They joined . . . now keep them!

Welcome to New Orleans! Mary Hammond Earl Forbes Governor-elect Kansas (Earl) There will be two presenters for this session. I am Earl Forbes, an Area Director on the Kiwanis International staff working with the Growth and Education Department. I have been a Kiwanian for 30 years, serving on many club committees and as club secretary, club president and lt. governor. Presenting with me is Rhonda Vrell . . . Also on the Kiwanis International staff. (Rhonda introduces herself) As Area Directors, Rhonda and I are assigned specific regions of North America and deliver training and education sessions to all levels of Kiwanis leadership in the areas of membership and leadership development, as well as club operations and growth. Earl Forbes Area director Kiwanis International

What this presentation is… An overview of best practices to engage your club members in fun, fellowship and service. Many members drop out of their clubs for perfectly understandable reasons: death, sickness, economic hardship, and transfer to an area without a similar club. Others lack the commitment required of a true active member. But most leave for reasons that could have been prevented by a club with a strong membership development and retention program – and a club determined to retain them.   This session will review some of the best practices used by clubs to enthuse and engage their members in fellowship and service. In short, clubs that retain their members create a WOW Kiwanis experience for their members. Or, how to create the WOW Kiwanis Experience!

What this presentation is not… The “magic list” of do’s and don’ts A “one size fits all” formula for clubs This presentation is not the “magic list” of do’s and don’ts for your club to follow to improve your club’s retention rate of members. Also, it is not a “one size fits all” formula for club success. Effective membership retention doesn’t just happen. It has three equally working parts: 1. the leadership of your club’s officers and directors; 2. the work of the members of your own membership committee; and 3. the understanding and cooperation of all club members,

One can make a difference! Why did you join? One can make a difference! Poll the audience (shout outs) of why they joined Kiwanis.

P P P P P Why did you stay? Service Friendship Fun Sense of pride Recognition P P P Other members in your club stay members for the same reason you do. P

Why do members leave? 1. Poor club leadership. 2. Inadequate orientation/education. 3. No participation or involvement. 4. Lack of proper recognition. 5. Boring meetings –- too formal and inflexible. 6. Lack of friendship or fellowship. 7. Cliques. 8. No meaningful club projects. 9. Poor communication between officers and members. 10. No motivation, enthusiasm or dedication. From a survey of executives and directors, the following are the most mentioned reasons for dropped members. Examine this list objectively to see if any ring true for your club. (Read the “top ten” list from the above survey.) No matter how many of the above you found true for your club, there are simple, basic solutions you can implement starting today to minimize drops. The first step is to analyze the reasons for the membership losses and then take the necessary measures to overcome them.

Retention of members is the responsibility of all the club members Retention of members is the responsibility of all the club members. Keeping members is simply a result of a club being focused on two key elements of club operations- offering an excellent membership experience and providing relevant service to the local community. Kiwanis International conducted a survey of former members. The two most important questions on this survey were 1) why did you leave? And 2) How would you rate your club. Note the reasons listed on this graph for resigning from a Kiwanis club. Look familiar? They are very similar to those reasons we cited earlier. Now . . . Lets compare the reasons people left to how they felt about their club. (Click through the graphs- note the reasons change from excellent to poor clubs.) Here we find the key to member retention: ensure that your club is an excellent club. Excellent clubs limit the reasons that members leave to only those external reasons that the club cannot control.

10 simple ways to retain members

Tombstones . . . or stepping stones? Focus on club operations Assess your club’s habits Commit to change Take small steps All clubs have a choice. They can remain the same and continue doing the same things and get the same result . . . Or, they can change. You can turn your membership loss “tombstones” into stepping stones for club growth. First, focus on your club operations. Are you meeting expectations of your members. Second, assess your club’s habits. It the club fun? Is the club committed to relevant service? Third, embrace change in your club and be willing to try different things. Be open to new ideas. Last . . . Realize that you can’t change everything overnight. Take some of the ideas from this session and apply them one at a time. Take small steps toward making your club the best show in town.

