Kiwanis open house toolkit - Kiwanis Children's Fund

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membership toolkit

Kiwanis open house What’s a great way to engage your community in our fight against maternal and neonatal tetanus—and give your club more visibility? Hold an open house for The Eliminate Project! The event can also help strengthen your club by attracting new, service-minded members.

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© UNICEF/NYHQ2005-2102/Bannon

Before you host a party, you make sure your house is festive and tidy. The same goes for your club. Before you plan your open house, take a good look at your club to make sure it’s healthy, your members are enjoying a great Kiwanis experience and your club’s making an impact in the community. Conducting a club assessment will help. You might even consider making this a larger event by coordinating with other clubs in your area. Work with your lieutenant governor and district coordinator for The Eliminate Project if you need help determining a good fit.

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Contents

1. PLAN Page 2

2. PREPARE Page 4

3. PURSUE Page 6



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Resources Page 7

Link to these helpful resources at www.TheEliminateProject.org.

UNI33480.jpg SOCIAL

MEDIA

SERVICE

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Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

www.TheEliminateProject.org

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1. PLAN Secure commitment. The first step is to secure the support and commitment of your club leadership, committee chairs and your membership. The participation of everyone is key to a successful and fun open house.

Assign tasks.

Identify a team of six, including your club’s membership committee and The Eliminate Project club chair, to take on the following roles and responsibilities:

Open house lead:

Leads and facilitates the entire process.

Attendance lead:

Develops prospect list, invitations and responses.

Logistics lead:

Coordinates arrangements for the big day: food and drink, physical location, materials to hand out, decor, name tags, greeters, music, signs, door prizes (if available).

Program lead:

Plans meeting agenda, coordinates speakers, videos and entertainment.

Public relations lead: Develops media relations plan to publicize the open house and generate local media coverage. See the public relations toolkit for ideas. Service project(s) lead: Plans and organizes one or two service projects (ideally maternal and/or neonatal health-related) to take place after the open house, so that prospective members can experience Kiwanis service and are further inspired to join. For more information, see The Eliminate Project service project toolkits.

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

Who to invite? Consider targeting these groups for your club’s open house: • Parents of newborns • Women’s groups • Mothers’ groups • Parents of students and adults in your club’s Service Leadership Programs • The medical/pediatric community • Social service organizations

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Target audiences.

Focus your recruiting efforts for the open house on audiences that can relate to The Eliminate Project and care about protecting the connection between mother and baby. Consider young parents, parenting groups, preschool teachers or medical staff.

Develop an invitation. Start with the parents of members in your

Service Leadership Programs and the people your members already know, then check your local hospitals, associations and support groups. Use the invitation template provided in the resources section of this toolkit. Consider these resources to get you started with your invitation list: www.newparents.meetup.com: This site connects groups of new and expectant mothers around the world. www.mops.org: MOPS International (Mothers of Preschoolers) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging, equipping and developing mothers of preschoolers to realize their potential as women, mothers and leaders. www.theagapecenter.com/Organizations/Nursing.htm: The Agape Center provides a listing of several nursing associations in different countries. www.missiondoctors.org: Mission Doctors Association is a community of doctors who go on missions to serve people in the most underserved areas of the world. www.aap.org: The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization committed to the optimal physical, mental and social health and well-being of all infants, children, adolescents and young adults. www.healthymomshealthybabies.com: Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies is a community of women with a passion for health and wellness for themselves and their families.

House rules The term “open house” can be misunderstood, so make the tone of your event as clear as possible. Try to touch on these key points in your invitations: Time: Indicate a start and end time. Plan for your open house to take around 90 minutes from start to finish. Keep in mind that guests will likely linger for up to an hour after your ending time, so plan accordingly. Food and beverages: Let your guests know if they will be heavily wined and dined or lightly “soda-d” and snacked. Hors d’oeuvres may be “light” or “heavy.” Vegetables, fruits and cheeses are usually considered light. A buffet can be a small snack selection or a full-course meal, so try to be as explicit as possible about your menu offering. Attire: Let guests know if dress for the event is informal, formal, business or business casual.

• Usually only a third of those you invite are likely to attend your event, so make sure you invite three times the number of desired guests. For example, if you are looking to have 50 guests, develop an invitation list of about 150 people. • Mail the invitation about three weeks before the open house, and designate members of your club to follow up in person a week later. If any of your club members has a personal connection with the people invited to the open house, ask them to initiate the personal follow-up. • If a flier-style invitation would work better for your club, use the provided template on page 10 and 11.

