Increasing our ability to adapt

One of 4 priorities of the Rotary Action Plan: Increasing our ability to adapt

An organization’s ability to adapt is key to its long-term success, which is why Rotary is always looking for ways to improve and evolve.

Virtual connectivity

President McInally, inspired by the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, encourages districts to incorporate more virtual components into their programs, events, and activities to give more people a chance to experience Rotary. Adding virtual components or fully virtual options to Rotary Youth Exchange, Rotary Friendship Exchange, and other programs and events has offered participants new ways to experience other cultures, make new friends, and broaden their global awareness. It has also made participation more accessible to people who have time, health, or financial limitations and has bolstered intercultural communication and understanding.

By offering ways to connect virtually, we allow people to tailor their Rotary experience to suit their needs and preferences.

Serving our members

At the Secretariat, we’re committed to improving and streamlining our processes and our offerings to give you, our members, the time as well as tools and resources you need to serve your clubs and communities. Take our research as an example. We’ve learned a great deal about our members and their interests over the years, and we use these findings to guide our organization and advance our strategic initiatives. And now, we’re making this information available to you.

We also listen to what you need. In preparation for World Polio Day 2023, we used member feedback to improve how we offer materials for promoting polio eradication. These changes resulted in a 150% increase in downloads of those resources compared to the previous year.

We continue to enhance our learning and development offerings for members and provide courses in more than 20 languages. As of April, more than 30,000 first-time users had gone to Rotary’s Learning Center this Rotary year, and users have completed 240,000 courses. Approximately 45% of clubs now use the Learning Center regularly, and that number is expected to keep growing.