Recruitment/Membership Ideas
Ads and ArticlesPlace ads and articles about Key Club in your school newspaper, parent newsletter and community paper.
Announcements
Advertise Key Club meetings and projects in your school's daily announcements.
Ask Around
Ask other club presidents to share their ideas for recruiting members.
Assemblies
Let your whole school know about your club! Put on a skit, play a game, speak about your club, or even out on an entire assembly.
Attend Parent Night, and/or Open House
At these events, have a little table set-up with the club banner, informational packets, pictures of projects, and very enthusiastic clubbers! Also have a sign-up sheet for new members. A lot of parents will sign their kids up.
Award Ceremony
Hold an award ceremony to recognize Key Clubbers who are especially dedicated. Others will be encouraged to join because they want to win awards too.
Balloons
Send balloons to all members as a meeting reminder. Non-Key Club members will be curious and will be encouraged to attend the meeting as well.
Be Flexible
Have different meeting times so everyone can be sure to make them.
Benefits of Key Club
Rave about the benefits of Key Club! Here are just a few ideas.
-Good works recognized at college
-Different levels of clubs throughout life
-Scholarships
-Get out of school for activities
-Gain leadership skills
-Receive tons of community service hours
-Character building
-Make friends/ meet new people
-Meet mommy/daddy/legal guardian approved dating material
Birthday Club
Celebrate your members' birthdays to make them feel special. This can show their friends how cool Key Club is. For example, you could deliver balloons and cards to members during class.
BBQ
Have a recruiting BBQ. Invite members, students, parents, Kiwanis and other K-family members, the principal, and other guests.
Brochures/Flyers
Make a brochure/flyer about your high school's Key Club. Mention things like past projects, include photos, and background info on Key Club International. Handout flyers at many events such as assemblies, sports, and open house.
Bring-a-Friend-to-a-meeting day
Designate a day for members to bring a friend, who isn't a member, to a meeting.
Buddy System
Pair a Key Clubber with a new member to show them the ropes and make them feel valued.
Buttons
Have members wear buttons that say "Ask me what Key Club is." It's dorky, but people will certainly ask!
B.Y.O.B Party
Bring Your Own Banana Party: Put up a sign in the hallways of the school and just have it say "BYOB Party: Bring Your Own Banana Party". Also include the date and time and location. Open it up to the whole school. People will be curious about what it is and they will go the party, finding out that it really is an ice cream sundae party. Have existing members advertise it throughout the school through word of mouth.
Candy
Give away candy but make sure students sign up to be in Key Club before they get any. You can also attach candy to club meeting invitations.
Chalk Talk
Write Key Club in bold letters on the sidewalk using chalk. Don't forget to write the meeting time and place.
Collaborate
Work with other clubs in your school to do projects. That way, you can get members from their clubs.
Coloring Contest
Just like the ones you see at local grocery stores, except high school students can compete! The pictures can have something to do with Key Club. Winners receive a prize. Post winning pictures.
Convention Forum
At District Convention, go the forum about building club membership!
Counseling Office
Leave brochures/flyers in the Counseling Office. Students often go there to find places where they can volunteer and earn community service hours.
Cupcakes
Pretend to be giving away cupcakes, but really hook students on Key Club.
Dance Time
Hold a dance for members only but allow people to sign-up as members at the door.
Decorate
Decorate Key Clubbers' cars/lockers so everyone can see it! Bumper stickers are also great.
Discounts
Work with your school and local merchants to give members discounts. Right now, all Key Club members get 15% off copies at Office Max!
Display Case
Set up a Key Club display case in a visible location. Include pictures, a member of the month, an explanation of Key Club….
District Convention
Send dedicated members to District Convention to gain knowledge and enthusiasm about Key Club.
Door Prizes
Give out door prized for the first 25 (or 10, 15, 20, etc.) new members of the year or to the first people at a meeting.
