3. Brian King
RC of Evanston, USA
Director of Membership Development
JOINING US TODAY ARE
Jessie Harman
RC of Wendouree Breakfast, Australia
RI Director, 2021-2023
4. WHICH IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU
AS A CLUB LEADER?
Engaging members and delivering value 42%
Attracting new members 40%
Making a meaningful difference in our
community
14%
None, our club is thriving 4%
5. Learn what members value most
Position all programs and services as ways for
us to deliver value
Clearly see the connection between member
satisfaction and retention
THROUGH SHARING RECENT RESEARCH FINDINGS,
WE WILL
7. Why did you join Rotary? (1-2
words)
ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide.
8. WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN ROTARY?
Local
community
service
Friendship and
fellowship
Service beyond
the local
community
Professional and
leadership
development
opportunities
9. WHY MEMBERS JOIN AND STAY
Join 45% 16% 12% 12%
Stay 42% 38% 4% 6%
Community
Service
Friendship &
Fellowship
Professional
Connections
Personal
Growth
Leadership Skills
Intl Service
Other 6%
4%
3%
1%
3%
5%
10. 10
What is the best part of
being a member? (1-2
words)
ⓘ Start presenting to display the poll results on this slide.
11. MEMBER SATISFACTION
• Most members are satisfied
• 87% are rather or very satisfied
• Across the Avenues of Service:
• Most members are satisfied with their Club Service
(83%) and Community Service (82%)
• Fewer members are satisfied with International Service
(59%) and Vocational Service (61%)
12. Over 90% of Rotarians and Rotaractors say they
feel comfortable around other club members
89% of members say they have formed meaningful
personal relationships with other club members
78% of members are satisfied with their opportunities to
find friends through Rotary
Nearly 80% of Rotarians and Rotaractors say they
enjoy club meetings
13. WHY DO MEMBERS LEAVE ROTARY?
CONCLUSION: Poor Club Experience
Unmet expectations
Financial and time commitments
Club environment and culture
14. OTHER INSIGHTS
• Opinions vary significantly about the
impact of the pandemic
• Even amidst the pandemic, most
members were actively engaged in:
• Donating time and money to
service projects (78%)
• Performing service (70%)
15. PROGRAMS THAT ADD VALUE
• Friendship Exchange
• Fellowships
• Rotary Action Groups
• Global Grants
ROTARY.ORG/OUR-PROGRAMS
• Youth Programs
Interact
RYLA
Programs involvement will enhance satisfaction
if members are already satisfied.
16. REGIONAL
INSIGHTS
RI_Research@
Rotary.org
16
Youth Service: Most regions
Social Status & Reputation: India,
Africa & Middle East, Central
& Southeast Asia
Career, Professional Connections
& Leadership Development: India,
Japan, Africa & Middle East, Latin
America
International Service: Africa &
Middle East, Latin America
17. GENERATIONAL
INSIGHTS
RI_Research@
Rotary.org
17
UNDER 40 YEARS OLD: Want to
make an impact locally and globally,
are looking for professional
connections, and want to work with
youth
40-60 YEARS OLD: Career-oriented
and interested in community and
youth service
MORE THAN 60 YEARS OLD:
Want friendship, fellowship, and
service
18. DRIVERS OF MEMBER
SATISFACTION:
1. Comfort with other club
members
2. Club’s positive impact in the
community
3. Confidence in club
leadership
4. Enjoying club meetings
DRIVERS OF MEMBER
RETENTION:
1. Comfort with other club
members
2. Enjoying club meetings
19. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMFORT
“It is our offer of hands-on service,
personal growth, leadership
development, and lifelong friendships
that creates purpose and passion.”
Jennifer Jones
2022-23 RI President
21. WHAT MAKES
FOR A GOOD
CLUB
EXPERIENCE?
We asked Rotarians &
Rotaractors what they
liked and disliked about
their club meetings
21
• Friendship and personal interaction
• Getting involved in the local
community
• Learning new things from guest
speakers and discussing interesting
topics
• Well-structured meetings that start
and end on time
• Leadership that listens to and
engages members
22. IS MEMBERSHIP YOUR TOP PRIORITY?
ROTARY.ORG/MEMBERSHIP
Do we see our members as our customers?
