Rotary Club of Toledo Strategic Plan
Approved April 27, 2007
Rotary Club of Toledo’s Mission:
The mission of the Rotary Club of Toledo is to fulfill the Object of Rotary.
We are a non-profit organization comprised of business and professional leaders who adhere to high ethical standards, build community goodwill, develop relationships through networking, encourage fellowship and mutual respect, and above all else, provide humanitarian service to groups in need at home and abroad.
Rotary Objects: To encourage and foster the ideal of SERVICE as the basis of all worthy enterprise and in particular, to encourage and foster:
- The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.
- High ethical standards in business and profession; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations and the dignifying by each Rotarian of his occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
- The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to their personal, business and community life.
- The advancement of understanding good-will and international peace through a world fellowship of business and professional people united in the ideal of service.
Rotary International’s Mission:
Rotary is an organizational of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
Benefits of Membership:
-Making the acquaintance of people you ought to know in other businesses and professions.
-Genuine, wholesome good fellowship with those of like ideals.
-Developing true and helpful friendships.
-Become enlightened as to work, problems and successes of others.
-Stimulating your desire to be of service by providing unique opportunities to serve your community, improve your vocation, and promote international friendship.
-Participation in stimulating programs at weekly meetings.
-To meet other Rotarians when attending other Rotary clubs.
Vision: To be a thriving community service organization with continued business and community support with a growing membership.
Values:
The Four Way Test (In everything we think, do, or say)
FIRST…Is it the truth?
SECOND…Is it fair to all concerned?
THIRD…Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
FOURTH…Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Objectives:
-To increase the visibility of the Rotary Club of Toledo within the community and beyond.
-To increase membership.
-To provide opportunities for members to serve the community as a Club.
-To maintain good financial health as a Club.
-To utilize technology in communications with members and the community.
-To educate members about their Club and Rotary International.
Introduction of Club:
The Rotary Club of Toledo is in the business of: service to community.
This action is fulfilled by leaders in business and the community voluntarily serving in the
community.
Rotary is one of the oldest community service organizations. The Rotary Club of Toledo was
the 44th Club formed serving Toledo since 1912. The Rotary Club of Toledo is the17th largest out
of 32,000 operating worldwide. The organization stands for Service Above Self.
Evaluating the current organizational situation:
The Rotary Club of Toledo’s financial status has never been healthier with annual net incomes over the past 5 years totaling over $158,000. Administrative costs have decreased annually over the same period. Administrative duties have increased as members find less time to dedicate to volunteerism. The volume of communications has increased along with the use of technology.
The Rotary Club of Toledo, like most volunteer organizations this decade, has experienced membership reduction, a trend over the past 10 years with attrition of 9-11% annually. In general, all membership organizations in the United States have experienced reductions including most Rotary Clubs and specifically service organizations in Northwest Ohio.
Marketing has been effective when utilized. The Centennial projects have increased visibility of the Rotary Club of Toledo. Increased efforts in public relations are in process.
The Club is faced with many of the same issues it had determined to address in 1995: membership and educating the community about the Rotary Club of Toledo.
Strengths:
-Members: their involvement, expertise & resources
-Size of Club 430-450
-Administration/Management: expertise, resources & direct oversight
-Operations efficient and effective
-Services provided through the Continuous Improvement model
-Traditions of Club
-Rotary International affiliation
-Informational/educational presentations at Monday meetings
-Community involvement
-International connections
Weaknesses:
-Membership too large for formation of close friendships and ability to avoid involvement
-Past limitations on networking and relationship building
-Income limited to dues fees
-Rotary International’s directional support
-Costs to administer activities of Club increasing annually
-Technological advances and changes happening often
-Traditions of Club; limitations
-Too few female members
-Too few young professional members
Threats:
-Market for membership limited
-Membership reduction trend continuing
-Competition for time from members due to other obligations & family
-National and larger companies relocating from Toledo
-Technology: equipment being out dated fast and integration of membership use limited
-Community reputation/community pride low
Opportunities:
-Member resources and support: expertise, knowledge, financial support, and volunteerism
-Local entrepreneurs-new types of technology businesses
-New smaller companies in area
-Family friendly opportunities for members in serving
-Senior members’ involvement
-The local need to network/relationship build
-Local Universities and Colleges: sources of membership, future business and community leaders
-Need of community residents for services/funding projects
-International partnerships
-Women and young professionals untapped
Possible future Strengths:
Increase over 450 members
Income from other avenues
Possible future Weaknesses:
Membership/community decline in interest to join and serve
Possible future Threats:
Continued reduction in membership and involvement
Rotary International eliminating Grand fathered Constitutions
Possible future Opportunities:
New media outlets
Increased businesses to Toledo area
Goals of The Rotary Club of Toledo: 2007-2010
GOAL I: Reach and then maintain membership of 450
Action Steps (repeated annually)
- Educate the membership in July of each year as to the need to reach and maintain the 450 goal for financial and service reasons (President)
- Make clear to membership that everyone is responsible for reaching the membership goal. Proposing new members is a responsibility of each member as stated in the Roster (President)
- Develop a membership recruitment plan (Membership Development Committee or MDC, 7/07). Such a plan can include the following elements:
1. Early in the new Rotary year, members will be organized by classification during a lunch meeting and asked to identify potential members to add to their classification (President).
