How to attract new members to a club or association

To attract new members to a club or association, ask people in person, give them an easy first visit, and say plainly what a member gets. Then make joining one short step and follow up with everyone who came. Rotary District 7070 calls asking someone the most effective way it has found.

This guide is about getting people through the door: who to ask, what to tell them, and how to make the first step small. What happens after someone joins is a different job, and we keep it out of this guide. We read the sources on 1 October 2026. Each source and its dates are listed at the end.

Start with who you want to reach

A club that says “everyone is welcome” usually reaches no one in particular. Before you plan anything, write down two or three kinds of people you would like to see at the next meeting. A walking club might want people who have just moved to the area. A choir might want tenors, or people free on weekday evenings.

Then ask your current members two questions. Why did they join? What almost stopped them? Their answers tell you where the next members are likely to come from and what is in their way.

How to persuade people to join a club?

Ask them. It sounds too simple, but Rotary District 7070 says it outright. It calls asking someone “the most effective way we have found”.

A personal invitation works better than a poster because it answers the question every newcomer has: will I know anyone there? A few habits make asking easier:

• Ask for something small. “Come to Thursday’s session” is easier to accept than “join our club”.
• Ask more than once. Rotary’s list says to keep inviting a prospective member unless they give you a clear no.
• Give every member a short answer to “what is your club about?”. Rotary suggests a one-minute version that members practice at club meetings.

In Groupanda, each group has one invite link, and joining can be open, by invitation through that link, or after approval.

Make the first visit easy

Most people want to see a club before they commit to it. Give them a visit with a low bar: an open evening, a social night, or a regular session where guests are expected.

Make sure someone is waiting for the guests. A guest left alone at the edge of the room has little reason to come back. Introduce them to two or three members, tell them what happens next, and note their name and how to reach them.

Make joining one short step

Between “this looks good” and “I am a member” there is usually a form, an email or a payment. ClubPilot, which sells membership software to clubs in the UK, puts it bluntly: “The biggest leak in most clubs is not a lack of interest. It is a clunky join process.” Its advice is to sign people up on the day, before they leave.

Count the steps a newcomer has to take: a form, an email to the secretary, a payment, a reply. Remove every step you can, and make sure the person knows what to do next.

Say plainly what a member gets

People join when they can picture the first month. Write down, in a few lines, what a member actually gets: when you meet, what you do, how members keep in touch, and what it costs. Put that text wherever people find you, and give it to every guest.

Be honest about the effort too. If the club expects members to help at two events a year, say so before they join. Nobody likes to find that out after paying.

Follow up with each person

Follow up soon after a visit, while the evening is still fresh. Rotary suggests making one member responsible for following up with guests and reporting back. A short, personal message is enough: thank them for coming, mention the next date, and offer to meet them at the door.

Former members belong on your follow-up list too. Rotary’s advice includes keeping in touch with members who have left. ClubPilot suggests asking former members to come back, and says they are often the easiest people to bring back because they already know the club.

What are some examples of recruitment strategies?

• Each member brings one guest to a regular session.
• An open evening or social night aimed at people who have never been.
• A short write-up in a local newspaper, newsletter or community noticeboard.
• Joint events with other local groups whose members share your interest.
• Members’ own stories of why they belong, in the club newsletter and on its website, as Rotary’s list suggests.
• A personal message to former members before the start of a new season.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most effective way to recruit members for a club?

A personal invitation. Rotary District 7070 calls asking someone the most effective way it has found.

How can a small club attract members without a budget?

Start with the steps that cost nothing: personal invitations from every member, a regular session where guests are expected, and a short way to join. A message to former members costs nothing either.

When is the best time to recruit for a club?

Treat it as a habit through the year, not a single campaign. ClubPilot suggests planning around a club’s natural peaks, typically the start of a new season and the new year, when people are most open to joining something.

The short version

Decide who you want to reach, ask them in person, and give them an easy first visit. Then make joining one short step, say plainly what a member gets, and follow up with everyone who came. Once someone has joined, the next step is to welcome them, which our guide to new member onboarding covers. For joining, announcements and channels in a club in detail, read how Groupanda works as a club communication app.

Sources

Each source below gives the date the page carries, on the page or in its metadata, or says that it carries none, and the day we read it.

• Rotary District 7070, Top 50 Ways To Attract New Members. Asking someone as the most effective way, repeated invitations, the one-minute answer, following up with guests, keeping in touch with former members, and members’ stories. No publication or update date of its own on the page or in its metadata. Read 1 October 2026.
• ClubPilot, How to Increase Club Membership: 10 Practical Strategies That Actually Work. The clunky join process, signing people up on the day, former members, and planning around the new season and the new year. Published 14 July 2026. Read 1 October 2026.