Group 5 Membership Seminar Thankyou for coming! 1 st Session :Rotary’s Global Membership Trends Focus on Retention Members’ needs & Attractive Clubs 3.15pm Afternoon tea – 10 minutes 2 nd Session: Getting your message out Attracting new members Social Media 4.45pm Q&A 5.00pm Close

It’s not just about the numbers… It’s about what we do!

Globally 1.2 Million (static for over 20 years) We recruit and lose 100,000 members every year 2003 – ,552 new clubs chartered with a net gain of only 226 members Global membership shifting from West to East Recent Membership Trends

RECRUITMENT RETENTION

CANADA -4,167 ENGLAND -7,743 USA -58,481 BRAZIL +4,045 GERMANY +11,114 INDIA +34,063 AUSTRALIA -5,260 TAIWAN +7,567 S.KOREA +12,671 JAPAN -23,248 Largest Nett Membership Gains & Losses

District Dec 31, 2014

Over 50 Inductions Nett increase of 9 D9520 July 1 – December 31, 2014

CANADA -4,167 ENGLAND -7,743 USA -58,481 BRAZIL +4,045 GERMANY +11,114 INDIA +34,063 AUSTRALIA -5,260 TAIWAN +7,567 S.KOREA +12,671 JAPAN -23,248 Largest Nett Membership Gains & Losses

Abraham Maslow

Where basic human needs are not being met, might Rotary and its work appear more relevant? Might there be a greater incentive to join? ? ?

But where we live a comparatively privileged life, might Rotary and its work appear less relevant? Might there be less incentive to join Rotary?  

Q. How do we motivate interest in Rotary in a developed country?

THIS IS WHAT WE DO THESE ARE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP I WANT TO GIVE BACK WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

Our messages can no longer be solely about what we do… They need to include what WE get out of our membership. In our: Conversations Meetings & Bulletins Fliers & Promotional Material Newspaper articles Websites & Social Media Posts

Retention

So, why are people leaving us?

We are constantly weighing up the pros and cons… PROSCONS FRIENDSHIPS RECOGNITION NETWORKING LEADERSHIP ENTERTAINMENT

We are constantly weighing up the pros and cons… PROSCONS EXPENSIVE DEMANDING ON TIME BORING MEETINGS BAD FOOD STRICT RULES

We are constantly weighing up the pros and cons… PROSCONS FRIENDSHIPS RECOGNITION NETWORKING LEADERSHIP ENTERTAINMENT ONE MEMBER WHO IS A COMPLETE PAIN IN THE ASS

We are constantly weighing up the pros and cons… PROSCONS FRIENDSHIPS RECOGNITION NETWORKING LEADERSHIP ENTERTAINMENT MAJOR HEALTH SCARE EMPLOYMENT UNCERTAINTY FAMILY TRAGEDY

Death Poor health Relocation Change in work responsibility Competing priorities So, why are people leaving us? “Uncontrollables”

So, why are people leaving us? “Controllables” Lack of involvement/engagement/inclusion Lack of direction & leadership Conflict with other members Inflexible attendance requirements Input not sought or valued Membership did not meet expectations Unfair distribution of workload Unwillingness to modernise/change Boring meetings Affordability Poor venue/meal quality Termination

So, why are people leaving us? “Controllables” Lack of involvement/engagement/inclusion Conflict with other members (major contributor to losses of newer members) (major contributor to losses of experienced members)

Responsibility Recognition Leadership pathways Sense of belonging Networking opportunities Fellowship / social interaction Skill Development Challenges Interpersonal Relationships Fulfilment / achievement Personal growth / Broadening of Horizons Assimilation into a new community Project ownership / Empowerment Sense of purpose / direction Mentoring Support for your cause Fun / entertainment Education Keeping active International Understanding Humanitarian Service Community Involvement What do you need from your Rotary membership?

