What is the Code to Unlocking Rotary's Membership Stagnation?

(In this Rotatorial, members means club members and foundation donors.)

Engaged Rotary advocates attract and propose an average of 5.4 more new members than the average club member, and recommend infinitely more than do members who walk out because of having unmet expectations and/or having been misled.

     Effective Rotary clubs know that retaining members starts with the initial contact, continues until the relationship ends, and is directly related to: 

• The way the organization engages and communicates with its members, and 
• The reputation the organization creates with its target audience.

     Recognizing the value of members puts them at the center of any organization's engagement strategy.  Engaging members is more than involving them in programs and activities.  Informed members expect this.  Engaging members is about exceeding their expectations to the point where they become advocates.  Creating advocacy is a key differentiator in today's competitive environment and makes retaining and attracting members the strategic focal point of all successful organizations.

     The Rotary network has almost twenty years experience, epitomized by the 2001 - 2002 membership push, that proves, when the goal is to sustain membership growth, recruiting does not work. ENGAGING does work!  Is ENGAGING members and creating advocates the center of:

• Your club's strategy?  
• Your District's strategy?  
• Your Zone's strategy?  
• Rotary International's strategy?