The Pride of Lions: Service

The Pride of Lions: Service

Lions clubs members give and volunteer for a variety of causes.

With 1.35 million members in more than 200 countries, Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization. But just how service-oriented are its members? And what roles do women play in today’s Lions clubs?

To find out, the Center on Philanthropy conducted one of the first international surveys of a service club organization. Sponsored by CCS and Lions Clubs International, the study asked Lions clubs members in 12 countries about their charitable giving, volunteering, and club leadership.

“The survey findings affirm what we thought but haven’t had much data to confirm,” says Rebecca Daou, division manager for Lions Clubs International Foundation. “The research reveals that Lions members are connected to their communities in strong and diverse ways through action and engagement.”

Preliminary findings indicate that Lions clubs members give and volunteer at higher rates than the average population in all 12 countries surveyed. Worldwide, 92 percent of Lions donated to charitable causes in 2010, and 86 percent volunteered.

In the United States, 97 percent of Lions respondents donated and 97 percent volunteered. Among all Americans, the Center estimates that 66 percent gave; 26 percent volunteered, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

This commitment to service may be due in part to Lions’ greater levels of social trust. Lions clubs members in most of the countries surveyed trust people from other backgrounds significantly more than the general population does—and higher social trust indicates a greater likelihood of charitable giving.

“Are Lions more trusting in the first place, and so they join a Lions club? Or do they join a Lions club and become more trusting because they’re constantly exposed to global members and causes through an international service club?” asks Deborah Hirt, who coordinated the survey for the Center. “It’s probably some of both.”

The study found that Lions’ involvement extends to a wide range of local and international organizations—it’s not confined to club activities. “These are people who are potential donors and potential volunteers for other causes,” Hirt says.

These donors and volunteers include many women.

“The greatest area of membership growth in Lions Clubs International has been in women members,” Daou says. “One in four Lions clubs members is female, and that proportion continues to grow, especially in the developing world.”

Countries such as Nigeria, China, India, and Mexico are leading the growth in female members. In the United States, Lions’ female membership more than doubled between 1996 and 2011.

Women aren’t just joining: They play important roles in Lions clubs worldwide. The study found that male and female Lions donated and volunteered at roughly equal rates in most countries. And more than half of survey respondents said women and men participate equally in the leadership of their clubs.

“It shows that women are taking strong initiative in Lions clubs,” Hirt says. “They’re leaders, and their influence is strongly felt in Lions clubs in the United States and around the world.”

For other nonprofits seeking to involve service club members, Hirt recommends engaging men and women in ways ranging from offering hands-on service opportunities for entire clubs to connecting with individual members and leaders.

Nonprofits should also consider whether their cause aligns with a service club’s core values, and avoid making assumptions. Although Lions are well known for supporting sight programs and eye care, their service includes a variety of efforts, from youth programs to disaster relief.

“Don’t rule them out, thinking ‘Lions clubs are just focused on sight, they wouldn’t be interested in our work,’” Hirt says. “Go ahead, reach out, and form relationships.”

More Info

Contact Una Osili, director of research at the Center on Philanthropy, at uosili@iupui.edu and Nicole Brown at Nicole.Brown@lionsclubs.org.