At last week’s Club President’s Catch-Up, Presidents were asked to share a little about how their club approaches planning for the season ahead and delegating tasks within the club. Unsurprisingly, most Presidents reported that a bulk of the operational and strategic work at their club is undertaken by the committee. However, one club shared an idea they’ve implemented over the past 4 years to recruit their members to volunteer and assist in fundraising for the club which sparked interest in the group.
The EFS Triathlon Club started an initiative 4 years ago to set realistic expectations with their members as to their volunteering duties for the club which has become a standard practice each year. The club fundraises each year by supplying volunteers to external events in exchange for a token amount of money donated back to the club, a practice that has become increasingly popular in the events industry. To source their volunteers, the club requires each and every member to commit to at least one volunteering opportunity each year. Those members who simply cannot volunteer or cannot find an alternative person to volunteer in their place are required to purchase a $50 “opt-out” pass, which is the value the club has placed on their contribution.
How do they do that? It’s simple – they tell them!
At the inception of the initiative, this was communicated to all members who intended to renew that this would become a standard expectation. All members joining the club are now also informed and it has become part of the club’s culture that members give back. Brian Kempson, the club’s President, says that through communicating it widely on social media, emails and face-to-face they have found members are more than willing to do their part or pay up as there is clear expectations set and they know they won’t receive a tap on the shoulder asking them to do more than they have committed to later down the track.
From a logistical point of view, the volunteering opportunities are planned out at the start of the season and the club secretary keeps track of who puts their hand up for which events. Members who haven’t volunteered are reminded to do so, and if they don’t they receive an invoice for their $50.
This culture of volunteering is one all clubs strive to achieve and maintain, as it helps to spread the load amongst members and prevent committee burnout. These kinds of initiatives are not new, and setting realistic expectations as to engagement from members is something many clubs and many different sports engage in for this very purpose.
It’s fantastic to hear about initiatives our clubs have implemented that have helped them improve the culture, operations, or general club life. Does your club have a great initiative worth sharing? We’d love to hear about it and share how it could help other clubs in WA, so let us know!