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

www.TheEliminateProject.org

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2. prepare Remember that the purpose of your open house is to inspire your guests to join your club and its efforts to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus from the face of the earth. With this in mind, prepare every detail to achieve that purpose.

The meeting place. Your club can hold the open house in your regular meeting place if appropriate, or at a restaurant, banquet center, community outdoor venue such as a park or garden, or any other place that allows your club to showcase what you do and project the image you want your guests to leave with.

Room setup. Because this is an open house, take care to provide

opportunities for guests to mingle and meet new people, and talk to the members of your club. Create an inviting and sociable environment. Here are some tips to keep the party flowing: • A welcome table: Set up a registration table at the entrance attended by a couple of club members, where guests receive nametags. This will facilitate conversation. Be sure to collect guests’ contact information so you can follow up.

• Satellite stations: Post table stations around the room. Whether you’re providing food and beverages on a buffet line or having servers pass through the room with trays of bite-size food, these stations will give guests more opportunities to meet club members and community leaders. • Greeters: Recruit the most sociable, outgoing and positive members of your club to serve as greeters. Ask them to go around the room greeting and meeting as many people as they can. Make sure as many Kiwanians as possible are present before the guests arrive. • Takeaways: Prepare materials to be distributed to your guests. Include club brochures, membership applications, an invitation to your club’s upcoming service project for The Eliminate Project and The Eliminate Project informational brochure, which you can find at www.TheEliminateProject.org/resources.

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

TIP

The name game Make name tags work for you. Try these tips. 1. Be prepared. Prepare nametags in advance. Use the nametag template included in this toolkit. 2. Think big. Use large (36-point) type for first names. 3. Include the right stuff. That means everyone’s first name, last name and organization name. 4. Code it. Use the Kiwanis logo for club members’ nametags and the house motif for guests’ nametags (see page 12 and 13). Or use your own color-coded nametags. For example, red-colored tags for guests and blue-colored for Kiwanians. This makes it easier for your members to mingle with your guests, and to find someone to ask questions about your club. 5. Make it easy. Arrange the nametags in alphabetical order at your welcome table, and assign a club member to help guests find their nametags and pin them on.

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Agenda. As you prepare the program for your open house, consider the following agenda:

1. Social time: Tours of your club’s facilities or club showcase exhibit (see sidebar at right). 2. Welcome. 3. A brief (5-minute) presentation about Kiwanis International and your club, outlining the project your club will implement, and the top three goals your club has established for the next few years. 4. Introduction of The Eliminate Project with a video (see the options at www.TheEliminateProject.org/resources), then an explanation of how your club is fighting maternal and neonatal tetanus. 5. The Kiwanis experience. Remarks about the club’s impact through service projects, and the need to bring in new members with additional talents, connections and experiences to further the work of the club to fight MNT and address additional needs in the community. Describe the responsibilities of members so guests leave with a strong desire to participate and realistic expectations of the club. 6. Invitation to join. 7. Social time and tours of your club’s facilities or club showcase exhibit.

Decor. Place posters (see templates in the resource section)

and collection cans around the room to set the tone: We need more people to join the team locally, to fight maternal and neonatal tetanus globally. Review facts about The Eliminate Project in advance so club members are ready to answer questions. You can find resources—including posters—at www.TheEliminateProject.org/resources.

Ambience.

Music can help reinforce your message and set the mood for your event.

Publicity. Promote your club open house. You’ll find tips in

The Eliminate Project social media toolkit and public relations tookit at www.TheEliminateProject.org/resources.

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

Club showcase exhibition What better way to show off all the great things your club does than a little exhibition? You can set it up on display tables around the room. The goal is to showcase your club’s activities and the impact your club and its members have on the community. In a nutshell, the club showcase exhibit is a way to tell your club’s story. Here are a few of the items you might include: Photos. Take the time to select 10 to 15 photos (depending on the size of the location and the crowd you are expecting). Include service projects, fundraisers and fellowship moments. Enlarge the photos for more impact, and consider adding captions or descriptions to go with the photos. Choose action photos instead of static “grip and grin” shots. Objects. Display items that tell the story of your club. For example, include a T-shirt from a recent walkathon, an invitation to a fundraiser or a certificate from the mayor expressing thanks for your club’s contribution. PowerPoint. You could prepare a PowerPoint presentation of your club’s best photos that could loop during the event. Video. Consider adding a video for The Eliminate Project. You can download videos at www.TheEliminateProject.org/resources. Have a club member walk around with guests to share details about club activities and listen for questions. The items in your club showcase exhibition will serve as conversation starters, so make sure club members are ready to share Kiwanis stories. www.TheEliminateProject.org

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3. pursue Following up is key to maintaining the momentum and enthusiasm generated by your event.

