Transcript cost - District 6980

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
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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
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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
Clubs should not be afraid to closely scrutinize
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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
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Service projects
Weekly programs
Speakers
Fellowship events
• Leadership
effectiveness
Assessment planning
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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
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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!