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Word is out on Kiwanis growth

Word is out on Kiwanis growth

Are you ready to discover the secret of how Kiwanis is going to grow to 1 million members by 2015? The secret is: There is no secret.

“What it all comes down to,” says Evansville-Green River, Indiana, Kiwanian Steve Page, “is asking.”

Steve knows. He helped the struggling 14-member Kiwanis Club of Evansville-East Side Nooners recruit 22 new members—in one recruitment push. His own club boasts more than 100 members.

“The (East Side Nooners) club asked for help, so we focused in the club’s area of the city, put together teams, assigned the teams to certain areas, and went around the city knocking on doors inviting people to learn about Kiwanis,” he says.

Out of a list of 80 targeted prospective members, 31 came to a special informational meeting. Out of those 31 guests, 22 joined the club, more than doubling its size.

“After the meeting, we locked the door and told them they couldn’t leave until they joined,” Steve jokes.

Comedy aside, he encourages that recruiting members is really a simple thing when you keep in mind a few helpful hints. And remember, the International Office is chockfull of recruitment help in the form of club development managers, TAG Team members, and a wealth of support materials.

A few tips from Steve:

Recruitment reminders

First, do a “gut check”: Ask yourself why you would want to join your club, what the club “does,” and what the attraction is to your club.
Continually remind members to invite guests and friends to meetings and service projects. Club presidents should keep recruitment at the forefront of members’ minds.
Focus toward a “membership day” at least once a year. Keep a sheet of paper handy for members to list prospects. (See “Recruitment Events.”)
Ensure prospective members are approached three times through:
An initial personal contact (face-to-face is best).
A letter of invitation (if a membership drive or other event is involved).
A follow-up phone call.

After a person attends a Kiwanis meeting or service project, make a follow-up phone call or visit and invite them to another Kiwanis event. Better yet, ask them if they enjoyed their experience and want to join.
“Plug” new members in right away and involve them in service projects so they can see firsthand what the club accomplishes.

Recruitment events

Leading up to the event, keep a sheet of paper on which members can list prospects to invite to the meeting.
Make sure prospects are approached three times: in person (face-to-face), by letter of invitation, and through a follow-up phone call.
Keep the meeting’s focus solely on Kiwanis—no “guest speakers.” Ask a member to speak, highlighting some of the club’s service projects and beneficiaries.
Give a brief history on Kiwanis—keep it simple and to the point—and then move on to what Kiwanis does.
Remember to make a “call to action,” inviting the guests to join while they’re there. (Be sure you have materials and applications on hand ahead of time.)
Follow up with those who couldn’t attend the meeting and those who chose not to join after the meeting.