Survey says PR an important tool for membership

Public relations efforts help increase membership recruitment, according to about 70 percent of Rotary clubs that responded to a recent RI survey. About half the respondents said that PR also helps with retention, and 87 percent credited their club’s public relations work with raising community awareness of Rotary.

According to survey results, 80 percent of the responding clubs include PR in their annual planning, and 77 percent launch PR efforts to coincide with specific events or projects. Of the responding clubs, 57 percent have a Web site, most of which provide club information directed to the general public. Almost all respondents reported obtaining newspaper coverage, but less than 50 percent had secured coverage on television, radio, Internet, or billboards.

The most significant barriers to public relations efforts cited were lack of interest from the media and lack of funding. When asked about resources provided by RI, respondents ranked Rotary Basics (595-EN), What’s Rotary? (419-EN), This Is Rotary (001-EN), and Humanity in Motion PSAs as the most useful. Many respondents also reported using The Rotarian, or their regional magazine, and the RI Web site in their PR efforts.

The results of the survey, conducted by RI’s Membership Development and Public Relations divisions, are based on 756 responses from a random sampling of 3,269 Rotary clubs worldwide. Download the complete survey report, and order RI resources designed to help you spread the news about your club’s good work.

From the January 2008 issue of Rotary World.