin 4. Establish 3-function membership sub-committee 5. Provide best practices & tools 6. Communicate, assess, report, motivate (and keep it visible!)

Goal Setting Step 1: Set a specific written goal Need to know baseline to set a realistic goal What do the numbers show?

Baseline: How Are We Doing Now? Current retention rate Today’s # members x 100 = __% # members July 1 + new members during year Turnover rate # members leaving in a time period x 100 = ___% total # members at beginning of same time period

Baseline: How Are We Doing Now? Where do we get accurate information?  Rotary Club Central  RI official report  Your Rotary Coordinator

Rotary Central A Planning & Measurement Tool

Engagement Step 2: Identify specific engagement obstacles What is your club’s engagement score? Qualitative (intangibles) Quantitative (measurable: what, how many)

When is the risk highest ?  First six months  At three years  At 10 years Use club assessment tools Track members using Club Central and RI Reports Are your AGS helping club to use these tools?

Engagement Plan Step 3: A (written) plan is the foundation to increasing engagement & retention Includes measurable goals with action steps, dates and responsibilities

Who is the Target of an Engagement Strategy?  New Members  Existing Members  Former Members

Sample Plan

Customizing Engagement One size doesn’t fit all  Why do members join Rotary?  What are their expectations?  What’s In It For Me (radio station WII-FM)

Customizing Engagement Engagement is fulfilling members’ individual expectations

Managing Engagement &Retention Step 4: Engagement Subcommittee  Engagement/Retention is the only job  Qualified chair & members

Engagement Committee  Keep it visible  Manage engagement plan  Follow up with members  Measure & reports progress  Helps maintain focus on engagement

Engagement: How to Start Step 5: Adopt best practices & tools Use strategies and templates that have been used effectively by other clubs Example: Mentorship Program

Creating Action Step 6: Communicate Visibly  Encourage and motivate  Assess  Report  Follow up  Expect & Inspect

Leadership Action What is 1 immediate action you can take to support engagement in your clubs? Let’s Discuss

Resources

Webinars Rotary.org

Webinars Zone Zone 24 West Webinar Series One Rotary: Building Highly-Effective Clubs November 12 4:00 pm PST/7:00 pm EST

Resources

Best Practices

People Resources  Rotary Coordinator team  RI Member Development  Other highly-effective districts