Are we committed to gathering feedback
from members and participants?
Do we understand the link between
engagement and impact?
23. NEXT STEPS
1. Assess the culture of your club (Health Check)
2. Embrace DEI
3. Regularly gather and act on member feedback
• Member Satisfaction Surveys
• Exit Interviews
• Entrance Interviews (coming soon!)
ROTARY.ORG/MEMBERSHIP
26. Rate this session in the Rotary Events app,
available in your Apple or Android app store.
Notes de l'éditeur
BRIAN:
Thank you so much for joining us today! We are thrilled to be with you in person, AND via Live stream! My name is Brian King, and I'm your director of Membership Development at Rotary, and a proud member of the Rotary Club of Evanston.
Before we jump in, make sure you have your mobile devices available, even those joining from home. We will have several chances to hear from you throughout this session. Also, after we share some thoughts with you, we really want to hear from you, so be ready to share your own experiences and insights as well.
BRIAN:
Today, I'm joined by Rotary International Director Jessie Harman, proud member of the Rotary Club of Wendaree Breakfast, in district 9780 Australia.
Also joining us is Regional Membership Manager, Nicole Jones, who will be monitoring the chat from our virtual attendees.
To get us started, Jessie, can you share few thoughts on why we’re here today?
Jessie:
Brian: Thank you Jessie, for those insights, and for being here!
I also have the privilege to serve as president of my Rotary club, beginning in July, so engagement is top of my mind for me. And I'm not alone!
BRIAN:
When we asked incoming club presidents and club membership chairs to share their biggest challenge with us, 42% said it was "engaging members and delivering value." So what is the connection between "impact" and "engagement?“
Increasing our Impact is one of the four pillars of Rotary's Action Plan, while enhancing engagement is another. And they are indeed inter-related and inter-dependent. We all want Rotary to have an enduring global legacy: one of lasting change in our community, around the globe, and perhaps most importantly, in ourselves.
Because when Rotary’s membership is strong and engaged, our clubs are more vibrant, Rotary is more visible, and our members have more resources to help communities flourish. And that’s why growing our membership is Rotary's top internal organizational priority.
And to have an engaged membership we must be sure we are taking the time to understand what our members want, whether or not they are satisfied with the current club experience, and that we are delivering on the things and experiences they value most.
BRIAN:
That is the core of engagement—to ask, to listen, to make adjustments or provide opportunities—and then to ask again. Because when we take care of our members, putting them first, they can take care of our communities and make a greater impact.
Now, the Research and Evaluation team at Rotary International have already collected some incredible data to get you started on your journey to increasing your impact through engagement, and today we get to share some of the latest findings we have collected from Rotarians and Rotaractors.
So today we will:
Learn which aspects of Rotary are most important to our members
Consider the ways that Rotary's programs and services can support us in meeting member expectations and keeping members satisfied
And we’ll discuss the critical connection between member satisfaction and member retention.
BRIAN:
The findings that we are going to share with you today, are based on four primary research efforts. Together, they paint a compelling picture about the club experience, the most valued opportunities for service/friendship/leadership and skills development; and the primary reasons members leave.
To better understand our membership, how they engage with Rotary, and how Rotary delivers value, we annually survey all Rotary and Rotaract members with a valid email in our system, and analyze the results by region and demographics. Other surveys, like the 2021 DEI Survey, and the 2022 Programs and Offerings Survey, are sent to a geographically and demographically representative sample of our membership.
We know that sessions about data can lead to many questions about methodology, statistical significance and how we account for things like response bias with online surveys. But that is not the focus of our limited time together today. If you want to learn more about the data, including what data we have for your specific regions of the world, our research team is ready to answer your questions and can be reached at RI_Research@Rotary.org.
So, ready to jump into it?! We can do better than that. Are you ready?
BRIAN:
To get started, we’d like to take a quick poll. This is a session about engagement, so let’s have some audience participation.
