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Building a Culture of Innovation in Irresistible Clubs… Shift Disruptors

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State of the Continent

Membership in

North America

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If you change nothing…

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nothing will change.�

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Membership “Facts”

  • Thank you….
  • RI (Brian King) and RI Membership Committee (Tom Gump) for webinar
  • Doug Logan & Herb Klotz for research leadership
  • Herb Klotz for data compilation

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  • Note that the numerical data that follow, unless otherwise noted, are Rotary only – and do not include Rotaract

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US and Canada Membership 1905-2025

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And with the whole world…

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It’s all about…

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MEMBER EXPERIENCE

M.E.

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But…. here’s the thing…

It doesn’t happen by accident

And it doesn’t result from wishful thinking

It requires intentional action

by your team to attract and engage people whose passions you will enable

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The ART of Member Experience = Club Experience

Members (current and future) want to experience:

  • A welcoming and engaging culture (relationships, activities, policies etc.)
  • Feeling of belonging
  • Feel value
  • Opportunity to make a difference
  • Sense of purpose

It’s an ART –

Attract, Retain, Take risks/tweak/transform

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Attraction > Attrition

Attrition (opposite of retention)

= % who leave

Ideally <14%

15% in N.A.

Attraction

= % who join

Ideally >14%

12% in N.A.

5+% More

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Attraction – WHY do people join?

  • Connections – personal and professional
  • Do good – serve local community
  • Learn – Rotaract: Leadership

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Attraction – WHAT are they looking for in a club?

  • Focus/Cause
  • Do stuff
  • Affordable
  • Diversity in age -- and diversity through other lenses

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Retention/Attrition – HOW do you engage them to stay?

  • Meaningful experience
  • DO stuff
  • Affordable… diversity…
  • Confident leadership
  • Feel valued… belonging
  • Enjoyable

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🡪 Irresistible!

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Take risks… courage to act!

  • New clubs
  • Alternative options for existing clubs
  • Transform/Tweak existing clubs

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Or else… they leave – top reasons for Attrition

  • Club experience/culture
  • Unmet expectations
  • Time and $
  • Personal circumstances

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Data – what do we know?

  • Age?
    • GBI 71
    • North America/Carib 62
    • India/Korea/Philippines 51

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Zones Snapshot

  • Every zone in North America lost membership last year (from 1.7-3.6%) – Z28 was the 1.7%!
  • BUT… on average, ~15% of North American districts grew membership last year (24/155) – 4 in Z28 and 1 in Z32
  • AND… there are some rockstars in our zones that have grown for 3 consecutive years:
    • Zone 28, District 6360 (Michigan)
    • Zone 32, District 7980 (Southern Connecticut)

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Zones in North Amercia

Zone

Where

2025/26 Starting Rotary Members

Net Change last year

% Change last year

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Total Number Districts

Number of Growing Districts

% Growing Districts

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25B

part of TX

14162

-472

-3.3%

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7

0

0.0%

26

AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, TX

30812

-1117

-3.6%

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16

1

6.3%

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CA, CO, ID, MT, NE, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY, Can

29080

-728

-2.5%

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14

1

7.1%

28

Can, SPM, AK, ME, MI, NY, WA

30487

-509

-1.7%

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20

4

20.0%

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Can, IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, ND, NE, OK, SD, WI

28857

-577

-2.0%

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16

4

25.0%

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AL, IN, KY, OH, TN

29717

-618

-2.1%

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14

2

14.3%

31

AR, IL, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, TX

28016

-765

-2.7%

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17

4

23.5%

32

Can, CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT

29628

-816

-2.8%

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20

1

5.0%

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D.C., DE, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV

33540

-600

-1.8%

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17

5

29.4%

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Carib, GA, FL

29864

-584

-2.0%

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14

2

14.3%

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Total

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284163

-6786

-2.4%

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155

24

15.5%

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Zones 28 and 32

  • Z28: -509 but 4 districts gained net members
    • D5550 +115, D6360 +58, D6400 + 23, D7080 + 4
  • 10 new clubs and 3 new satellites

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  • Z32: -816 but 1 district gained net members
    • D7980 +12
  • 5 new clubs and 4 new satellites 

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  • Rotaract Z28: Net +114 members -
    • +10 clubs (5 Community, 5 University)
  • Rotaract Z32: Net +109 members
    • +9 clubs (5 Community, 4 University)

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Zone 28 Rotary – 2024/25 - As of July 1, 2025

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Zone 28 Membership by District, As of July 1, 2025

District

 

Members

Net Change

5010

Alaska

1290

-58

5040

BC

1167

-26

5050

BC, Wash

1910

-65

5060

BC, Wash

1992

-117

5360

AB, SK

1448

-14

5370

AB, BC, SK, NWT, YK

1493

-37

5550

Man, Ont, SK

1097

115

6290

Ont, Mich

2153

-55

6310

Mich

1238

-48

6330

Ont, Mich

1460

-30

District

 

Members

Net Change

6360

Mich

1950

58

6380

Ont, Mich

1307

-44

6400

Ont, Mich

1472

23

7010

Ont, Que

1223

-15

7040

Ont, Que, NY

1527

-19

7070

Ont

1574

-96

7080

Ont

1233

4

7090

Ont, NY

1713

-8

7790

Que, ME

1535

-17

7815

Atlantic CAN

1705

-60

Zone 28 Overall

30487

-509

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Zone 28 Rotaract – 2024/25 – As of July 1, 2025

