The 90-Day Club Growth Sprint
START HERE
Pick your sprint based on your biggest gap:
Not enough guests visiting →
Attraction Sprint
Guests don't return after first visit →
Experience Sprint
New members don't stick around →
Integration Sprint
Read the 2-week audit section first, then jump to your chosen sprint.
Introduction
You don't need a five-year strategic plan to start improving your club.
This 90-day sprint gives you quick wins while building toward sustainable growth. Focus: One pillar at a time, measure what matters, adjust as you go.
Before You Start: The 2-Week Audit
Week 1: Gather data
Membership trends:
Current membership vs. 1 year ago, 3 years ago
Age demographics (how many under 50?)
New member sources (how did they hear about you?)
Guest conversion:
How many guests visited in last 12 months?
How many returned for 2+ visits?
How many became members?
Calculate: Guest → Return rate, Return → Member rate
Member satisfaction:
Simple survey (5 minutes max):
Why did you join?
What do you value most?
What frustrates you?
On a scale 1-10, how likely are you to invite a guest?
What would make meetings more valuable?
Week 2: Choose your focus pillar
Based on your data:
Low guest visits →
Focus on Pillar 1 (Attraction)
Guests visit but don't return →
Focus on Pillar 2 (Experience/Programming)
Members join but leave within 12 months →
Focus on Pillar 3 (Integration)
CHOOSE YOUR SPRINT PATH:
Pillar 1 Focus:
90-Day
Attraction Sprint
If your problem is:
Not enough people know you exist
Week 1-2:
☐ Audit your digital presence (website, Google Business Profile, social media)
☐ Update basics: meeting time/location, how to visit, contact info
☐ Add 5-10 recent service project photos to website/social
Week 3-6:
☐ Claim/optimize Google Business Profile
☐ Post service project updates to social media (2x per week minimum)
☐ Get listed on 3+ community calendars
☐ Schedule 1 family-friendly service project (recruiting event)
Week 7-10:
☐ Launch "bring a guest" campaign (incentivize members to invite)
☐ Partner with 1-2 complementary organizations
☐ Local media outreach for major project
Week 11-13:
☐ Measure: Website traffic, guest visits, social engagement
☐ Adjust based on what's working
Pillar 2 Focus:
90-Day
Programming Sprint
If your problem is: Weak or inconsistent programs
Week 1-2:
☐ Survey members: rate last 10 programs, suggest topics
☐ Audit upcoming program calendar (any obvious weak spots?)
☐ Allocate modest speaker budget (even $1,000-2,000 for year)
Week 3-6:
☐ Research and book 2-3 high-quality speakers (3-6 months out)
☐ Create speaker vetting checklist
☐ Develop speaker information form and introduction template
Week 7-10:
☐ Support program chair: assign backup person, provide tools
☐ Implement time discipline protocol (timer, 5-min warning system)
☐ Plan 1 non-speaker program (panel, workshop, or member showcase)
Week 11-13:
☐ Collect feedback on recent programs
☐ Measure: Attendance trends, guest feedback, member satisfaction
☐ Book next quarter's programming based on what worked
Pillar 3 Focus:
90-Day
Integration Sprint
If your problem is: New members don't stick around
Week 1-2:
☐ Exit interviews with 3-5 recent departed members
☐ Survey members who joined in last 12 months about their experience
☐ Recruit 5-8 potential mentors
Week 3-6:
☐ Launch mentor program (match new members within 48 hours of joining)
☐ Create new member welcome packet
☐ Develop 30/60/90 day check-in protocol
Week 7-10:
☐ Assign person to track new member engagement
☐ Host 1 social event focused on new member integration
☐ Create quick paths to service project participation
Week 11-13:
☐ Check in with all members who joined in last 6 months
☐ Measure: new member retention, project participation, satisfaction
☐ Adjust mentor program based on feedback
Universal Quick Wins
(Regardless of Focus Pillar)
Do these in Week 1-4 no matter which pillar you're focused on:
☐ Fix your guest follow-up system (24-hour personal email, 7-day phone call)
☐ Designate weekly greeter rotation
☐ Update website with current info and photos
☐ Start tracking guest visits in simple spreadsheet
☐ Enforce time discipline at meetings (start and end on time)
These cost nothing and improve member satisfaction immediately.
How to Run
Your 90-Day Sprint
Form a small task force:
3-5 committed members (president + 2-4 others)
Meet weekly or bi-weekly for 90 days
Assign specific owners for each action item
Weekly cadence:
Monday: Review last week's progress
Assign this week's actions
Friday: Check-in on progress
Communication:
Update full membership monthly on progress
Celebrate quick wins publicly
Be transparent about challenges
At Day 90:
Full review: What improved? What didn't?
Data check: Did the needle move on your target metrics?
Decision: Continue focus on same pillar, or shift to next one?
Realistic expectations:
You won't transform the club in 90 days
You WILL build momentum and create measurable improvement
Small wins compound into big changes
Measurement: What to Track
Choose 3-5 metrics based on your focus:
Attraction focus:
Website visits per month
Guest visits per month
Social media engagement
Programming focus:
Average meeting attendance
Member satisfaction with programs (monthly quick survey)
Guest return rate after visiting
Integration focus:
New member retention (% still active after 6 months, 12 months)
New member service project participation rate
Exit interview feedback themes
Track monthly. Review quarterly. Adjust approach based on data.
After the Sprint: What's Next?
If your first sprint succeeded:
Maintain the gains (don't let systems slip)
Shift focus to next pillar
Launch another 90-day sprint on different area
If results were mixed:
Honest assessment: Wrong focus? Wrong tactics? Insufficient buy-in?
Adjust and try again
Consider: Do you need outside perspective? District resources? Peer club consultation?
Long-term:
Annual cycles: Q1 focus on X, Q2 focus on Y
Continuous improvement mindset, not "one and done"
Celebrate progress, not just perfection
Conclusion
Sustainable club growth doesn't require elaborate strategic plans or massive budgets. It requires focused attention on the fundamentals: making people aware you exist, delivering value when they visit, and integrating them into club life.
Pick one pillar. Sprint for 90 days. Measure what changes. Adjust and repeat.
Download this as a PDF checklist: 90-Day Club Growth Sprint Workbook
Read the full series:
