So You Want to Grow Your Club? Here’s 5 Ideas to Try
Before you start . . .
Check your capacity. Do you have the team members to handle more students? You should have about 7 kids attending on average for each Small Group Leader (your groups may enroll 8-9). Examine your structures. Does your club have established structures and procedures that will allow for more kids to come into the program? Make sure you’ve established routines and policies for behavior, small groups, games, etc. so that new students can join your club without creating chaos.
You’ve got the structures in place. You’ve got the people. Now you’re ready to grow your club!
Idea #1: Host a Party
Hold a special event and tell students to invite their friends. At the party, tell everyone what Crossroads is all about and make sure they have a fun experience. To invite students, you can create special party invitations that have a line for parents to sign and give permission for attendance on that one day. Then, send home the full club registration flyer to all the students who come to the party.
Idea #2: Create a “Bring A Friend” Incentive
Encourage children to bring a friend. Send them home with an extra flyer or two each week so that they can hand them out to classmates. Offer an incentive for the inviter and the guest. You might also consider a group incentive. For example, “If we have ten visitors next week, we will order pizza.”
Idea #3: Distribute More Flyers
Send out flyers through the school—again. You may have done this at the beginning, but if you have capacity for more students, do it again.
Idea #4: E-mail Newsletter
Ask if the school has an e-mail newsletter and whether you could include a notice about the Crossroads Kids Club in it.
Idea #5: Brainstorm with the Principal
Discuss your desire to grow the club with the principal, and see if there are other ways to meet students and parents. For example, can you have a table at the school’s parent night? Would you be allowed to visit a PTO meeting?
If you would like more customized support in creating a plan for growing your club, talk to your Club Coach and get a copy of our “Pre-Launch Club Promotion Plan” (Even if your club has started, it’s never too late to work on on promoting your club.)