Date

# Clubs

# Members

Net Change

Jul 1

95

1037

0

Aug 1

95

1066

+29

Sep 1

95

1051

+14

Oct 1

96

1080

+43

Nov 1

95

1069

+32

Dec 1

96

1097

+60

Date

# Clubs

# Members

Net Change

Jan 1

96

1109

+72

Feb 1

96

1122

+85

Mar 1

96

1132

+95

Apr 1

96

1133

+96

May 1

96

1130

+93

Jun 1

96

1103

+66

Jul 1

98

1151

+114

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Zone 28 – 10 New Rotary Clubs

    • D7080: 7080 E-Club (Jul 2024)
    • D6290: Inland Waterway of Alanson (Jul 2024)
    • D6360: Charlotte Evening (Aug 2024)
    • D7080: Burlington Gore Park (Dec 2024)
    • D7040: Kharkiv Friends (Jan 2025)
    • D6400: Tecumsah Lakeshore (Feb 2025)
    • D6360: Greater Niles (Mar 2025)
    • D7010: Parry Sound Revival (May 2025)
    • D5550: D5550 Global Online (Jun 2025)
    • D5040: Richmond Lulu Island (Jun 2025)

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Zone 28 – 3 New Satellite Clubs

    • D6290: Muskegon – ReWine (Oct 2024)
    • D5550: The New Wave Neepawa (May 2025)
    • D7815: Halifax Harbour (Jun 2025)

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Zone 28 – 10 New Rotaract Clubs

    • D5360: Peace and Education, Community Based (Sep 2024)
    • D6330: London, Community Based (Nov 2024)
    • D7790: College D’Alma, University Based (Nov 2024)
    • D7080: Algoma Univ Student Union, Univ Based (Nov 2024)
    • D5550: Brandon, Community Based (May 2025)
    • D5550: Regina, University Based (Jun 2025)
    • D7080: Waterloo Region, Community Based (Jun 2025)
    • D7090: University of Niagara Falls, University Based (Jun 2025)
    • D7010: Sudbury, Community Based (Jun 2025)
    • D7040: Universite de Montreal, University Based (Jun 2025)

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Zone 32 Rotary – 2024/25 - As of July 1, 2025

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Zone 32 Membership by District, As of July 1, 2025

District

 

Members

Net Change

7120

NY - Rochester

1933

-35

7180

NY - CNY

2591

-139

7210

NY - Hudson Vly

1473

-61

7230

NY - NYC Region

1189

-24

7255

NY - Long Island

1407

-52

7390

PA - Harrisburg

1702

-25

7410

PA - Northeast

986

-39

7430

PA - East Central

1482

-41

7450

PA - Philadelphia

1088

-41

7475

NJ - Central

1720

-45

7490

NJ - North

904

-51

District

 

Members

Net Change

7505

NJ - South/Coast

1647

-93

7780

ME - Southwest

1289

-45

7850

NH/VT - North

1050

-20

7870

NH/VT - South

1642

-34

7890

MA/CT - West

1478

-26

7910

MA - Central

1064

-35

7930

MA - Boston

1436

-14

7950

RI/MA - Cape Cod

1716

-8

7980

CT - Southwest

1831

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Zone 32 Overall

29628

-816

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Zone 32 Rotaract – 2024/25 – As of July 1, 2025

Date

# Clubs

# Members

Net Change

Jul 1

63

494

0

Aug 1

64

504

+10

Sep 1

64

504

+10

Oct 1

64

507

+13

Nov 1

64

517

+23

Dec 1

64

521

+27

Date

# Clubs

# Members

Net Change

Jan 1

66

528

+34

Feb 1

68

548

+54

Mar 1

68

550

+56

Apr 1

68

554

+60

May 1

70

574

+80

Jun 1

73

608

+114

Jul 1

73

603

+109

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Zone 32 – 5 New RotaryClubs

    • D7120: International Service Impacting Women & Children (Aug 2024)
    • D7230: Pioneers (Oct 2024)
    • D7490: Passaic (Feb 2025)
    • D7475: Atenas (Apr 2025)
    • D7475: MM-Brick City (Jun 2025)

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Zone 32 – 4 New SatelliteClubs

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    • D7475: Holistic Wellness and Education (Jul 2024)
    • D7505: Somers Point Healthcare (Nov 2024)
    • D7430: Yardley Region (Apr 2025)
    • D7210: Rondout Valley (Jun 2025)

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Zone 32 – 9 New RotaractClubs

    • D7230: Aspire, Community Based (Jul 2024)
    • D7120: Elmira College, University Based (Dec 2024)
    • D7430: Norristown, Community Based (Dec 2024)
    • D7210: Rockland Comm. College, University Based (Jan 2025)
    • D7230: Bermuda Longtails, Community Based (Apr 2025)
    • D7180 (CNY): Ithaca, University Based (Apr 2025)
    • D7430: Berks County, Community Based (Apr 2025)
    • D7450: Temple University, University Based (May 2025)
    • D7255: Environmental NCLI, Community Based (May 2025)

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So now what? What intentional action will your team take?

  • Update online presence – request help from Zone PI experts
  • Review data – request help from Zone experts
  • Survey members – check out the various tools
  • Visioning exercise – request help from Zone experts
  • Make member experience a priority – just do it!

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Not feeling like a flamingo? Fake it til you make it.

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