Welcome
Club Strategic Plan
January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028
Rotary’s Vision Statement
Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
As an active club with a robust 40-year history, Topeka South Rotary Club (TSR) is committed to the goals and areas of focus of Rotary. To guide our efforts in the coming years, we commit to these three-year goals to maintain and improve upon what has made us successful over the past several decades.
Rotary’s Four Priorities for Club Strategic Plans
Recognizing we are one part of a large network, we commit to the four priority areas as set out in Rotary International’s Action Plan.
Increase our impact
Develop and implement the practices, capacity, and infrastructure needed to define, measure, track, and analyze data from our service projects in a more effective way.
- Topeka South Rotary is committed to service. Article 8 of the TSR Bylaws outline the Avenues of Service, which are the philosophical and practical framework for the work of this club. The Avenues are Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, International Service, and Youth Service. This club will be active in each Avenue of Service.
- By the end of June 2027, the Rotary Board will re-establish the committee structure as outlined in the TSR Bylaws. Club committees are charged with recommending to the board and carrying out the annual and long-range goals of the club based on the Avenues of Service.
- By the end of June 2027, the Rotary Board will re-establish the committee structure as outlined in the TSR Bylaws. Club committees are charged with recommending to the board and carrying out the annual and long-range goals of the club based on the Avenues of Service.
- Create a TSR Fund at the Topeka Community Foundation, the “TSR Foundation,” to foster local opportunities for giving, while continuing current, or increased, giving to Rotary International’s Annual Fund, Polio Plus Fund, and other collaborative projects. The targeted launch of the TSR Foundation is by mid-2026, pending approval of the establishment of the TSR Foundation by the membership of the club.
- Track engagement through volunteer count and hours, financial contributions, and number of people served. The board will use this data to evaluate our Community Service and revise opportunities to maintain or increase our club’s impact.
Expand our reach
Share our values with new audiences, creating ways to bring people together to experience the power of Rotary, showing that we’re inclusive, engaging, compassionate, and ambitious about making change.
- Increase our visibility in the community through event press releases and media outreach; biweekly social media posts; and monthly contributions to the district e-newsletter.
- Create a “friends” list in ClubRunner to send out emails to non-members about events (ex: Pumpkin Run, pickleball tournament, etc.).
- By the end of December 2026, identify enhanced ways to join and participate in the club through alternative meeting times and membership levels.
- The membership chair, in collaboration with the board, will lead recruitment efforts with Leadership Greater Topeka, 20 Under 40, and Forge by conducting annual outreach to each cohort and tracking measurable outcomes such as number of contacts made, invitations extended, and new members recruited.
Enhance member engagement
Use every encounter as an opportunity to show people how getting involved with Rotary allows them to make a bigger difference in their communities and for causes they care about.
- Retain new members through a proactive ambassador program to welcome and build relationships with new members and support member sponsors. Measure retention by one-year and two-year member continuation.
- Reinvigorate new member onboarding and mentorship (mentorship beyond sponsorship). Refresh new member packet (including 1-pager on the board with pictures) by June 2027.
- Create a “How to be a sponsor” guide so that all club members are better equipped to invite prospects to meetings and perform thoughtful follow-up.
- Increase the use of metrics to track member participation (meeting, social, and service attendance) in order to connect members to the club and identify members who aren’t as engaged and need outreach.
- Strengthen club culture by celebrating member engagement and achievements through regular recognition of giving milestones (club, district, and Rotary International), community-recognized accomplishments, and the club’s service impact throughout the year.
Increase our ability to adapt
Create a culture of research, innovation, and willingness to take risks so we can learn, evolve, and better serve our communities.
- Amend membership application to ask prospective members what they want to get out of being a member.
- Continue annual fireside chats and respond to the club with themes from the feedback and any changes the Board is going to make as a result.
- Implement a member exit survey to learn the reasons for members leaving the club.
- Do a membership audit to enable proactive recruitment of new members (ex: which professions and demographics are represented- where do we have gaps and opportunities to recruit?)
- Document club processes and procedures and keep documents organized to strengthen our club’s administration and continuity in leadership transitions. A complete policy and procedure manual shall be completed by June 2027. In subsequent years, the President-Elect shall coordinate review and updates of the manual each year in the first half of the Rotary year. Club documents shall be saved and organized in ClubRunner.
Semi-Annual Review of the Plan
The board shall review progress annually during the July and January meetings to assess what has been completed, what needs support, and whether timelines or goals need adjustment.