Innovative Kiwanis Membership Concepts

You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. – Christopher Columbus

Innovative Membership ConceptsPresented by C. Todd SmithFlorida District Membership Chair, 2013-14

Take something you love

Share it with others

Make it a part of your life

STAY FLEXIBILE Focus Less on Meetings, More on Service

If you’re not ready to change…

then you’re not ready for new members.

Flexible Options:

Club Satellites

Corporate Memberships

3-2-1 Clubs

Most people don’t want more meetings in their life

Inflexible or too rooted in tradition- Refusal to change even if it means your club is failing.

# 1 IMPEDIMENT TO GROWTH

A satellite club can help in the following situations:• A group of potential or current members wishes to meet at a different day, time and/or location than the established club.

• A group wishes to engage in a service project that benefits a particular community or demographic segment.

• A group of members wishes to serve a particular geographic area.

• Club members wish to create a different meeting format or schedule, or hold meetings online.

Examples of when a satellite club can help:

PROBLEM: Based upon your current meeting schedule (especially lunch clubs) you are excluding potential members including, teachers or advisors of your SLP clubs, young professionals and employees who don’t have a flexible work schedule.

SOLUTION: Form a satellite club with a group of potential or current members who want to meet at a different day, time and/or location than the established club.

PROBLEM: Current culture of the club refuses to change format of meetings or still wants to do things “the way we’ve always done them” and refuses to change.

SOLUTION: Form a satellite club with a group of potential or current members who want to conduct meetings in a different way, less frequently, or participate in completely different types of service projects.

Case Study

The Kiwanis Club of It’s Always Been This Way:

• Meets every week for lunch, and has had to increase dues to keep up with meal costs.

• Doesn’t do a lot of hands on service because not enough members to volunteer.

• Hard to attract younger members because most everyone in the club is a senior citizen

• Losing members because everyone is tired

LOOK FORWARD(the future is not behind you)

Club SatellitesWhat about…Young professionalsEmployees of company or hospitalBusiness networking groupParents of SLP membersFormer Key Club membersChurch groupDinner clubBowling leagueMotorcycle clubClassic Car Club Division Satellite Club ???

The benefits of a satellite club to younger members

What do younger members want?

• More service

• Lowers Dues

• Less Meetings

• Hands-On Service Opportunities

• Social Activities

• Communication through social media (not email)

• Be involved and have a relationship with the Key Club or CKI club

• Attend last meeting of the year, host an end of year party, OR host a event to talk about continuing their K family involvement at the next level

• Start a Club Satellite for former Key Club Members in your area

Recruiting a Key Clubber?Contact is KEY!

Host - Satellite Discussion Points

Purpose. Clearly define the reason or reasons for establishing the satellite.

Membership. Decide if the host club should establish a minimum number of members for the satellite and what should happen if its membership falls below that level.

Meetings. When and where will the satellite meet?

Operations. Designate someone as the satellite’s host club liaison. Determine if the satellite will exist as a committee of the host club.

Oversight. Determine what level of oversight is comfortable for both groups.

Issues over money or fundraising

Lack of communication between the host club and the satellite club

Failure to allow representation on the board of directors of the host club

Lack of collaboration between the host club and the satellite club

Problems to Avoid

C. Todd Smith

Email: [email protected]

facebook.com/ctodds

ctoddsmith.com

407-841-8294