Membership Minute: Going from prospective to active

Every day, Rotarians around the world give their time and effort to serve others, often without recognition. But Rotary International offers opportunities for individuals and clubs to be recognized.

The Vocational Service Leadership Award honors Rotarians who have made a significant impact in advancing vocational service and who do not hold district or international leadership positions. A detailed explanation of the award criteria can be found in the nomination form, available for download here. The deadline for nominations, made by district governors, is 1 November.

Are you looking for details on how to earn the Presidential Citation for your club? Check out the citation user guide and a video guide developed by Rotarians in western United States.

How does your club use social media to raise awareness and interest in your club? The Rotary Club of Summerville Evening, in South Carolina, USA, found that Facebook ads are a cost-effective tool for attracting new members, offering wider exposure than print ads the club had used in the past.

The Rotary Club of Ashburn, Virginia, uses MeetUp to promote lunch meetings, professional development sessions, monthly networking events, and service projects. The club has inducted four new members as a result, and continues to use the site as an attraction and engagement tool.

Of course, not all social media channels are created equal, so focus on the ones that reach your audience most effectively. By mixing entertaining content with useful information, you’re more likely to engage both potential and current members and to inspire them to become involved. Keep content diverse and interesting by asking members who are active on social media to contribute to articles and posts. Using social media allows you to expand your event’s reach and get your club noticed.

Clubs now have flexibility in meeting frequency, format, and attendance, and may offer additional membership types to meet community needs. Dual membership enables young leaders to maintain their involvement in Rotaract while also being members of Rotary. Tell us how your club has used or is using this flexibility. Share your stories about:
Corporate/family memberships
Alternate meeting frequency and formats
Dual membership – Rotary and Rotaract

Learn more about the new flexibility for clubs and members.

Resources & reference

Watch: Revitalize + Rethink Your Rotary Club: Crafting Your Member Experience
Create a My Rotary account and enjoy the benefits of Rotary Global Rewards

Membership Minute is a bimonthly newsletter that provides the latest membership trends, strategies, best practices, and resources to help strengthen membership in your clubs. The newsletter is sent to Rotary coordinators, district governors, district membership chairs, club membership chairs, club presidents and subscribers. Please forward this to anyone who may be interested.

Send questions or comments to membership.minute@rotary.org.