5 Simple Ways To Get More Members Involved In Your Club’s Committee

Serving on a club's committee can be intimidating. With extra work, responsibilities, and more to juggle, it's no surprise that people aren't eager to fill those roles. Don't worry; this isn't a negative reflection on you or your club; it's just a normal hesitancy to take on extra work and responsibilities.

However, this doesn’t mean that you need to give up on filling those vacant committee positions. You just need to make some changes to how you do things to make potential volunteers feel more comfortable and capable of taking on that extra work. So, with that in mind, let’s talk about simple ways to get more members involved in your committee.

1. Clearly Define The Role & Its Limits 

Clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of committee members. When potential volunteers know what’s expected of them, they’re more likely to step up and fill those roles. You should also provide examples of tasks and the time commitment required. 

Consider setting limits on how long people can hold specific roles. This can prevent burnout and allow more members to contribute. It also makes signing up for a committee position more manageable. Remember, it's called club president, not club pope; this doesn't need to be a lifelong commitment. Make sure people know that there are term limits if they want them.

By clearly defining the scope and length of the roles in question, you can make members feel more comfortable deciding whether to volunteer. They can clearly see what will be required of them and will be able to make educated decisions. 

2. Offer Incentives For Taking On Extra Work

If you’re asking people to take on extra work and responsibilities, it’s only fair that you compensate them for that extra work. I know that saying offer incentives and compensate them for their work makes it sound like some shady gangster movie kind of thing, but I promise you that’s not what we’re talking about here. 

 

 

This could be something as simple as giving committee members discounts at the club shop, reduced membership fees, discounted event tickets, or free club merchandise. It doesn’t have to be all of these. It doesn’t need to be anything crazy, but allowing board members to get free or reduced membership or discounts on event tickets is a great way to incentivise people to sign up to help you out. 

These people voluntarily give up their precious time to help you out, and showing that you appreciate that sacrifice is just polite. 

3. Offer Extra Training & Support   

Many people may be hesitant to volunteer for your committee because they feel they would be out of their depth being on a committee and using your membership management system. The good news is that this problem can be fixed relatively easily by offering new committee members training and support. 

Member Jungle can help with this by providing extra training for new committee members to help them get up to speed with your system. Beyond this, just make sure you take it easy on your new committee members and give them ample support as they learn the system and what’s required of them. 

Potential committee members will feel much more comfortable volunteering to help if they know they will be given training, support and guidance, not just thrown in the deep end and told to swim. 

 

 

Additionally, parent bodies, like Clubs NSW for licensed clubs in NSW, offer great training options for new committee members.

For more information about new committee member training, please check out Committee Changes & Training.

4. Make Committee Meetings Easier To Attend

Firstly, consider holding open committee meetings if you haven't already done so. Allowing any club member to attend and listen to a meeting will enable them to learn about what happens behind the scenes, participate in discussions, understand club operations, and develop an interest in board membership. This will demystify the process and make it more approachable for them to consider becoming a committee member.

Secondly, have an online option for your committee meetings. Allowing committee and standard members to attend meetings online will make it easier and more doable for many people. More standard members will likely start showing up to meetings as they can now do so from home. Potential committee members may be less hesitant to volunteer as they know they can attend meetings online if needed. 

To learn more about hosting events like committee meetings, read How To Host An Online Club Event With Member Jungle.

5. Promote A Positive, Inclusive & Diverse Atmosphere 

Ensuring your club and committee maintain a positive and supportive atmosphere is crucial for long-term success. Creating a positive, inclusive environment will help show members that their opinions and input are valued and respected and will encourage them to be more active in your club. 

Likewise, embracing diversity will bring new perspectives, insights, and ideas, enriching the decision-making process and fostering the club's overall improvement. New people have new ideas, perspectives, and skills to help your club grow and thrive. 

Fostering a positive, inclusive, and diverse atmosphere is very important for many reasons, not least that being negative, exclusive, and homogeneous is how we get European royal families and the Habsburg Jaw. 

 

 

Unfun fact: King Charles the II of Spain was so inbred that he couldn’t close his mouth or chew. 

Your club’s committee needs diversity, is what I’m saying. 

Your Next Steps

Well, those are five simple ways to encourage more people to volunteer to sign up for your club’s board or committee. 

For more information on how to give your new committee members access to the parts of the system they need, please read Share The Administrative Load With Your Committee Using Member Jungle.

For a guide on what to do when club admin personnel change, check out 3 Easy Steps To Take When Your Club Has A Site Administrator Change.