A summary of information provided at District Conference - what can we try in our club?
Rotary District Conference 2024 Oct. 18 & 19, 2024
Why do people choose Rotary? Why do people stay in Rotary?
When you think membership, think innovators!
What is your service passion? It is not just what we do…it is the why we do it!
In a divided world…it is more important than ever to belong to something that is non-political, non-religious and is welcoming to all.
In 2019, Rotarians volunteered 45 million hours, a value of $850,000,000.
Add a “Join Us” page on our website (reference South Austin Rotary)
Connect with members (prospective and current members) 1-on-1
Public Image
- Community involvement
- Members
- The “vibe” of your club
- Projects
- Fundraisers
- Location/food & speakers
- Online presence
- Voice and visual identity
Questions to ask about your club: (attend your club as a visitor)
- Are we friendly?
- Was it easy to park?
- Was the speaker/program engaging?
- Was the food good?
Secret Sauce to Public Image is
- Inspiration
- Connection
- Value everyone’s time
- Set your intention
Art of Posting
- Use hashtags
- Tag within your post and tag photos
Each social media platform should have 3-4 club administrators
Connect with region public image team during virtual connection hour – 4th Monday of each month 4:30-5:30
Connections
The root of many of the world’s problems is the disconnection
Read: People Power Change by Marshall Ganz; Upswing by Robert Putnam
Bonding (hanging out with people similar to you) vs. Bridging (hanging out with people different from you)
Relationships are the thread with which we weave our families
Our club website should have a “Join Us” page. This page should include:
- Application link
- New member process
- Installation process
- Obligations of membership
- Dues & financial obligations ($ should never be a barrier to someone becoming a member)
- Attendance
- Transfer information
Promoting your club’s projects & events
- Pre-event/project:
- Press release (6-8 weeks) – you can find a template online (who, what, when, where, and WHY – this becomes a guideline for the project
- Flyers, FB event
- Day of the event/project
- Be sure press is involved
- Signage should be present
- Take lots of ACTION photos
- Post-event/project
- Share on social media
- Follow-up with media
- Showcase
Region resources include navigating media and promotional rack cards
Fundraising
- Rise-Shine-Give (Lincoln 14) – a 50/50 event (half to club, half to beneficiary); brunch event means it is shorter in duration and is come as you are; having a chair and vice-chair allows for succession planning; the emcee matters – their energy feeds the event; multiple venues of funding (corporate sponsors, individual ticket sales – club attendance is vital, silent auction, wine and whiskey pull, raffle trips – destinations matter, epic experiences); collected online payments via Bidpal/One Cause
- Bloody Mary Festival (Omaha West) – held at Werner Park with 600 in attendance (advance ticket sales with tickets available at the door, but for more $); 15 vendors/competitors; 50/50 split between club and beneficiaries; raffle for baskets
- Car Show (Omaha Suburban) – fundraising is an experience, not a check; year-over-year engagement is key in volunteers and sponsors; if you don’t a-s-k, you don’t g-e-t
- Millard Golf Outing – offer raffles instead of silent auction (8-10 baskets, 1 ticket for $10, ppl purchase ticket and put it in the jar next to the basket they want); sell tickets for hole-in-one; 4 sponsorship levels with golf participation included
Potential Project: Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Membership
Our district has 38 clubs. 48% of our district membership is over the age of 50. 36% of our district membership is female.
New members:
- Bring new energy and future leaders
- Foster new ideas & interests
- Reinvigorates the club
DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)
Diversity is the people from all backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and identities
Equity is providing fair treatment, opportunities, and advancement
Inclusion is creating an environment where all people are welcomed, respected, and valued
DEI is covered in our 4-way test
Invite people in BECAUSE they bring a perspective we don’t have yet.
Importance of DEI in Rotary
- Reflects Rotary’s global nature
- Diverse perspective enhance decision-making
- Provides for better community impact
How DEI strengthens membership – Diversity of…
- Thought
- Profession
- Age
- Gender
- Culture
- Ethnicity
- Race
- Religion
- Ability
Steps to building an inclusive culture:
- Create a welcoming environment
- Greet new members
- Organize social activities and events
- Provide opportunities to participate
Use targeted recruitment, leadership development and create a welcoming club culture.
Practical Steps for Implementing DEI in Membership Strategies:
- Recruitment – identify new members through:
- Local service events
- Open houses
- Guest days
- Social media
- Cultural events
- Just ask someone to attend a meeting
- Retention Through Inclusion:
- Foster a sense of belonging
- Check-in with members outside of meetings
- Offer leadership opportunities
- Make meetings fun, engaging, meaningful and welcoming
- Recognize member milestones
Resources: myRotary.org > diversifying your club assessment > create DEI plan