•Growing our membership is Rotary International’s highest internal priority. (Eradicating polio remains our highest external priority.) When we grow Rotary by adding members, we can achieve more. This means expanding our service and boosting the impact of our projects, as well as increasing the awareness and understanding of Rotary in our communities.

 

• Growing Rotary is crucial to our Action Plan. Members are the key to achieving all of the plan’s priorities: increase our impact, expand our reach, enhance participant engagement, and increase our ability to adapt. We’ve made a sustained commitment to growing Rotary, and in 2021-22, we are focused on expanding our reach and enhancing engagement with a goal of reaching and sustaining a global Rotary club membership of 1.3 million and Rotaract club membership of 300,000.

 

• This focus supports our Rotary and Rotaract clubs’ efforts to remain relevant and attractive to new members and to offer an experience that engages and retains current members and other participants. • The call to action is Each One, Bring One. Each of us was given an extraordinary gift when we were proposed for membership in Rotary. We all have an opportunity to extend that same gift to other qualified individuals who can benefit from Rotary, and help Rotary increase its impact.

 

• If we can secure a commitment from each active Rotarian and Rotaractor to sponsor just one new qualified member between now and 30 June 2022, we’ll have no difficulty reaching a global Rotary club membership of 1.3 million and Rotaract club membership of 300,000. • As we all work to grow Rotary, we also need to commit to diversifying our clubs. You can support Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement by connecting with prospective members from all backgrounds and inviting them to experience Rotary. Diversity in our membership yields an abundance of perspectives, skills, and solutions.

 

• No matter where in the world you are, underrepresented groups and communities that could benefit from Rotary are nearby. And we need them. Let’s make an intentional effort to make Rotary accessible to people who aren’t currently engaged with us. 

 

• To make Rotary accessible to more people, we encourage each club to form an effective membership committee that is focused on growth. It should establish processes for identifying prospective members, introducing them to Rotary and to club members, inviting them to join, and engaging them through clear and useful member orientation, fun club activities, and Rotary opportunities beyond the club.

 

• We also need to recognize success. We celebrate the generous donors who support our Rotary Foundation but don’t give similar recognition to those who increase our membership. This year, we’ll introduce new ways to recognize members whose extraordinary efforts lead to membership growth. We know that recognition preferences vary around the world, so think about the best ways to recognize membership growth in your districts or region.

 

• We can use public events to remind people that Rotary and Rotaract clubs provide service to others and create positive change in our communities. Let’s apply the idea of Each One, Bring One to our promotion and outreach, too. For example, each Rotary and Rotaract club member can bring one participant or prospective member to events such as Rotary Days of Service, where they can experience the life-changing impact of Rotary.