Drink wine

Building your network

Consider all those who have been touched by your club in the last 10 years…

Exchange Students The Science Experience (TSE) Roadsafe Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) Rotary Youth Wellbeing (RYWELL) National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) Health of the River Forum

Consider all those who have been touched by your club in the last 10 years… Ambassadorial Scholars Peace Scholars Indigenous Medical Scholars Group Study Exchange Team Members Those students all have Friends, Parents, Siblings, Teachers & Support Staff at School Who else have we touched? … and so many more local programs

Consider all those who have been touched by your club in the last 10 years… Local Charities, Schools, Community & Church Groups, Sporting Clubs, etc Members of the public who use the playgrounds, parks and public facilities that we support. They buy from our thrift shops and book shops. They turn up to our public events. Think of the ripple effect… Guest Speakers & Venue Staff

The ripples of our work spread far and wide… So many people feeling positive about Rotary People I call “Warm Contacts”

So many people who we just need to find and say… Join us Join us to help at that gardening project Join us to help at that fundraiser Join us for a coffee Keep your warm contacts warm! Join us to help at that sausage sizzle

Q. How do we find them? A. Don’t lose them in the first place!

Two Meeting Recruitment Strategy Meeting #1 Plan well in advance (2 months +) Engage a high profile speaker Produce high quality invites Ask every member to bring a guest (cold contacts) You can invite your warm contacts too Invite partners, friends, neighbouring clubs Include no more that 5-7 minutes Rotary content Hand out club promotional literature Keep a list of guests

Two Meeting Recruitment Strategy Meeting #2 Plan well in advance (2 months after Meeting #1) Use the guest list from Meeting #1 Invite to a “Rotary Open Night/Information night” (don’t refer to it as a Membership Night!) Ask 5 members to talk for 5 minutes each about different aspects of Rotary (or invite district officers) Ask a member to give a testimonial ASK GUESTS TO JOIN – they wouldn’t have come if they weren’t interested!

Attracting Young Professionals

Rotary International Young Professionals Campaign 2013

Clubs must change their culture Social media, marketing and advertising efforts are important, but clubs must be open and willing to make changes necessary to attract younger members Focus on engagement, not just recruitment Engaging prospective members and current members in a club is an ongoing process Clubs should build the relationship before asking prospective members to join Open service projects Invite non-Rotarians (including Rotaractors, Interactors, and Rotary alumni), family, and friends to participate in club events to maximize impact and expand community awareness

1.Younger professionals are similar to older prospects in attitudes but not in needs.

2. The image of Rotary is outdated and uninviting.

3. Rotary’s identity is unclear.

4. Rotary’s value proposition is unclear.

5. Overall interest in joining Rotary was low, even after learning about Rotary.

The most immediate opportunities for change are at the local club level: Challenging tasks Flexible scheduling Family-friendly planning and events Unstructured and modern ways to organise

Changing the message won’t change this situation. Change has to happen in the clubs, FIRST. Change has to be real and visible, in order for the next generations of Rotarians to be willing to believe our message.

Rotary’s Public Image Controlling how we appear

Involuntary Messages Deliberate Messages Public Image control these minimise these Public Relations!

You cannot control your Public Image… You can only attempt to control your MESSAGES.

So let’s talk about the messages we send, and how and where we send them.

Up to 80% of communication is Non- Verbal. Is it possible that up to 80% of our messages that contribute to our Public Image are involuntary?

Examples of Deliberate messages Meeting Messages Club Projects & Events: We raised $800 at Bunnings last weekend Volunteers for our working bee needed Letter received from our sponsor child Fundraising film night – next Saturday Our Matching Grant has been approved We are visiting Calperum in October

Rituals: National Anthem Prayers / Invocations Toasts Sergeant Session Order / Formality / Punctuality Dress standard Guest Speaker Quality Venue / Meal Quality Language Rotary Body Language Examples of Involuntary messages Meeting Messages

Deliberate Messages Control our eradicating Polio providing clean water youth programs peace & conflict resolution great training opportunities meet wonderful people promote literacy Involuntary Messages Minimise our attendance requirements meeting rituals male dominated ageing membership exclusive sausage sizzle central (Rotary’s body language) expensive

Rotary has its own unique language, that even some Rotarians don’t understand.

Communicating with non-Rotarians They don’t understand our jargon or acronyms They don’t care about our Club Bylaws or Constitution They have no concept of where D9520 is (or where D9500 starts) Write like a non-Rotarian, because: They don’t care about our annual theme or international president and can’t understand why we would keep changing them. Get a non-Rotarian friend to proof read

Some of my favourite Rotary promotional ideas …

Resources