Early Bird Specials
Provide a discount for members who pay their dues in October. Or, you could give tickets to the first 20 people to come to your meeting, and have a drawing for a prize.
Faculty Support
Inform teachers about Key Club and ask them to advertise it in their classes. Some may even be willing to offer extra credit/leadership points.
Famous Person Tie-In
Have a "famous" person endorse your club/project. Famous can be anyone from a local politician to your favorite English teacher.
Fashion
Create club t-shirts. Members can be fashionable and advertise your club! You can even have "Spirit Days" where all club members wear Key Club clothing.
Fresh Projects
Keep projects fresh and exciting to maintain your current membership. Although it is important to recruit new members, you want to keep the ones you have.
Freshman Orientation
Attend your high school's freshmen orientation. Be prepared to say a few words about Key Club or to set up a booth. Bring along flyers/brochures. Reel them in while their fresh! Call or send to the freshman reminding them about club meetings.
Free Food
Advertise meetings with free food. If you feed them, they will come….
Fulfill Requirements
Offer Key Club as way to fulfill I.B. requirements, honors diploma quotas, or other community service hours.
Fun Meetings
Make meetings fun, productive, and interesting.
Give Scholarships
Give scholarships to low-income students who cannot afford to pay dues.
Greeters
Welcome people as they enter the meeting. Greeters can also tell people in the hall to come and check out Key Club.
Guest Speaker
Bring a meaningful guest speaker to your school.
Help your School
Do a lot of school related projects help out and publicize your club at the same time.
Info Night
Hold an informational meeting night for students and parents where the club officers go over the objectives of the club as well as projects, fundraisers, and community involvement. Have informational pamphlets available and a sign-up sheet. It may be useful to ask the sponsoring Kiwanis Club to attend as well.
Informational Calendars
Provide monthly calendars to advertise Key Club events, Key Club meetings, sports, etc. Number calendars you give away. During the month, pick random numbers to win a prize.
Information Station
Provide a central location where students can go to get information about Key Club and check out upcoming events.
Invitations
Randomly select students from the school and cordially invite them to attend the next Key Club meeting as a guest. This can be done once a week, or once a month. Formal invitations can make people feel like honored guests.
KC Weekend
Promote KC Weekend. Club members will come back even more dedicated, energized and excited about Key Club.
Key Club Video
Make a Key Club Video and play it at an assembly.
Key Club Week
Key Club Week is officially the first week in November. Use this week to perform tons of service and promote your club!
K-Family
Work with other branches of the K-Family. Start or support K-Kids and Builder’s Clubs. Members will join Key Club when they reach high school age.
Letters
Some schools allow their Key Clubs to give out Letters (as in Letterman Jackets) for members who achieve a certain number of hours. If it is possible at your school, advertise Key Club with the possibility of lettering in a school activity.
Lock-In
Have a school-wide lock-in sponsored by Key Club. At the lock-in, set aside a small amount of time to inform people what Key Club is and what it does. Have a sign-up sheet available.
Member-add Forms
Be sure to collect dues and send in a member-add form every time a member joins your club. Forms our available on this site. This insures that all members are covered by liability insurance, can attend rallies, and can go to District and International Convention!
Membership Chair
Hire a membership chair for your club. A recruitment committee is also helpful.
Membership Ideas
Look at the membership ideas list to become informed and inspired about building up your club's membership!
Membership Master
Talk to a membership master near you for more brilliant ideas!
Money
Tell about possible sponsorship/scholarship opportunities through Key Club and Kiwanis.
Mystery Club
For one day, have clubbers wear a band of fabric (all the same color) all day at school. If people ask why they are wearing the band, the response should be "its part of the secret club. There's a meeting today after school if you want to join." The meeting will be a Key Club meeting. Make sure not to advertise the Key Club meeting at all that day so as not to ruin the mystery. Make sure the clubbers know when the meeting is and when so that even without the advertising, they will know the meeting info.
