A conversation with the right person could convince someone to stay.

By Tony Knoderer

 What happens when a Kiwanian decides not to renew their membership? Well, there’s the procedural answer: They tell the club secretary, who is responsible for updating the roster before the club is invoiced for member dues. 

But wait! There’s another question to ask first: How can your club keep that member? Remember, some people leave Kiwanis clubs when life circumstances get in the way or they feel a bit disconnected from the other members — not because they’ve lost touch with the club’s mission. 

Who In your club could have a conversation with the resigning member to discuss the value they bring to Kiwanis and the community? Here are a few possibilities to consider: 

• Membership chair or committee member. This is a logical answer, since recruitment and retention are the official responsibilities of the membership chair or committee. But is this the person who knows the most about the member? If your membership chair is, in fact, influential in retaining members, ask that person to talk with the member. Questions they could ask: Is there a better option for their membership — for instance, can the member become a satellite member, which allows them to remain in your club and “Kiwanis differently” from their counterparts? 
• Chair of the member’s favorite project. This is often the best answer. What is the member’s favorite project? Ask the chair of that project to connect with the resigning member. What’s the value they bring to the project — and what will the project miss because the member is no longer involved? What ideas does the member have for improving the project? 
• Board members. Many clubs take a list of members they fear may be leaving the club and divide the names between the club’s board members — who then contact the assigned member to have a conversation. Make sure the board members know as much as possible about each member they will contact, including their membership history, how and why they joined, and why they’re planning to leave.  
• Sponsor. Who brought the member to the club? Why did they feel that person was right for Kiwanis? Ask the sponsor to reach out and remind the member why they were invited to join. Dig deep — is something missing from their club experience? Are your service projects no longer relevant for them? What is the member’s passion? Can the club find a way to connect that passion to a current project — or even start a new service project or fundraiser?  
• Best Kiwanis friend. Every member has that one fellow club member they rely on or feel closest to. Who do they sit next to during meetings? Who do they “buddy up” with on projects? Why would this person miss the resigning member? 

No matter which club member is the best person to speak with a resigning member, the key is to have the conversation — rather than just accepting that a person is leaving. Sometimes just knowing that someone in the club cares enough to notice is a powerful incentive to stay. And the more a fellow member or set of members know about the resigning member personally, the more likely they are to convince them to stay — by being responsive to what they seek from Kiwanis membership. 

Remember, you can even show people who have already left the club that you still value them enough to miss them. We call it reMembering — and we welcome you to check out some tips you can use and pass along to fellow club members!