2. Each member is expected to bring at least one potential member to a lunch
during the year. The name of the member and guest will be published in The Spoke. Additionally, a display board will be maintained recognizing members who bring guests to Rotary functions (Office). The President will acknowledge publicly those members who recruited new members.
3. Identify underrepresented businesses and then assign members in like businesses to
make contact and invite to lunch (MDC).
4. Identify underrepresented groups (females, young professionals, minorities) and
ask the full membership, as well as Rotary members who are members of these
underrepresented groups, to place a high priority in recruiting these groups (MDC).
5. Guests will receive information packets about the Club in the same week they
attend a meeting. They will be encourage to return, to pay for their own lunch,
and to report to the staff table to receive a guest name tag so members will
recognized and welcome them (Office).
6. At the monthly board meeting and at regular MDC meetings, a list of guests will
be presented and discussed, to insure proper follow-up (Office).
7. The mechanics of proposing a candidate for membership will be reviewed with
membership from time to time (Chair, MDC).
8. Club “talking points” will be distributed to membership from time to time
(Office).
GOAL II: Increase the visibility of The Rotary Club of Toledo
Action Steps:
- A media/PR plan will be developed (PR Committee or PRC, 7/07). Such a plan can include the following elements:
1. Representatives of the media will be invited from time to time, lunch paid by the Club, in order to build relationships (Board).
2. Press releases/media advisories when lunch speaker is particularly prominent (office with help of PRC).
3. Write thank you letters to reporters who write stories about Rotary (office).
4. Advertise from time to time on Public Radio, billboards, etc.
5. Secure the Governor once a year to address the Club and/or secure at least one very prominent speaker who will make news (Program Committee).
6. Submit at least one story a year to Rotary International for possible publication (PR Committee).
7. Inform the media of grants distributed after each granting cycle (office).
8. Submit a least two stories a year to the District for publication in the Rotary District 6600 newsletter.
9. Testimonials from members as to the importance of Rotary to them personally will be published in The Spoke from time to time (office).
- A line item will be added to the budget to provide some funding for PR on an annual basis (Finance Committee)
GOAL III: The Rotary Club of Toledo will stay financial healthy as an organization
Action Steps:
- Make necessary financial adjustments as membership numbers dictate (Finance).
- Reduce administrative costs annually via technology improvements, including staff training, and the utilization of the Continuous Improvement Model for delivering services (Office).
- Increase reserve account to six months of expenses and maintain that level for the next three years (Finance, Office).
- Explore alternative sources of income bi-annually (Office, Finance).
- Knowledge resources will be identified, utilized and appreciated annually (Office, Finance).
- Business services to the Club will be reviewed regularly to ensure the benefit is worth the cost.
GOAL IV: Increase the Club’s international outreach
Action Steps:
- Search additional ways the Club can be of service to worthy projects aboard (International Service Committee).
- Investigate funding sources to support international humanitarian
trips by members (International Service Committee).
GOAL V: Expand services and efforts to enrich the lives of families of Club members
Action Steps:
- Encourage members to bring family members to Club luncheons, fellowship group events such as bowling, etc., and ITZA Ball (President).
- In addition to the Toledo Symphony lunch meeting, designate two additional lunches at which spouses/partners and other family members will be specifically asked to attend. All family members will be invited to stand and be recognized as a group (President).
How the Rotary Club of Toledo will track progress of the goals:
-The above goals will be communicated to the entire membership annually along with measurable outcomes of the goals.
-Annual surveys of the membership will include the above goals and questions regarding expectations and needs of members.
-The Rotary Club of Toledo Board of Directors will discuss and assess the strategic plan and goals annually at the July/August Board meeting.
-Additional goals or tactics to reach goals for the Club may be added as needed.
-An annual assessment of the goals will be published in the Spoke.
-The Executive Director will keep Club leadership notified of assigned duties to meet or exceed goals of the plan.
-Learning from mistakes will occur.
-Exceeded and met goals will be celebrated.
