Happy holidays!

Happy Holidays from the Regional Leader Support team!

This holiday season we are especially thankful for you, our dedicated regional leaders and assistant coordinators whose passion for Rotary and diligence in the field furthers our impact in communities worldwide.  Because of your efforts, we are better positioned to increase our membership, be recognized publicly for the work we do, and strengthen our Foundation.

Your Evanston support team is looking forward to spending time with family and friends during the holidays. Over the next few weeks, members of our team are travelling around the world and the country to visit family and relax. Please be patient with us as our response time may be delayed.

Based on your first quarter reports, we are amazed by the outstanding communication and outreach efforts in each of your regions. As a regional leader group, you gave approximately 1,200 presentations, an increase from last year of 17 percent, on topics including strategic planning, Rotary grants, Rotary’s endowment fund, End Polio Now, and Strengthening Rotary.  More than half of you used Facebook to connect with Rotarians in your regions.  Regional leaders continue to use webinars and/or videoconferences to reach over 2,500 Rotarians, a 40 percent increase from last year. Additionally, almost 40,000 Rotarians received updates and expert advice from your newsletters, an increase of 60 percent!

Thank you again for the work you do on behalf of the organization and Rotarians around the world.  You are all champions of Rotary.

Best wishes for the holiday season, and Happy New Year!

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Supporting districts as they plan an effective service project

During 2013-14, with the help of more than 35 Rotarian presenters, Rotary hosted a webinar series dedicated to the lifecycle of a service project.  The overall goal of this series was to help members make lasting improvements in communities around the world through the development of strong service projects. Thank you to the more than 2,400 folks who joined us for these webinars and gave everyone the opportunity to learn from each other and share their own best practices for success.

1. First, we focused on the concept of a project lifecycle. Read these top 10 tips for conducting a successful service project.

2. Before implementing a project, get to know the community you are working with. Performing a community assessment empowers people by giving them a voice in the process. Learn more about understanding the community.

3. You completed the community assessment and have created a project plan; now you just need the resources to carry out your project. Use these ten tips to secure the resources you need.

4. After you have secured the resources needed to complete your project, ensure your project is on track by following these ten best practices.

5. You’ve completed your project and now it’s time to measure your impact, identify successes and challenges, and promote the final project. Read these ten practical tips to help you develop an evaluation and promotion plan.

Want to learn more about Rotary service projects? View the recordings of each webinar in the series here, read about Rotary grants, and view completed projects.

 

 

What are young professionals looking for?

Attendees at the Young Professionals Summit talked about how Rotary can better attract and engage young professionals.

30 Rotary members under the age of 40 gathered in downtown Chicago on 26-27 September to discuss how Rotary can better attract and engage young professionals.Chris Davidson, member of the Rotary Club of Newport News, Virginia, USA, wrote about his experience at this event recently on Rotary Voices, “Rotary offers so much to young people who have the desire to help others, make connections, and learn servant leadership in a world that desperately needs more of that.”Common themes to emerge from the event included:

• They are looking for a fun, flexible Rotary experience.
• Young professionals are not opposed to joining a club with older members
• Millennials and Gen Y want to do significant acts of service and make a difference in others’ lives.
• Young professionals are appreciative of the business and mentorship opportunities they experience through Rotary but do not feel that these benefits are being marketed effectively to their generation.

Connect with event attendees and other Rotarians in the Young Professionals Network group and discuss the future of Rotary.