Learn how the Kiwanis Club of Grants Pass is gamifying recruitment.
By Erin Chandler
Kiwanians all around the United States may be gearing up for American pro football’s big game, but for the Kiwanis Club of Grants Pass, Oregon, U.S., kickoff happened in October — and will continue for the entire Kiwanis year. In lieu of a trophy, the winning team will get lunch courtesy of the losing team’s captain. And with a combination of luck, teamwork and competitive spirit, the club will end up with 12 new members.
When the current membership chair, Bill Rossknecht, noticed the club was just 12 members short of 50, he decided to revive the “Membership Superbowl,” a fun recruitment strategy that had proved successful in 2013. In August, Rossknecht and immediate past membership chair Lonnie Johnson drafted club members into their two teams — one called “For the Kids,” and the other “Heart for Service.” Over the course of the year, a team will get three points each time a “player” brings a prospective club member to a meeting, seven points when they recruit a new club member, and 10 points if they get a previous member to rejoin the club.
Four months into the 2025-26 competition, “Heart for Service” is in the lead — but more importantly, the Kiwanis Club of Grants Pass already has two new members.
The competition “has increased awareness within the Grants Pass Kiwanis Club to share Kiwanis with friends and acquaintances,” Rossknecht says.
The team captains make sure to prominently display the scoreboard at meetings and update it regularly to keep the competition at the top of everyone’s minds. As a result, club members have gotten invested in their teams, making the effort to invite more guests.
Rossknecht believes the process has been successful, “in large part because of the fun, competitive atmosphere we’ve created.” He encourages any club struggling with membership to tackle the challenge with a similar game.
No matter who ends up getting a free lunch, the whole club wins.
For more creative ideas on how to build and strengthen your club’s membership, visit the club toolbox on our website.