You can access this poll in two ways. The first is to open your camera or QR Scanner app, and focus in on that QR code on the screen. A link should appear that takes you directly to the poll. Or you can type slido.com into any internet browser and input this short numerical code.
So once you get there, tell us in 1-2 words, why did you join Rotary?
(React to responses)
Now let’s see how your responses compare to what we’ve found in our broader survey efforts.
BRIAN:
Rotarians and Rotaractors have slightly different priorities in their reasons for joining, but generally, they are looking for four things: Local service, connecting with others, service beyond their community, and professional and leadership development opportunities.
Now we regularly ask this question in our surveys, and we’ve been monitoring results over the years, so it is become somewhat of a longitudinal study. What I have found to be really interesting is that only recently has “Service beyond the community” begun trending up—particularly around a younger demographic that we want to reach.
Still, local community service is much, much more commonly cited, but the fact that service outside the local community has now made the list, is noteworthy and something we’ll continue to monitor.
BRIAN:
But like I said, when we asked why they joined or stayed, both new and current club members (including both Rotary and Rotaract Club members) cite "community service" as the primary reason they join, followed by Friendship.
But when we ask about reasons for STAYING a member, look what we get. Community Service remains a primary reason, but Friendship, as a reason for staying, more than doubles. This is a really important driver of engagement, and something we’ll come back to in a bit.
And while these trends are important, we cannot assume they apply to everyone who becomes a member. Again, we need to take the time to understand the unique reasons our members chose Rotary over other opportunities competing for their time and skills – and we need to know what they expect from us in return. When we start by asking what a member wants, and then try to meet their expectations, we show them that we care.
Jessie, this is so important because we now know there is a compelling connection between member satisfaction and member retention, can you build on that idea?
JESSIE:
Thanks Brian, I'd be happy to. But first, I'd love to hear again from our audience: What is the best part of being a member?
React to answer
JESSIE:
We know quite a bit about member satisfaction from our RI surveys
- From our most recent 2021 census of Rotary members, we know that generally most members are satisfied
- Overall satisfaction
- Across the Avenues of Service – most are satisfied with club and community service. Interestingly, fewer members were satisfied with International Service (a pandemic effect?) and vocational service
JESSIE:
The census also delivered other positive news about aspects of member satisfaction!
Rotary is delivering a positive club experience and opportunities to a vast majority of members. Most Rotarians and Rotaractors are comfortable in their clubs and enjoy meetings. Most are forming meaningful relationships with other members and finding new friends through Rotary.
93% of Rotarians and 91% of Rotaractors said they felt ‘rather’ or ‘very’ comfortable around other club members.
89% of members ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ that they have formed meaningful personal relationships with other club members.
78% of members were 'rather' or 'very' satisfied with their opportunities to find friends through Rotary.
80% of Rotarians and 77% of Rotaractors said they enjoy club meetings
JESSIE:
However, not everyone is satisfied. When we dig into the reasons why people are unlikely to remain – values, lack of impact – then time and cost (less frequently cited)
When we look at the reasons why members leave, there are two categories: things that occur within clubs = the club experience - and those that occur within a members’ life, such as personal circumstances.
For a long time, we’ve known that time, money and the lack of an invitation were the primary barriers to joining Rotary, and we thought that cost and time were the biggest reasons members leave as well. And while those commitments are commonly cited, they do not stand out nearly as much as club experience and unmet expectations.
Many former Rotarians express an issue with something related to the club experience, whether that’s a problem with leadership and not being part of decision making, not being interested in the clubs’ weekly programs, personality issues, or low morale among members. Unmet expectations generally revolved around service opportunities, friendships, networking and leadership development.
We also know (from some fairly sophisticated statistical analysis) that satisfaction and members' intentions are directly related:
When we asked members how satisfied they are with specific aspects of their membership, those who said they were very or extremely satisfied were much less likely to terminate, or leave Rotary. Whereas members who said they were not at all or not very satisfied were 11 times more likely to leave Rotary than those that are satisfied. Members who are satisfied with Rotary stay in Rotary.