1. Show you care! Orientation Education Recognition Members must feel needed and wanted. Welcome new members quickly and appropriately. Get them involved in activities as soon as possible. Provide an orientation for new members before their induction into the club and keep knowledge about Kiwanis flowing through continued education. Recognize members for their contributions regularly. Say thank you at meeting, in newsletters, on the web site. Create many types of awards and take advantage of all opportunities to publicly thank volunteers. Involve the families. Invite family members to participate in club events. Include family members in a new member’s induction and orientation.

2. Give them a hand! Kiwanis “Buddies” Mentoring Training Create pairings of volunteers so that they can share the work. Ensure that committees are large enough to complete the task. Sponsors of new members should carry out their responsibilities. Use a “buddy system” in the club to stay aware of members needs.

3. Get on the information highway! Bulletins Education minutes E-notes Websites Email Social networking Provide quality orientation for new members. Educate members on the mission and vision of the organization. Keep members informed. Offer a variety of communication links to the organization-meetings, newsletters, email, web sites. An important aspect of retention is “how” members stay connected. Make it easy for them and be sure that it fits their style. Younger members want to stay connected using technology. Have a mix of traditional methods of communication, such as printed bulletins, newsletters and education minutes at meetings with the use of web sites, email and social networking websites.

4. Show you can grow! Active membership committee Organized membership campaigns Engage non-members Celebrate growth A growing club creates a positive environment. Actively pursue more members. New members bring ideas, enthusiasm and energy to the Kiwanis mission and purpose. Have members share Kiwanis with their friends. Welcome new members quickly and appropriately. Get them involved in activities as soon as possible. A year-round membership growth and development program should be consistently applied and monitored as a priority.

5. Be dynamic! Hands on service Find “doers” Match skill sets Get the right volunteers in the right jobs. Match skill sets and interests with tasks that need to be done. Give members something valuable to do. Keep them motivated by showing the value in what they accomplish.

6. Always leave them wanting more! Allow plenty of time for conversation Listen to ideas Give members ownership of success Share stories Get the right volunteers in the right jobs. Match skill sets and interests with tasks that need to be done. Give members something valuable to do. Keep them motivated by showing the value in what they accomplish. Listen to new ideas. Try new things! Use their ideas to get things done. Build enthusiasm for the projects. Get the members involved in planning and decision making. Allow everyone to take ownership of the successes. Create a friendly environment. Share stories.

7. Don’t burn the candle at both ends! Give them a day off Allow members to “sit this one out” Reward work with social events Allow members to participate at their comfort level Give the members a “day off.” Spend some time getting to know each other and having some fun. Take it easy. Avoid burnout by giving them a break from activity. Allow members to take a leave of absence when they need one. Let them sit on the sidelines and not have to play in the game if they wish. Allow members to seek their own comfort level of activity. Create pairings of volunteers so that they can share the work. Allow for seasoned volunteers to mentor the new members. Partner with other groups and organizations on larger projects. Include non-members in service projects, fundraisers and club events. Ask Service Leadership Program members to help with club projects. Include the entire Kiwanis family. Take time to celebrate the club’s success.

8. Why can’t we be friends? Be friendly Host social events Welcome guests and new members Have name badges Let the volunteers get to know each other. Have time at meetings and projects for them to interact socially and informally. Have name badges. Introduce new members to the group. Handle complaints quickly. Listen to the member and take corrective action. Let them know that you care. Seek advice and counsel from your lt. governor or other district leaders to solve problems. Conduct thoughtful, thorough exit interviews to identify problems and take corrective action.

9. Accentuate the positive! Report successes to the members Provide pins, badges, club shirts Say “thank you” often Promote the club in the media Ensure that all members are enjoying the benefits of membership: fun, fellowship, feeling of accomplishment, sense of making a difference. Provide members with visible reminders of their membership. Lapel pins, name badges, clothing, screensavers, mouse pads, decals, bumper stickers, etc. Give them a reason to show up! Ask them to participate in the project. Give them a job. Make them a part of the program, meeting or project.

10. Oh, when you’re smiling! Fun And more fun Make it fun! Create a friendly environment. Share stories. Give them a reason to show up! Ask them to participate in the project. Give them a job. Make them a part of the program, meeting or project.

What is one change you can make in your club this year to keep your members active, enthusiastic and coming back for more?

Questions?

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Thank you!

They joined . . . now keep them! 10 simple ways to retain members