Rotary realizes a need to bring in more members across the board, and in particular more younger members. But how do we do that? What are those potential members looking for in an organization?

According to 2021 research from Deloitte Global across 45 countries, results showed that 70% of the “under 40” crowd want to volunteer. In the 18 to 35 group, 46% rated “Flexibility” as the No 1 incentive to join an organization. They found 21st-century young people volunteer for “causes” they are passionate about rather than for an organization’s cause. These findings are a great opportunity to form new Rotary clubs with more flexibility, creativity, and the technological savviness to attract cause-centric young people.

One great example of a new club that has truly embraced this opportunity is the Gold Coast Passport Club in Australia. It was formed in 2019 to provide a platform for “action for causes” the under 40s are passionate about. They meet once a month for a $10 wine and cheese evening at a cool co-working space and pay dues monthly. During the month they act in teams on their passionate projects. They embraced the latest social media and communication tools to make Rotary more engaging, fun and informative to their members. As a testament to its success, the club has grown membership by 57% in the past two years.

So maybe we need to change our thinking and try a different approach to tackle our membership problem. As Thomas Jefferson said, “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” You never know what kind of success you might find!

Reach out to your District Membership Team for any assistance your club might need.