BACKGROUND INFO
Most members are intending to remain (93%)
For those not likely to stay (4%) they cite these reasons:
The club doesn’t represent my values (44%)
The club’s lack of impact in the community (44%)
Cost (34%) and Time (29%)
JESSIE:
Given the world we find ourselves in right now – there are some other factors which we expect might impact member satisfaction at the present time
Impacts of the pandemic – opinions vary signficantly! In roughly equal proportions:
Some recognise both positive and negative effects
Some recognise negative effects
Some recognise positive effects
This variety of opinion makes it very challenging to manage!
However, even during the pandemic, it's heartening to know that most members continued to donate time and money to service projects and perform service
There are such interesting insights in RI research reports! If you want to learn more about these and other things, it's worth reading the report.
JESSIE:
While we are talking about factors that influence customer satisfaction, I want to touch on one particular area of member participation – namely, participation in Rotary programs.
While the club experience is often the first way we become involved in Rotary, we have found that engaging with a Rotary program has a positive impact on overall member satisfaction. Programs that added to the overall member experience include Friendship exchanges, involvement in global grants, Rotary Action groups and Youth Service, including Interact and the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.
It's important to say here that programs involvement will enhance satisfaction if members are already satisfied. If someone is having a negative club experience, being involved in a program will not make them more likely to stay.
JESSIE:
And finally – when we talk about customer satisfaction – it's important to recognise that the factors which influence member satisfaction vary by region and also by life stage:
RI research reports tell us quite a bit about regional variations in the factors which drive members to join and stay in Rotary
• Community and youth service is important in every region, but less important in Japan, where clubs seem to more business and professionally oriented.
Social status and reputation are important throughout Asia and Africa and the Middle East.
• Career, Professional Connections and Leadership Development are important in India, Japan, Africa & Middle East, and Latin America
• International service is important in Africa & Middle East and Latin America.
JESSIE:
Similarly RI research data helps us understand that the factors which influence people to join and stay as members also vary by stage of life (or generation)
Members under age 40 care very much about their careers and are interested in making an impact both locally and globally. They are also interested in working with and mentoring the next generation of leaders.
Members between ages 40 and 60 are still career-oriented and want to serve in their communities.
Members 60 and over are very interested in friendship and fellowship and want to keep making a difference in their communities.
Brian, - we've heard a lot about the data on member satisfaction, now I'll turn it back over to you to help us understand how we can use this data to strengthen Rotary/Grow Rotary (or words to that effect)
BRIAN:
Thanks Jessie. So what does this all mean? Through all of this research, the analysis has revealed one compelling connection between member satisfaction and member retention.
The factor that had the most significant effect on member satisfaction and retention was comfort with other club members. As comfort increased, the probability of having a higher satisfaction with membership increased as well. In fact, a Rotarian who is not at all comfortable with other members is two to four times more likely to terminate their membership than a Rotarian who is extremely comfortable.
It is also important that members enjoy their club meetings, that the club have good leadership, and that the club be active in the community.
But what is "comfort", why is it so important, and how do we measure it?
BRIAN:
As Incoming RI President Jennifer Jones said in her theme speech, "finding the right ‘part’ to engage each member should be our core function. It comes down to the comfort and care of our members." And Rotary isn't alone in prioritizing the comfort of its members, and there's a very good reason for that.
According to a report by Deloitte, a global research firm, when people appreciate how their individual contribution helps to advance goals they support and find meaningful, they will likely be more engaged, more motivated, and more likely to perform at a high level. When we foster a sense of comfort and belonging in Rotary, it impacts satisfaction and retention too.
People should feel comfortable in their clubs, including being treated fairly and respected by others. They should feel connected to the people in the groups and teams they are part of. And they should feel that they contribute to meaningful outcomes—understanding how their unique skills and strengths are helping achieve common goals.
BRIAN
And this is why our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is so important. Creating a more welcoming environment for everyone who interacts with our clubs, helps us to better engage our existing members and welcome new ones by making everyone feel respected and valued. That leads to a stronger connection with our organization, and a desire to contribute in more meaningful ways.
