Turning online interest into meaningful membership

A successful Facebook campaign has showed that when compelling projects, personal follow-up and genuine connection come together, online interest can become lasting Rotary membership.

Words Susan Benedyka. Immediate Past President. Rotary e-Club of Change Makers.

When Rotary South Pacific invited the Rotary e-Club of Change Makers to pilot a Facebook membership campaign, we knew the advertisement itself would only be part of the story.

Our experience has shown that people don’t join Rotary simply to attend meetings. They join because they want to make a difference, connect with like-minded people and belong to something meaningful.

Working with Rotary South Pacific and VCLA Media, we launched a one-month Facebook campaign in February 2026 inviting people to discover Rotary in a different way.

One version of the advertisement clearly resonated, reaching more than 21,000 people organically, generating 87 shares, 451 likes and 37 comments.

The campaign generated 187 enquiries from across Australia and Fiji, leading to more than 140 personal conversations, 81 invitations to club meetings and seven new members joining directly through the campaign. We also remain in contact with several others who may yet join our club.

The campaign invited people to join a club that is project-based, not meeting-based. It was a simple message that reflected how our club genuinely operates – helping people connect their skills and passions with opportunities to create lasting change.

Over the past two years we have intentionally focused on growing our membership; because more engaged members mean greater capacity to create lasting change. Our club has grown from 19 members at the start of the 2024–25 Rotary year to 48 members by the end of 2025–26, including 22 new members inducted during the past Rotary year. Most importantly, it has been a whole-of-club effort.

The Facebook campaign created genuine interest. What happened next determined whether that interest became membership.

Every enquiry was allocated to one of four club members who made personal contact within 48 hours. Rather than asking, “Would you like to join Rotary?” we asked, “What difference do you want to make, and how might Rotary help you do that?”

The campaign was just one pathway into our club. Many of our newest members first connected with us through projects such as SHARE and Teacher in a Box. One joined because she worked at one of our Cambodian project partners, while another was invited because a member recognised that her skills and values would strengthen our club. Different pathways, but the same destination.

We’ve heard some suggest this approach only works because we’re an e-Club. We don’t believe that’s true. While our online format offers flexibility, the principles behind our growth apply to every Rotary club: meaningful projects, genuine relationships, a welcoming culture and personal invitations.

The Rotary South Pacific campaign gave us a wonderful opportunity to connect with people who may never have considered Rotary. Others discover us through projects, partnerships or friends.

However people first connect with Rotary, our role is the same – to help them find a place where they feel welcome, valued, inspired to make a difference and have fun. When people discover that connection between their passion and Rotary, membership becomes a natural next step.

• Watch the video produced by VCLA Media at bit.ly/notatypicalclub
• Watch more videos about the Rotary e-Club of Change Makers at bit.ly/eclubofchangemakers