KiwanisOne

Show your club, division and district how to lead and grow
When to do it: October

• Decide on a creative membership campaign. Based on the interests of your club members, establish a one-day event or ongoing contest to encourage each club member to be part of the growth effort. Promote the campaign heavily and through multiple channels—talk about it at every meeting, include specifics in the newsletters and

  send reminders via e-mail. Members need to know the goal, the timeline, the reward and each member’s role in growing your club.

• Be the first to bring in a new member. Lead by example. Demonstrate the importance of membership growth within his or her own club by inviting and initiating the first member of the 2009-10 year. Then challenge each member to follow your lead. Wear your bronze key lapel pin proudly and encourage every club member to earn at least this level of recognition through the 1-2-3 You Hold the Key program.
• Establish a focused timeline. A membership campaign jump-starts a recruiting effort and focuses energy on bringing in guests for an established period of time. Most campaigns run about 30 days, although you may want to factor in a period to promote the campaign before it actually starts.
• Set a goal and achieve it. Be S.M.A.R.T. in setting campaign goals:
  • Specific: How many new members would your club like to add and what factors helped you choose this number? Let every member know of the goal and their part in attaining it.
  • Measurable: How will you track your progress? Update your members at each meeting about where you are in reaching your goal.
  • Attainable: What steps will you take to reach your goal? You’ve probably heard “a goal without a plan is a dream.” If you want everyone to take part in the campaign, make sure they have the tools they’ll need to promote the Kiwanis mission.
  • Realistic: Are you willing and able to reach this goal? Club leaders should know what growth your club is capable of and use that knowledge to set a specific and realistic goal.
  • Time bound: How long should we work toward this goal? The contest should have a set deadline to keep motivation strong.
• Make it fun! Get creative with your contests. Announce contest winners and recognize their victory with a specific prize or reward. Let prospects see that you have fun at every meeting. Everyone wins in a successful growth campaign!
• Be inspired. Celebrate your story, refresh your experience and create a stronger future for Kiwanis using the tools and ideas at www.kiwanisleader.org/inspire.