Rotary International was a global organization long before the idea of going global became fashionable. With the relaunch of the RI Web site in October, RI has fashioned a dynamic, state-of-the-art technology tool that enables the organization to take a giant step forward and helps Rotarians around the world to leave their footprints of goodwill and fellowship in more places than ever. 

In December, two months after the relaunch, the sense of positive energy at Rotary International headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, was palpable. What had once seemed a daunting task to the many people involved in the project had officially changed to the status of mission accomplished, permitting a collective sigh of relief and satisfaction.

“The spirit of Rotary is reflected in the work that went into the site,” says Web Editor Antoinette Tuscano. “Everyone came together for the common purpose of improving what, in the age of technology, is the public face of the organization. We want Rotarians to feel good about the Web site, just as they feel good about the work they do.”

Daily news and images

Vince Aversano, manager of the Communications Division, says that the limitations of the original Web site became very clear during planning for the Rotary centennial in 2005. Soon after, the blueprint for change began to take shape. The old site “essentially served mainly as a business function,” he explained. “We’ve turned it into a primary communications vehicle, not only to our members but to the public. Technology is communication, and it needs to be collaborative and integrated. As an international organization, we needed the Web site to reflect that and to better serve the needs of our international members. The upgraded site is now a daily publication of the organization.”

Aversano pointed to the new image library as one of the upgrade’s most valuable benefits for members. Local Rotary clubs can now download professionally produced images to their own Web sites and use them to produce high-quality printed materials. “We need to be innovative, fresh, and exciting, and I think we’ve accomplished that,” he says.

Upgraded Web site

Web Department Manager David Schober cited the new Web site capability of providing daily news updates as supporting evidence. Schober is hopeful that the upgraded site will have new video on a weekly basis. He also is encouraged by the huge increases in both the number of visits to the site and the number of comments left on the site by visitors within the first two months of the upgrade.

“We had two options in redoing the Web site,” Schober said. “Go slowly and revise it bit by bit, or do it with a broad stroke.” He acknowledged that the broad stroke option could initially cause some pain to those already in the habit of using the site, but he believed that would be easily alleviated by the greater gain for many. Categories on the old site were labeled by the department names used within the Secretariat. Categories on the new site are more general, but the information within them is better organized and thus more accessible to those who aren’t knowledgeable about RI’s administrative structure. This redesign makes for easier navigation and a more enjoyable browsing experience.

One aspect of the new Web site that Schober is especially excited about is the language capability. “Nearly 90 percent of the information on the Web site is accurately translated into the eight other languages on the site,” compared with a tiny fraction of translated information on the old site, he said. “Conveying messages as quickly as we can, in as many languages as we can, speaks to the idea that Rotary is an international organization and helps our international members.

“Our overall goal was to create a conversation among members,” Schober continued. “We want people throughout the organization to know what others in the organization are doing. That’s something that benefits individual Rotarians and the organization as a whole. My goal is to make Rotarians feel that they can’t go more than a couple of days without visiting the website to find out what is going on.”

Expanded communication

In addition to the photo images and information updates, one specific improvement that Schober believes Rotarians will find useful is the capability of e-mailing anything on the Web site. With the old site, this option was limited to news items.

Schober said that one criticism he’s received is that the site seems to be targeted to novice Rotarians. “I take that as a compliment,” he said. “We want the Web site to speak to people who are not familiar with the Rotary and want to learn about it. It’s a way to communicate with younger Rotarians and prospective members. In addition to talking to someone about the work of Rotary, a member can tell that person, a prospective member, to visit the Web site. We want it to serve the dual purpose of helping longtime members and educating new ones.”

Broadcast media

As manager of RI’s Broadcast Media Department, Stephen Guenther is responsible for all video and photographic material, including the new image library. The library contains an initial 2,300 digital still images available for members to download, Guenther said. The plan is to track usage, then add and replace images based on members’ interest and need. Broadcast Media has also obtained a nonprofit license to post Rotary video documentaries on YouTube and is exploring the possibility of placing Rotary video on other broadcast and Internet outlets, with an eye toward promoting the work of Rotarians.

“We’ve gotten to a point where people make judgments about an organization based on the quality of the Web site,” he said. “Video is no longer an added bonus – people expect it to be there. The new site has a contemporary look and feel that conveys a positive message about Rotary. We have to reach the next generation of Rotarians. One of the ways to do that is through technology.”

Only the beginning

As the general manager for Information Services, Peter Markos has the final word on the role of technology at Rotary. “By moving to this new technology platform, we are laying the foundation for a lot more to come,” he said. “We’re now able to deliver more in the way of information and services to everyone – Rotarians, local clubs, donors, people wanting to learn about Rotary. The upgraded Web site puts us in a position to do much more. The future is very bright.”