Thank everyone who participated. This goes for all those guests who attended your open house as well as for those club members who helped make your event happen. Be sincere and express appreciation for their contribution as specifically as you can. (See thank-you note template in the resource section.)

Provide new-member orientation. Within a week or two of the open house, conduct a new-member orientation for those individuals who turned in their membership applications during the event. Visit www.KiwanisOne.org/orientation for resources.

Assign mentors to the new members. A strong connection among the members of your club is key to attracting and retaining new members. Mentors for new members can really make a difference.

Give them work

. Assign tasks and responsibilities for the new members at the upcoming service project(s) and assign new members to a club committee based on their interests.

Invite them to a Service project. Invite not only the new members who signed up, but also those undecided during the open house. Participating in one or two service projects (preferably maternal and/or neonatal health-related) a week or two after the open house, provides prospective members the opportunity to experience Kiwanis service, and reinforces their desire to join.

Check in periodically with those individuals who did not join but would like to stay in touch with the club. These potential members become your membership pipeline for future recruiting activities.

Plan your next recruiting event. Evaluate with your members what went well and what could have gone better. Keep their feedback in mind for your next event. You can find other ideas for membership campaigns at www.KiwanisOne.org/reveal.

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

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RESOURCES

Templates Use these resources to plan and promote your open house.

1. OPEN HOUSE checklist 2. Fliers 3. nametags 4. Invitation 5. Thank-you card 6. coin can label

Find other resources at www.TheEliminateProject.org/resources.

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

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RESOURCES

Open house checklist Objective: To recruit ____________ new members Action

Person responsible Deadline

Status

Choose date Choose location Choose time Form event team Determine budget Book caterer Complete invitation lists Choose theme Select menu Finalize decor Set agenda Identify speakers • Club members • Outside speakers Select and plan sound system setup (if applicable) Develop public relations strategy • Write media advisories/press releases using template in PR toolkit • Create media list • Distribute media advisories to appropriate media outlets 1 week before the event • Follow-up with press (one day before the event) • Distribute press release the day of the event Prepare press kit items • Brochures describing your club • Handouts about The Eliminate Project • Info about your club’s impact in the community

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

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RESOURCES Action

Person responsible Deadline

Status

Prepare handouts for the event • Club brochure • Nametags • The Eliminate Project brochure • Membership application • Invitation to next service project(s) Prepare club showcase exhibit • Enlarged club photos • The Eliminate Project posters • The Eliminate Project video • Club objects Prepare signage • Directional • Welcome • Other Prepare invitations • Assign RSVP team and contact • Complete invitations • Prep invitations • Post fliers • Prepare map and parking instructions Prepare member participation strategy • Registration table (2 members) • Mingling with guests (8 to 10 members) • Event coordinators who will answer questions (2 members) • Tour guides (3 members) Finalize attendance numbers and share with members and caterer Physical setup complete • Displays • Signage • Walk-through • Tour rehearsal Thank-you notes complete Member/event team critique complete

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

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Kiwanis OPEN HOUSE

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Kiwanis International

Learn about The Eliminate Project, Kiwanis International’s global campaign for children, at a special open house. Hosted by: When: Where: Contact:

www.TheEliminateProject.org

kiwanis OPEN HOUSE

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Kiwanis International

www.TheEliminateProject.org

RESOURCES

Nametags Trim

www.kiwanis.org

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Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

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RESOURCES

Nametags Trim

www.kiwanis.org

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www.kiwanis.org

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Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

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RESOURCES

Invitation Trim

www.kiwanis.org Fold

YOU’RE INVITED

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

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RESOURCES

Thank-you card Trim

www.kiwanis.org Fold

Thank you

Membership toolkit: Kiwanis open house

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and neonatal tetanus.

help eliminate maternal

child. Make a gift and

between mother and

Protect the connection

and neonatal tetanus.

help eliminate maternal

child. Make a gift and

between mother and

Protect the connection

© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0655/Asselin

© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0655/Asselin

Coin can label Trim