Why Invest in a Rotary Club?

     Everybody, regardless of their wealth or lack thereof, invests in products and services to help them accomplish specific purposes.  Everyone invests in food and water so they can live another day.  Many people invest in some mode of transportation to help them get from one place to another.  Companies invest in computers and software to help them accomplish specific tasks.  Surgeons, after they have invested in medical schools to become surgeons, invest in scalpels to dissect soft tissue and electrocautery devices to control bleeding.  Business leaders invest in employees, tools, and equipment to help them serve their customers.  Professionals invest in training, people, equipment, and tools to help them serve their clients and patients.  Community leaders invest time, talent, and treasure to help them serve their constituents.

     Why would anybody invest in a Rotary club?  For one simple reason – to gain social capital.  Their gain in social capital comes because of the friendships developed and the greater impacts they make in their community and the world.  Rotary’s high attraction rates indicate that people are still under the impression that investing in a local Rotary club will give them a satisfactory return in social capital.  Low retention rates indicate that clubs are not delivering satisfactory returns.

     Effective clubs have high RG Indexes because they know Who Rotarians Are and why their members are investing time, treasure, and talent in their clubs.  Successful clubs strive to make good on members’ social capital investments by selectively sustaining Who Rotarians Are while advancing the Object of Rotary.