Every club wants to grow, but sustainable membership growth doesn’t begin with recruiting—it begins with creating a club where people genuinely want to belong. In this month’s spotlight story, discover how one Rotary club built a culture centered on connection, meaningful service, and fun, resulting in more than 20% membership growth in a single year. Along the way, you’ll find practical ideas that any club can put into action right away. Click below to read the full story and explore five simple strategies that could make a lasting difference in your club.
Editor’s Note: One of the best ways to grow stronger clubs is to learn from one another. Each month, we spotlight a club whose success, innovation, or practical Rotary ideas may inspire and benefit clubs throughout our district. This month, we turn our attention to the Rotary Club of Canton, which tied for the ’25-’26 lead in District 6910 for net membership growth. We asked club leaders to share the strategies behind their success—and the lessons other clubs can apply. Enjoy!
I joined the Rotary Club of Canton in the fall of 2021, and one of the first things I noticed was the feeling of family. If a Rotary Club does not feel like an extended family gathering each week, that may be a sign of a cultural issue. In Canton, we gather not because we have to, but because we genuinely enjoy being together. I can sit at any table, feel connected to fellow members, and know that if I need something, I can simply ask.
Three years ago, our Club launched Heart for Service. Former President Francisco Lozano asked me to chair the program and oversee our community service projects, and that decision became a key building block in our membership growth. We moved from a few hands-on projects each year to at least one every month. Many members are balancing young families and demanding careers, but when we offer a meaningful one-hour service opportunity at lunch, they show up.
Some projects are complex, like building weekly summer meal kits with MUST Ministries using more than 5,000 individual items. Others are simple, like collecting supplies for school nurses or making Christmas cards at our holiday gathering. We have also asked Rotarians to bring full-size candy bars so our Meals on Wheels team could deliver cards and treats to elderly shut-ins during Christmas week. Service is not limited to Club-led projects, either. Nearly two dozen nonprofits are represented in our membership, creating natural connections that lead to board service, fundraising support, and collaboration across the community.
At the start of my term in July 2025, our Club had 76 members. By the end of the Rotary year we had grown to 96, and today we have more than 100. That 20%+ growth came from engaged members who value three things: connection, service, and fun. Whether we are embracing holiday float mayhem, cheering loudly at District Conference, or making s’mores around a campfire, we try to bring those three elements into everything we do.
If your Club is struggling with membership, consider committing to these five actions over the next 60 days:
- Ask current members why they joined and whether that reason still matters.
- Add humor to meetings. Dad jokes of the week worked for us.
- Use social media videos to show connection and service in action. Take photos of Rotarians together even at non-Rotary functions. Show connection in everyday life.
- Add a short service project to a Club meeting, such as cards for seniors, supplies for single moms, appreciation for public safety employees, or a picnic with your local public works team (one of my personal favorite events each year).
- Invite the fun people in your non-Rotary circle to experience your Club.
As I told our Club at the Changing of the Guard, “When I was encouraged to join Rotary, what I did not know at the time was that I was preparing for something awesome. I was joining a family that would lead to friendships I did not know I needed. Every day as a City Manager is something unexpected. It can all be overwhelming some days. But then comes Tuesday. Just walking through these doors to see smiling faces. To get a hug that you really needed but would never ask for. To see the smiles of children or seniors you’ve served. To hear about the issues others face and realize your drama is not so big. To man the bubble snow machine on the back of a float or ring a bell for charity. To offer peace to a world ripe for conflict. To know Rotary is to find something you didn’t know you needed but now couldn’t imagine being without.”
