DG Kevin's October Message

Posted by Kevin Crosby 
 

SELLING ROTARY TO YOUNGER PROSPECTS

This should not surprise anyone: Most people we’re hoping to recruit into Rotary know nothing about who we are or what we do. To further complicate our challenge of attracting them to Rotary, a recent survey showed that many younger people harbor outdated stereotypes of Rotary as an exclusive club of wealthy, older white men.
 
In 2009, I collaborated with local film maker and Rotarian John Paget to produce a short video, “Rotary Now” to challenge these stereotypes. It featured six young Rotarians from our District, explaining why they chose to join Rotary and why they stayed. You can view the video online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3q0dMjZ_-I
 
As I visit clubs, I hear the same question over and over: “How can we make Rotary more appealing to younger prospects?” I don’t think there is a “one size fits all” solution, but I do think there are some things that will help us sell Rotary to younger prospects:
 
  1. We have to focus on the outcomes, not the process. We need to talk about what we’re doing in our local community, our humanitarian projects around the world, our projects to promote literacy and our services to develop youth – like Interact, Rotaract, Slapshot, RYLA and Youth Exchange. For prospective new members, the appeal will be our projects, not our meetings.
  2. We should not emphasize meeting attendance requirements. We should sell the benefits of attending weekly meetings – great programs and the opportunity to become acquainted with business and community leaders in the club who might become mentors. We’d like members who want to be at meetings every week because they are so much fun and so interesting – not because it’s a requirement.
  3. We should remember that “fellowship” is not a selling point for younger prospects. Fellowship is a reward that becomes appreciated over time. Younger members aren’t joining Rotary because they want older friends.  But they will develop an appreciation for their older friends after working along side them on service projects and fundraisers.
  4. We need to engage young members immediately and frequently with hands-on projects – either community service or fundraising. They should feel like they’re making a meaningful contribution within a month of joining Rotary.
  5. If your weekly meeting involves a meal, consider finding options for younger members who might find weekly meal costs a barrier. If you are a dinner club, consider ways to accommodate younger members who might prefer to have dinner with their families – e.g., having the meeting before the meal.
 
I know there are many other ways we can accommodate the needs and constraints of younger prospects, keeping in mind that they are unlikely to have an employer paying for their membership and they may have less control over their schedule than those of us who are older, or business owners, or retired. We just have to be innovative and flexible. We can do that.