We recognize that being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization will enhance the experience that members have in Rotary, and allow us to carry out more meaningful and impactful service, build new partnerships and become more attractive and relevant as a result.
But most importantly it will help us create the warm, welcoming, caring environment in our clubs and districts that our members have told us they value.
BRIAN:
You gave Jessie your thoughts earlier about what is the best part of being a member?
Most/Many/Some of you mentioned aspects of your club experiences as being the things that are most important to you.
But how do members define a "good club experience?" In the 2020 All Member Survey we asked Rotarians and Rotaractors what they liked and disliked about their club meetings. Here were five of the most salient factors.
As I mentioned earlier, friendship and personal interaction is an important part of what attracts members to Rotary and an even more important reason for them to they stay.
And while we are a membership organization first, and foremost, our primary product is service, so the opportunity to get involved in creating lasting change in our communities through relevant projects is also key driver of a good club experience.
Similarly, our programs need to be interesting and add value. Our members enjoy learning new things from guest speakers and discussing interesting topics
Respect for our members means that we should have well planned meetings that start and end on time. Our members are professionals and community leaders and expect this.
Most importantly our Leadership can show it cares by listening to and engaging our members. A caring club is typically one that does a better job of retaining its members.
As we move out of COVID, leadership will need to listen carefully to our members, adopting a balanced approach to how and where they use virtual meeting platforms to enhance their members’ experiences. And as often is the case, Jessie, a “one size fits all” approach will not work here either.
JESSIE:
Well it’s clear from the research that our member’s experiences are why they either stay or leave Rotary. Since 2015 Membership has been Rotary International’s top internal organizational priority, but is the same true at club level?
1. Do we see our members as our customers and our leadership’s primary role as providing these customers the value they want and need?
2. Are we committed to gathering feedback from members and participants on a continuous basis—and taking action on what we learn?
3. Do we understand the link between a strong, engaged membership and the impact we can have in creating lasting change ?
Highlighting membership as our clubs’ top priority will not happen overnight. In many cases it will require a fundamental change to clubs’ cultures. It will need us to adapt and this will only happen with intentional planning at all levels.
If we are committed to this, how do we go about making Membership our top priority in each of our clubs where Rotary “happens”?
JESSIE:
First if we accept that this will need cultural change, we will need to find out where we are. To gather initial data, clubs should use the “club health check” available as a download from Rotary.org. We can arrange a club forum or perhaps a facilitated Visioning session to act on what we learn about the culture of our clubs, and encourage our members to imagine where they’d like their club to be in a few years time and compare that to where they are now.
Another journey worth starting on is towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, with the aim of creating an environment where everyone feel respected and valued . Again, there are toolkits available on Rotary.org to help our clubs and districts navigate this process. This will help us prioritize care & comfort our members expect and need as our primary customers.
Lasty let’s not forget to ask out members what they are feeling about their Rotary experiences. We can do this through satisfaction surveys or just simply a quiet chat with members throughout the Rotary year.
And remember Its never too early or too late to engage our members. Let’s not wait until the exit interview to find out where we went wrong (these interviews rarely give us the full picture anyway). Let’s engage our members from before their induction, from our very first fireside chats, let’s ask what they are looking for from Rotary, how they feel they can contribute and help them find their “their part” in our great organization.
Engagement is not a single step or even a series of individual steps. It’s a continual process and for us to increase our impact through engagement we need to change our cultures so engagement becomes a continuous thread in everything we do and are. It needs to become part of our DNA and our culture so we can reach our full potential and realise the value our members want and deliver great impact.
That's all from us – we know what to hear from all of you!
JESSIE
We recognize that often the answers are already in the room…
Line up at the mic
NOTE
Nicole—can you type questions to Brian via teams? LAS to set up group Teams chat
BRIAN
Thank you all for your attendance and participation today.
Your feedback is valuable so remember to complete the brief session evaluation in the convention mobile app. To download the app, search for “Rotary Events” in your Apple or Android app store.
Thank you again, and enjoy the rest of your time at the Convention. We hope to see you all in Melbourne.
