Strategies for Club Assessment and Action Jennifer L. Deters Rotary International Department Manager, Membership Research & Programs

Consider this… Club has inducted 10 new members during the past 3 years, but only 6 of them have remained 4 of the club’s most active members have stopped coming to the weekly meetings without a word The annual fundraiser, from which the club derives its college scholarship monies, was disappointing

Symptoms of CLUB trouble High turnover in membership – Resignation of long standing members – Short tenure of new members (resignation within 5 years of induction) Poor weekly attendance Lack of attendance at or support for service projects

Symptoms of BUSINESS trouble 40% employee attrition rate 4 employees are absent without notice indefinitely Loss of revenue on your largest product or service line

Symptoms of illness Headache Stuffy nose Fever Cough Body aches DIAGNOSIS: A cold or pneumonia?

Why regular assessment? Regular assessment is essential to effective club operations and member satisfaction. Uncover club strengths Reveal opportunities for positive change Discover who they really are / want to be

Action Plan for assessing clubs District Opportunities – Develop an action plan for assessing clubs – Schedule time to review assessment findings – Encourage clubs to implement conclusions – Offer recommendations and solutions Club opportunities – Presidents need to attend district meetings – Schedule ½ day assembly to kick off assessment – Be prepared to share findings with district leaders

Assessment logistics ½ day Club Assembly Off-site Personally ask members to participate Assign responsibilities for venue, materials, refreshments, session design, question guides, moderators Ask “the table of 8”

Assessment components Classifications Average member age Gender ratio Organization of and time commitments for – Meetings – Service projects Interpersonal relationships Communication methods Cost of membership Member value of – Service projects – Weekly programs – Speakers – Fellowship events Leadership effectiveness Clubs should not be afraid to closely scrutinize

Assessment planning 1st cycle – Weekly programs 2nd cycle – Project selection and execution 3rd cycle – Recruitment procedures 4th cycle – Classification & demographics 5th cycle – Communication methods 6th cycle – Continuing member education 7th cycle – Leadership development cycle

Assessment activities Methods for conducting assessment: Surveys of current or resigned members Focus groups of club members and leaders Retention Model / Termination Profile (from the RI Club Assessment Tool booklet)

POP QUIZ: Q: What percentage of resigned members say cost was the primary motivation for termination?

POP QUIZ: Q: What percentage of resigned members say cost was the primary motivation for termination? A: Only 10%. 90% of respondents reported that they felt the costs associated with membership were reasonable.

Satisfaction IS NOT about $$$ Reasons for resignation: 1) Unable to meet attendance requirements 2) Relocating to a new community 3) Other (in order of frequency): Health, Too much fundraising, Not enough value The two areas where respondents felt the costs were excessive were: – Club Dues – Cost of Weekly Meetings

Satisfaction IS about how we think Static or restrictive thinking – Attendance: How about participation? – Classification: How can we be true to the spirit and more inclusive? – Meeting format: Why DO we structure meetings the way we do? – Fundraising: Why is this mostly internal?

Engagement Ideas: New Members Give a Vocation presentation Attend Board or Committee Meeting Make a difference in MY community v. international community Hands-on or check writing Knowledge of Rotary (beyond the club) Attendance at District Conference Special projects by all new member cohorts Act as liaison to Interact or Rotaract clubs Encourage them to bring visitors

Engagement Idea: All Members Frequent news from RI and Club Club Programs on RI Attend District Meetings & Seminars Contribute ideas for projects and programs Attend meeting of other clubs Attend meetings of Interact and Rotaract clubs

Engagement Idea: New Clubs Nurture the new club for at least two years All members of the sponsoring club and their spouses attend the charter presentation night of the new club Members of sponsoring club attend every meeting of the new club Charter officers attend board meetings of the sponsoring club and vice versa Plan a joint project to begin shortly after charter

Create an Engagement Scale Members earn points for participation not just attendance EXAMPLE 1 point for participating at the meeting 1 point for vocational presentation 1 point for Rotary Words with Friends 2 points for serving on a committee 3 points for serving as committee chair

Change Management Club and district leaders need to actively manage the change This is NOT spin As evidenced by the nearly 1,000 clubs worldwide participating in RI pilots – Any major decisions coming out of the club assessments MUST be made as a group – Change BOD perspective from one of driver to implementer – Council of Past Presidents is advisory ONLY

How do we know it’s working?!? MEMBER ENGAGEMENT a strong emotional connection leading to visible increased effort and changes in behavior EVIDENCE OF ENGAGEMENT Stay a Rotary member Give generously and willingly to Rotary causes Frequently participate in Rotary events Wear Rotary pin in public Recommend joining Rotary to others Actively recruit new members

Conclusion Your club diagnosis: Clean bill of health NOT a sinking ship!