Become a Rotary storyteller!
By Neil McWhannell, Public Image & Partnerships Director, Rotary Pacific
Above: Members of the Rotary Club of Granville attend a live broadcast of Q&A, an influential television program aired nationally by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Every Rotary club has powerful and inspiring stories to tell.
By sharing these stories, we can showcase the dedication of our members and the positive change we create in our communities.
We encourage you to share your stories through various channels, including:
Local media: Submit press releases to newspapers, magazines, and online publications.
Social media: Post compelling stories and visuals on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
To tell your stories most effectively:
Focus on human interest stories that showcase the impact of Rotary on individuals and communities.
Provide high-quality photos and videos that capture the essence of your projects.
Use social media to amplify your reach and engage with a wider audience.
Collaborate with other clubs and districts to share stories and resources.
Remember: Every story matters, every voice counts, and every share makes a difference.
It does work!
Over the past five years, the Rotary Club of Granville in Sydney has been featured fourteen times in local news articles, and has even been recognised in Australian Federal Parliament for their service to the community.
Rotary Club of Granville Membership Chair Renga Rajan says the key to his club’s storytelling success has been working hard to nurture strong relationships with local media organisations and local politicians over time.
Above: District 9675 Governor-Elect and Rotary Club of Granville Membership Chair Renga Rajan.
Earning media coverage
Whenever the Rotary Club of Granville holds a major event, they send out an invitation to their local media contacts beforehand.
After each event, they promptly email a succinct press release to their media contacts, including those who were unable to attend. These notes must clearly highlight the local significance and community impact of the specific event.
Press releases are always accompanied by a selection of high-quality photos, allowing journalists to choose the visuals that best suit their needs. These photos prominently feature Rotary branding to emphasise the Rotary club’s involvement. For instance, club members are pictured wearing shirts with the Rotary Club of Granville’s logo.
Engaging with politicians
To start building relationships, Renga recommends arranging meetings with local councillors, mayors, and state and federal Members of Parliament. Before each meeting, prepare a succinct presentation that clearly demonstrates the value your club provides to your community.
Attending events such as community forums can also be a great way to meet and build rapport with local politicians.
The results are clear!
Building strong relationships with journalists and politicians takes time and effort, but each small step – each meeting or event you attend, each contact you make, and each piece of media coverage you earn – strengthens your public profile and creates more opportunities.
Having spent years nurturing these relationships, the Rotary Club of Granville now receives unprompted requests for media coverage and invitations to important functions from local politicians.
In February 2024, Renga was invited to attend Q&A, a prestigious Australian television panel discussion program that explores important social and cultural issues. Rather than attending as a lone individual, Regna seized the opportunity for his club to attend as a group, with each member proudly wearing a shirt adorned with their club logo. One of their members even got to ask a question on live television!
This television appearance led to three people becoming interested in joining the club.
In one of the club’s proudest moments, in May 2024 Dr Andrew Charlton MP praised the Rotary Club of Granville in Australian Federal Parliament for their positive community impact, and highlighted the key role their diverse membership and inclusive club culture plays in their success.
Need help telling your stories?
Use the Specialist Hub to find and contact a Rotary specialist with expertise in public image who can help you tell your stories effectively.
Additionally, Rotary has a terrific bank of public image resources to assist you.
The more we share our stories, the more people will understand the true heart of Rotary.
Let's tell the world about Rotary and make sure our communities know about the amazing work we do!