Newsletter
Make a newsletter promoting Key Club. Hand it out to interested members and use it to keep current club members up to date.
New Member Prizes
Give new members a certificate for candy, free food, or another prize.
Open it up to the school
Sponsor a school-wide event (a dance, speaker, etc.) and open it up to the entire school. This will get Key Club's name out there for the students and also allow the students to see how much fun Key Club can be.
Party
Have a themed party for recruitment (Disco?).
Pizza Boxes
Collect pizza boxes, tape them on the school walls, write "look inside" on the top, and inside write "Come to Key Club Meeting for FREE FOOD"
Posters
Put up fliers and posters all over the school. Make sure that posters are colorful, amusing, easy to read, and catch the eye. Change poster periodically.
Presentations
Give presentations in classes extolling the virtues of Key Club.
Presidential Style
Invite the ASB President and Senior Class President to attend a meeting. Then at the next assembly, ask them to promote membership in the club as much as possible.
Project Fair
During lunch, have clubbers in charge of different tables that describe a project your club has done. Each table should have a different project. This will entice new people to join the club if they see a project they are interested in.
Publicity
Publicize projects your Key Club does around the high school to draw interests from students.
Recruiting Contest
Hold a contest between your clubs to see who can recruit the most members. Reward with donuts, cookies, etc.
Sandwich Boards
Have a few Key Clubbers walk around the school all day wearing a sandwich board that advertises Key Club and the next meeting date.
School Events
Hold school-wide events and advertise that Key Club is hosting it.(ex: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF)
Scrapbook
Make a scrapbook documenting your Key Club. Use it to recruit members and enter it in the scrapbook contest at District Convention.
Senior Citizens Discount
To encourage your upper-classmen to attend, give seniors something special.
Service Fair
Host a service fair. Invite local hospitals, libraries, and other places where students can volunteer to set up booths. Be sure to have a Key Club booth!
Siblings / Relatives
Make sure siblings and relatives of K-family members join. You could even give prizes to members who have a brother, sister, or cousin in the club.
Social Events
Make sure your club takes time to have fun! Social events keep members active and pumped about Key Club. They can also be used as a reward after a goal is met. Have a party, go bowling, see a movie, go ice-skating…. Let members invite their friends and inform them about Key Club.
Staff Party
Throw a teacher appreciation party to increase faculty support of your club.
Table of Info
Ask permission to set up a table near/in the cafeteria (or where many students pass) with KC info.
Talk it Up
Use word of mouth to promote your club.
Teacher Recommendations
Ask teachers to recommend students for the club. Then, personally invite them to attend a meeting.
Teaser Announcements
Build intrigue by using "teaser" announcements early. Let students think something worth watching is coming up. Every few day add more details. Stir interest by building curiosity. End with a "now it can be told!" announcement giving all the details.
Theme
Pick a catchy theme and relate advertisement, decorations, prizes, invitations, etc. to it.
Think Outside of the Box
Advertise outside of school. For example, home schooled students might be interested in joining your club.
Tracks
Place footprints or keys in the hall leading to a meeting.
Two-Member Challenge
Encourage each member to recruit two new members. Set a membership goal, and reward your club if you reach it.
Video
Make a promotional video about your club. Air the video on your school’s TV station or even on the news!
Visit Middle Schools
Towards the end of the school year, take a group of energetic and enthusiastic clubbers to the middle schools along with informational packets, pictures of projects, and your club banner. This will get the attention of the incoming freshmen.
You've Been Key-Clubbed
Cut out paper keys, number them and write "You've Been Key-Clubbed" on each one. Then in every classroom, tape one key under one desk only. During any period of the day, make an announcement to the whole school telling them to look under their desks and if they find a key, they are eligible to be entered in a raffle at the Key Club meeting that day. They must bring their key to the club meeting and have it entered in the raffle for it to count. Pull out 3-4 keys and award the winners with prizes. This gets people from all over the school to attend a meeting.