Rotary Advisory Program

Visitors please note you are most welcome to join in all of the Rotary Club of Hamilton  AM online meetings.  Please contact Club President, Anne Bermingham, at anne@2waconsulting.com for a link to the club meeting of your choice.

Cynthia Jansen and Marcel Mongeon from the Hamilton Tonic Club will present on their club's unique "Rotary Advisory Program".

The Rotary Advisers Program

Is your community organization the best it can be, or is something holding it back?

Gain free, professional advice through Rotary Advisers, Hamilton’s newest Rotary outreach program.

Whether your organization is brand new or has a long tenure, there may be governance, strategic or operational challenges that impact your team’s ability to deliver on the organization’s mission.

Rotary Advisers is a team of experienced professionals who are members of, or affiliated with Hamilton’s newest Rotary Club – Tonic: Rotary After Five.

What is Rotary Advisers?

We can provide free, no-obligation advice on:

• Governance: Is your governance structure effective? Is there a clear separation between board roles and staff roles? Are the expectations and procedures well documented?

• Strategy and Operations: Does your organization understand what business it is in? How effective are operations, and are there opportunities to become more efficient?

• Resource Development: A common organizational restraint is uncertain or inadequate funding. How might your organization attract greater resources and support?

Please note, we strongly recommend that organizations we work with agree to discussions in all three areas because they are interlinked. The scope and focus of the project will be determined in the diagnostic meetings.

What’s involved?

To become a Rotary Advisers project, your organization must be willing to:

• Engage in diagnostic meetings to confirm the scope of the assistance requested (approximately two meetings). This meeting is attended by the CEO and a representative from either the staff or board executive.
• Sign a commitment letter with Rotary Advisers which clearly spells out the arrangement between your organization and Rotary Advisers.

• Involve your board and senior staff persons as necessary for discussions on governance, strategy/operations and resource development.
• Provide organizational information/documents to Rotary Advisers as may be necessary to undertake the work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will we work together?

It varies depending on the needs of the organization. Projects we have completed so far range from three months to one year.

Will this mean a lot of extra work for my senior team and board?

It will mean some focused time. You should expect a time commitment of approximately four to eight hours a month, understanding that some months will be more active than others. Rotary Advisers will be as flexible as possible on timing, and fitting into your existing meeting schedule.

What are our obligations on receiving your professional advice?

Acting on the recommendations of Rotary Advisers is at the discretion of the organization. It should be remembered that Rotary Advisers are not there to take on projects or carry out the recommendations – only to advise.

We just finished a strategic plan. I don’t want to get into that again but I would like help with operations and/or resource development.

We would expect that you at least provide us with an overview of the planning process and an understanding of how the strategic plan is influencing operational decision-making.

Who will we be working with?

The Rotary Advisers team is confirmed on completing the diagnostic of your organization, including the project scope and goals. It will be approximately three or four people from Tonic: Rotary After Five Club, or affiliated with the Club. Team members are chosen for their professional knowledge and experience in areas relevant to your organization.

Interested? Find out more about Rotary Advisers by contacting Marcel Mongeon, Team Lead for Rotary Advisers, Tonic Rotary After Five: 905-390-1818 or marcel@mongeonconsulting.com.

Tonic: Rotary After Five is part of Rotary International, a global service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services.

 Cynthia Janzen's bio

Cynthia Janzen is a retired public relations and marketing professional. After beginning her career as a journalist she moved into PR in the health care field, at the former Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals where she was director of the PR Department. After many years as a consultant at a local agency she returned to the hospitals as Manager of Stakeholder Relations at Hamilton Health Sciences, a position she retired from last June. Cynthia is a long-time Rotarian, having served 15 years in the Rotary Club of Hamilton, after which she became founding President of Tonic: Rotary After Five in 2016. She remains very active in Tonic, particularly in its key project, Rotary Advisers.

Marcel Mongeon's Bio