Key Club International focuses on empowering leadership through service. Many schools have active members but there are always a few who stay out of the limelight. Sometimes it’s a struggle getting members to participate. If you’re going through the same hurdles you might want to consider the following Key Club Advisor tips we put together.
Key Club Advisor Tips for Increasing Member Participation
Put a Face to the Activity
Some students don’t get involved because of the anonymity of some service projects. They might want to donate or volunteer. The only problem is that they don’t meet the people they’re helping. Some service projects fix this problem. Those are the ones that you need to focus on. Put those service projects front and center.
Students will empathize more when they get to interact with the people they’re aiding. This will encourage them to participate more in the organization.
Some good service projects that do this include 826LA and Yuda Bands. Both allow the members to communicate with the people they’re aiding. 826LA centers on aiding creative children. It focuses on creative arts like writing and painting. Yuda Bands centers on selling bracelets to fund education in Guatemala and Zimbabwe.
It’s always better to help someone you know. People often volunteer or donate more when they know where the money and goods are going. Center on activities like these so that you can encourage more members to participate.
Let the Members See the Benefits of Their Labor
Students are a fickle bunch at times. Some members might not participate because they don’t see any immediate benefits. Change this by showing them how their participation benefits them. Let them see the fruits of their labor.
You can start by focusing on the other end of the activity. Show how their participation helped build homes or put a poor child in school. Let them see how their participation aided a family that lost everything in a storm. This will build a bridge of empathy and encourage them to do more.
From there you can show them the front end benefits. Show how their participation reflects on their resume. Let them see how their participation can help them land a career after they graduate from school. Show how some successful people started as active Key Club members.
Focus on Low-Cost Activities
Some members won’t participate for financial reasons. Fix this by focusing on activities that don’t cost much to launch. Middle and high school students can do some service projects free of charge.
Extra Life is a good example. Students can raise funds for children’s hospitals simply by playing video games live on Twitch or YouTube. Members help the community and have fun doing so. Every year this event earns a lot from the gaming community and Key Club members can do a lot participating in it.
Then there is The Yuda Bands Project. The organization handles the cost for marketing supplies and shipping. The students then have two weeks to sell as many bracelets as possible. If there are any bracelets left, the students can ship them back for free.
