The World knows Rotary – but doesn’t know what we do.

In 2010 RI commissioned the survey of 1,000 individuals in each of six countries -- Argentina, Australia, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and the United States -- to gauge the general public's awareness and perception of the organization.

The survey showed that awareness of Rotary varies from country to country, and culture to culture. Of the six countries surveyed, Australia had the highest proportion of respondents who said they were aware of Rotary (95 percent), while Germany had the lowest (34 percent).

But awareness of Rotary doesn't necessarily translate into familiarity with what it does. While almost everyone in Australia indicated an awareness of Rotary, only 35 percent of respondents said they had some familiarity with the organization. In South Africa, where 80 percent of respondents indicated they were aware of Rotary, only 23 percent said they had some familiarity with what it does.

We therefore need to increase the awareness of what Rotary does put basically ‘If you Don’t Tell you Don’t Sell”.  Here are some tips and tools to help Clubs raise Rotary Awareness – just add some enthusiasm and your Club.

•  Find tips for creating a signature activity.

•  Learn how to apply for a PR grant to enhance Rotary's image.

•  Find your Rotary public image coordinator.

•  Learn how to plan an End Polio Now lighting.

•  Browse best practices for member recruitment and retention.

•  Download Be a Vibrant Club: Your Club Leadership Plan (PDF) to discover ways to make your club more dynamic and increase its diversity.

•  Download the Membership Development Resource Guide (PDF) and Club Assessment Tools (PDF).

•  Get a catalog of membership development resources (PDF).

•  Learn tips for finding and keeping members.

[Contributed by Rotary Public Image Coordinator Dick Garner]