OPEN YOUR EYES TO
CORPORATE
Story By: Joy Palmer Cooper, District Governor District 1030 and Rotary Great Britain & Ireland Board Member
How can a small or medium-sized business provide opportunities for its employees to become involved in volunteering and service activities in the local community?
How can it demonstrate its commitment to corporate social responsibility?
How can it promote itself as a community-minded employer and enhance its image?
How can it open up a wealth of learning and development opportunities for its staff and enable them to use their skills and abilities to help others?
The answer is simple: by entering into a partnership with Rotary through the Corporate Membership route to the world of Rotary and all it has to offer.
So, what is Corporate Membership and how does it work? It is a channel of membership which allows a Rotary club to involve any business, non-profit, charity or government entity in Rotary by offering an alternative membership package to some of its employees.
In the Corporate Membership model recommended by Rotary Great Britain & Ireland, one of the company’s employees is inducted as the principal member of a Rotary club, and one, two, three or four others are termed ‘alternate members’.
Any of these people can attend meetings of the club and all receive information about the club and its activities.
The alternate members cannot stand for club office, and they do not have voting rights. The company only pays the subscription for the principal member which is the same level as all other individual members of the club pay.
“corporate membership allows a Rotary club to involve any business, non-profit or government entity in rotary, by offering an alternative membership package to employees”
The club is credited for one member on the Rotary database (entered as a corporate member on Rotary View). So, in essence, this is a membership shared among a group of busy working people who do not have the time to come to meetings on a very regular basis.
The formalities of inducting corporate members are very straightforward so long as the club makes small amendments to its by-laws to indicate how the expectations and benefits of this membership type differ from traditional individual membership.
This is a route to growing membership that is ‘right on the doorstep’. Any club can engage with this model very soon and very easily. At present RGB&I has fewer than 200 corporate members. If every club and district engaged with this route, this number could very rapidly become 2,000.
A club gains greatly. It has a new member, and the name of Rotary becomes known throughout the business. Members are attracted who would otherwise not have time to join a Rotary club.
New partnerships are created that will become known in the community. The club is increasing resources and capacity for service and support in a wide variety of forms.
The business gains through association with our world-wide organisation and employees have access to our Learning Centre with its myriad opportunities for developing leadership and social skills.
They can engage with service and volunteering activities both locally and internationally, leading to enhancement of the businesses profile of corporate social responsibility.
The world of business networking is opened up, and the image of the company is enhanced through its engagement in community projects.
Furthermore, the business gains significant publicity by being showcased on the Rotary club’s website, in social media and other communications detailing employees’ involvement in Rotary activities. .
“the business gains through association with our world-wide organisation and employees have access to our learning centre.”
Corporate members’ engagement will of course vary significantly depending on the nature of the business.
Principal and alternate members will come when they can to club meetings. Other engagement will vary tremendously and may include helping on the ground with community activities, working with youth projects, providing speakers, joining in fundraising and fellowship activities, offering mentoring, application of particular skills, internships and much more besides.
Whoever the businesses may be, they are embedded in the club’s programme and are truly valuable partners in the promotion of the values and achievements of Rotary in any local community.
·Resources relating to Corporate Membership including promotional leaflets, information on ‘how it works’, sample by-laws, comprehensive details of benefits for the club and the business, and the approved design for a Corporate Members’ plaque may be found in a Corporate Membership toolkit located at: rotarygbi.org/members/corporate-membership
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