What will your club be doing in terms of membership development this Rotary year?
Before you answer that question, think about the information available to you via the library of recordings on the Zone 8 Membership Voice YouTube channel. The channel provides lots of examples of clubs and districts applying Rotary International policies and practices in innovative ways to grow their capability and improve their positive impact where it matters – in the communities they serve and among the members who make things happen.
“Has your club connected with each individual member to find out what they want from their participation?”
You can visit the channel here www.youtube.com/@MembershipVoice
Based on the lessons learned from the stories in the Membership Voice library, two fundamental things that directly influence the long-term health and capability of a Rotary or Rotaract club are:
- The individual member experience:
How do your members feel about their Rotary or Rotaract experience? Is it a positive that has them keen to continue their volunteering journey with us, or something less attractive? Has your club connected with each individual member to find out what they want from their participation? Dr Jessie Harman, immediate past Rotary International director, made an invaluable contribution to our library when she presented on the importance of clubs becoming member-centric, understanding what individual members want from their participation, and how to provide a positive member experience. You can watch her presentation at youtu.be/06S4VSPDyLg - How the club relates to the community or the cause they serve:
Is your club making decisions about future service through an effective and inclusive needs assessment, or based on a set of assumptions about what the community wants and needs?
You can access an overview on how to conduct a community needs assessment via MyRotary by navigating to the Take Action tab, selecting Develop Projects from the dropdown menu, then clicking on the Planning and Organising link.
By focusing on the two key points above, you’ll engage your current members better, connect much more effectively with your cause or community, and identify a whole new group of keen potential members and volunteers.
Just by listening to people!