By Mohan Kumar, Rotary Club of Bangalore Prime, Karnataka, India
As a district learning facilitator, I sometimes find it challenging to make learning enjoyable, keep our members motivated, and engage them in topics that will help them become more impactful Rotarians.
Sometimes the best approaches to motivation are regional ones, building on the unique experiences and knowledge of local Rotary members. Recently, my district came up with a motivational tool that we’ve had a lot of success with. Maybe it is something that, adjusted for your region, would work for you, too.
We call it Gamification. And it helps recipients retain what they learn while producing greater results. It is also way more fun. It is essentially a club-level recognition and reward system that borrows the best attributes of a game or contest.
To promote learning and development, our gamification system allows Rotary or Rotaract members to earn points for participating in learning modules, working their way up to being recognized as a “Skill Master.”
Members can also earn badges and points for being involved in a Rotary Fellowship or Rotary Action Group.
To increase use and adoption of Rotary digital tools, we instituted a My Rotary Achievers Champion Club award, that recognizes clubs where 100% of members have logged into My Rotary.
Localized club recognition
Because membership is vital to Rotary, we also created a gamification system to reward clubs that attract members and create new clubs. Our quarterly membership recognition program breaks down like this:
- Extension Achievers Champion Club for sponsoring one new Rotary Club
- Rotaract Achievers Champion Club for sponsoring two new Rotaract Clubs
- Interact Achievers Champions Club for sponsoring three new Interact Clubs
- Women in Rotary Achievers Champions Club for adding five new women members
- Growth Achievers Champion Club for adding 5, 10, or 20 new members, earning 1-Star, 2-Star, and 3-Star recognitions
Early results are promising. We have chartered three new Rotary clubs and added 454 new members, positioning us well to expand our reach and amplify our impact. By embracing gamification as a strategy for creativity and innovation, we are strengthening Rotary and ensuring its ongoing relevance.
Rotary International encourages clubs, districts, and zones to recognize outstanding achievements by local Rotarians (Download a customizable award certificate template). Rotary International also has award and recognition programs that thank members for their dedication and valuable contributions.
As Rotarians, we should always be looking to adapt and innovate, customizing approaches to our own regions and communities. Do you have a local program you have come up with to reward and motivate your members? Share it in the comments section below.
Mohan Kumar is charter president of the Rotary Club of Bangalore Prime, Karnataka, India. He is a Rotary Leadership Institute master trainer and a learning facilitator for District 3191 (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, India). He was recognized in 2020-21 as a People of Action: Champion of Health.
https://blog.rotary.org/2025/10/14/motivating-members-by-making-learning-participation-fun/