Skip to main content

Rotary Community Corps

Skip to main content

A Rotary Community Corps (RCC) is a group of non-Rotarians who share our commitment to changing the world through service projects.

RCC members plan and carry out projects in their communities and support local Rotary club projects. Sponsored by a Rotary club, an RCC leverages Rotary’s network, brand, and mentorship by partnering with clubs to plan and implement service projects. RCCs increase Rotary’s impact and expand its reach by bringing the knowledge and talents of local people to strengthen their community through sustainable projects.

There are more than 11,000 corps in 105 countries and 257 districts. RCCs are active everywhere Rotary is present: in urban and rural areas, and in both developed and developing countries. Read more about RCC trends worldwide in the annual Rotary Community Corps report.

  • Japan

    The RCC of Handa Education Circle works with local schools to hold disaster-preparedness classes for young people. Activities include first aid, building portable toilets, and emergency food preparation.

  • Kenya

    The RCC of Cura Village near Nairobi established a home for children whose parents have died of AIDS. Many of the children are HIV-positive themselves.

  • United States

    The RCC of Parker, Colorado, provides a powerful growth and enrichment experience for the teens and adults with special needs who belong to it.

Program Goals

  • Promote sustainable solutions to community needs
  • Support community members in addressing community needs while recognizing their unique ability to identify pressing concerns and appropriate solutions 
  • Develop partnerships between Rotarians and non-Rotarians in a joint effort to strengthen the community

What are the benefits?

By joining or organizing an RCC, you can make a tremendous impact in your community. RCCs empower community members to take the lead in addressing their needs. Projects are more sustainable and have greater impact when community members are involved in their design, implementation, and long-term oversight. Through RCCs, clubs diversify participation in their service activities and help develop new leaders in the community.

RCCs can be created to address an identified need in the short-term through a service project or to address various local needs through ongoing service projects.

How do I join an RCC?

Membership into RCCs is open to any adult in the community who shares Rotary’s commitment to service but is not a Rotary member. Members can be comprised of individuals or an entire village, neighborhood, or community association that wants to work with a club on service projects. The majority of RCCs do not charge membership dues. Those that charge nominal dues use funds to solely offset administrative costs. You can find an RCC in your area by contacting your local Rotary club. If there isn’t a community corps, discuss the idea of starting one with your local Rotary club president. Learn more about what you can do through a Rotary Community Corps.

How do I form an RCC as a community volunteer?

You can form an RCC anywhere community members are interested in working with Rotary. Here are some guidelines:

  • Work with other local residents to identify the community’s greatest needs using this assessment form.
  • Work with a local Rotary club to outline how you will work together.
  • Recruit RCC members. Start with a core group of members. Community organizations and nongovernmental agencies are good places to recruit.

Questions or need support? Contact us.

How does my Rotary club sponsor an RCC?

By sponsoring an RCC, your club gives more people a chance to take action to solve your community’s problems. Here are the steps to start an RCC:

  1. Create awareness for the RCC program within your club.
  2. Assess the need for, and feasibility of, establishing an RCC.
  3. Review Rotary’s policies for RCCs (Chapter 5 of the Rotary Code of Policies, RCC Constitution, and Bylaws).
  4. Guide the process of forming an RCC once the club(s) has agreed to sponsor one.
  5. Identify and recruit at least 10 community members for your RCC.
  6. Register your RCC by sending a completed organization form to Rotary International.
  7. Celebrate once your RCC certificate arrives. Organize an event to recognize the partnership between the RCC and your club.
  8. Help your RCC develop a brand in conformity with Rotary’s visual guidelines. Here are some resources that will help your RCC to develop a strong brand:

How to sustain a successful RCC

Support and mentorship from the sponsoring club is the key to an RCC’s success. Rotary clubs provide ongoing guidance to their sponsored RCC and share service-related resources and tools with the corps. The primary club sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the RCC’s activities are aligned with RI’s policies and procedures. Sponsor clubs are encouraged to invite RCC members to their meetings and events. 

Sponsor Rotary clubs appoint at least one RCC advisor or an RCC committee whose is responsible for participating in the RCC’s meetings and activities, advising on administrative matters, mentoring the RCC leadership and members, keeping the sponsor club informed about the RCC’s activities, and identifying opportunities for the club and RCC to partner on service projects.

Sponsor clubs must update the contact information of their RCC advisor and RCC president annually using this online form. Visit Rotary Club Central to review a list of RCCs sponsored by your club (Reports > Service > List of Rotary Community Corps)   

How to promote RCC

Publicize an RCC’s accomplishments through your club and district communication channels. Share success stories from your sponsored RCC’s activities with Rotary International by emailing us at rotary.service@rotary.org.  

District governors are encouraged to appoint a district community service committee to promote RCCs and other service-related resources to Rotary clubs.

Why Rotary Community Corps?

"Rotary Community Corps are local. They are part of the community and help mobilize the community. They ensure that local needs are met. And most significantly, a Rotary Community Corps has a vested interest in its own success. Their members have to live with the results of their work; their commitments are the basis for sustainability. Rotary grant projects that establish Rotary Community Corps help to ensure that the project’s impact lives on in the community long after Rotary’s direct support ends."

Ron Denham, founder of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Rotary Action Group

Related Stories and Resources

Resources