The Recruiting Process - Knowing Your Community

Prior to running a recruitment drive, work out who you are targeting. Knowing about your community population trends may assist here. To find out about your club's surrounding demographics (Victorian Clubs) go to Community Indicators Victoria or your local government web site (search for demographics). 

Offer Product Variety

Clubs wanting to broaden their membership base should consider developing a range of participation options to cater for the varying needs and participation interests of different community members. Click here for some ideas from other clubs.

Getting Information Out There

• Where you market the club or a club recruitment activity is very dependent on who you are targeting. Here are a few ideas to assist you to connect with different target groups:
• Young Mums - playgroups, kindergartens, maternal health care centres, ante natal groups, creches
• Newly Arrived Immigrants and Refugees -  Migrant Resource Centres, English as a Second Language teachers in local schools, migrant media outlets, Centre for Multi Cultural Youth
• Older Adults -  Community Centres, Senior Citizens, local library, probus groups
• People with a Disability - Disability Support Providers (Victorian Register), local schools, special schools
• Indigenous People - Google Aboriginal Co-operatives for your local area

Sending Out the Right Messages

The following ideas assist clubs to promote widely that they are welcoming and inclusive:

• Displaying a door sign that depicts that Everyone is Welcome - Click Here for a sample
• Depicting diversity in a positive light through photographs and imageson the club website, around the club
• Flying the Aboriginal Flag or the flag of a majority group in your community (if you have a flagpole)
• Having some of your documentation or website contents translated through your Migrant Resource Centre
• Placing the words "We are an Equal Opportunities Organisation" as a footer to your club letterhead etc
• Acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the club stands at official functions. Sample wording "I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my respect to elders past and present". 
• If you have an association with an Aboriginal elder, you may wish to ask them if they would assist you with a Welcome to Country opening for any major club function
• Actively recruiting people of all abilities as volunteers and to play roles (playing or non-playing) at the club
• Using a diverse range of people as guest speakers at club functions.

Ideas for Recruiting New Members

Click Here for recruitment ideas that have worked for other clubs.