ClubRunner's Holiday Schedule

ClubRunner's hours of operation will be reduced during the holiday season as noted below:


For assistance, please continue to use our help resources to access FAQ's and instructional guides:

• Knowledgebase


• How to Guides


• On-Demand Videos


• e-support Center
  

Tip of the Week!

Tip #51: Did you know that you can track website statistics?

It is always nice to be able to keep track of the amount of traffic your website receives as it gives you a good sense of how popular your website is. Keeping track of the amount of hits your webpages receive is an easy process. Although there are many third party tools available, we recommend using Stat Counter. This is a free service that many of our customers use and can be found at http://www.statcounter.com/.

If you do choose to install StatCounter, make sure to select the "HTML only counter", so that you will be able to paste the code into your articles or stories on your ClubRunner website. Doing so will allow you to gauge the popularity of your stories and articles at all times!

Please note, Stat Counter is a third party tool that has no affiliation with ClubRunner.

Tip of the Week!

Tip #50: Did you know that it is now possible to obtain a URL for any of your club documents, files, and site pages?

We’ve implemented a new feature in the “Edit Download files, Edit Site Pages & Edit Club Document” sections. You will now see a clipboard icon in these sections, next to all the items on your list. Simply click on this icon to copy the address to your clipboard, ready to paste into a link, email or place anywhere on your ClubRunner website. Try it out today!

ClubRunner Now Available in French & Spanish!

Early on last year, we announced that ClubRunner had begun to support Unicode, which meant that clubs could create their stories, news and eBulletin content in another language. In an attempt to support our International customers, ClubRunner is proud to announce that we now support the entire platform (members only area and website) in any language!

We’re excited to announce that ClubRunner is now available in French and Spanish! The first club to launch their ClubRunner website entirely in Spanish is Club Rotario de Ramos Arizpe. To view their website, click here. The first French club is the Rotary Club of Rimouski. To view their website, click here.

This upgrade will allow any club in the world to use ClubRunner in their own language. If you would like ClubRunner services customized to your language, contact us to inquire about our global translation project. Stay tuned as we launch ClubRunner in more languages in the near future!

Top 5 Advantages of the RI Database Integration

ClubRunner’s mission has always been to make technology work for anyone, anywhere, anytime impacting their work in a natural and effective way. As such, we strive to simplify everyday tasks such that club members can spend their valuable time engaging in other activities. As a result, we recently integrated our database with Rotary International. This technological merger signifies a base upon which ClubRunner will continue to grow and surpass expectations.

As a result of the RI Integration, clubs will benefit from numerous advantages. Below is simply a list of the top 5 advantages of the newly launched RI Database Integration.

1) Club members can eliminate countless hours of duplicate data entry.
2) Drastically reduce instances of human error.
3) Keep member data up-to-date in RI’s database for better communication.
4) Increase accuracy of member data while respecting privacy levels.
5) Eliminate the need to manually process and send in semi-annual reports.

With this leap towards simplified database management, clubs can ensure that the administrative overhead is reduced while the level of communication and collaboration with RI rises to a more superior level.

ClubRunner and Rotary International to Offer True Database Integration with OneRotary Initiative

Today was a great moment for Rotary Clubs worldwide using ClubRunner as the OneRotary initiative is now available for everyone. After months of testing and hand in hand collaboration with Rotary International, it was a great joy to see the initiative come together. In a joint effort to unify and streamline member records, both ClubRunner and Rotary International have been working closely for the past year to establish a secure connection to completely automate member updates while maintaining full control and privacy to Rotary clubs and districts.

Until now, all software vendors have been issuing email notifications to Rotary International’s Data Services division, resulting in countless hours of manual data entry. ClubRunner and Rotary International had a common goal to increase overall effectiveness of each club by taking away administration overhead. Each club with ClubRunner today now can worry less about data integrity between multiple databases. When a club database is updated with, for example, a member’s new contact information, that change would automatically be incorporated into RI’s database, eliminating the need for clubs to formally notify RI or make the change manually through Member Access.

ClubRunner will be updating a dedicated area within the community page this week with all the support, documentation and news related to this initiative. If there are any immediate needs or questions give our support team a call and we will be happy to direct your queries as appropriate.

This milestone for Rotary is tremendous as we enter a digital era and erroneous administration of database management will soon be the past to ClubRunner customers. Thank you to our customers who have worked with us over the past year to ensure we reach this milestone and for being dedicated to our promise to Rotary and empowering all volunteers and their commitment to service above self.

To view ClubRunner's official Press Release, click here.
To view Rotary International's official Press Release, click here.

Golden Rule #9 & 10 of Website Design & Functionality

9) Website should be quick to download.
In today’s fast paced world, patience is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Website visitors want the website to load fast and want to be able to watch the videos immediately. When a website has too many images or videos within it, it often takes longer to load. This leads to rather displeased visitors.
As ClubRunner as your website host, you don’t have to worry about slow download times as our network will ensure that your website download time is satisfactory. All images that are uploaded through our Image Uploader are automatically compressed for optimized download speeds. So go ahead and upload your videos and pictures, using our Photo Albums module!


10) Have the SSL encrypted pages if dealing with monetary transactions.

In today’s times, website visitors are naturally concerned with the security of websites. Here at ClubRunner, we ensure that any of our add-on modules that assist with monetary transactions and finances are developed to ensure the safety and security of those involved. Our servers encrypt all data so safety is never an issue. All monetary transactions are done through SSL encrypted pages that interface directly in real-time with our payment gateways, and we do not retain any personal or credit card information.

**Read more about the Top 10 Golden Rules including Rules #1&2, 3&4, 5&6, 7&8**


Here they are - the Top 10 Rules of Website Design & Functionality! Following these rules will ensure that your website is designed to attract visitors rather than overwhelm them. We hope you've enjoyed reading them and will apply them to your own website.

Golden Rule #7 & 8 of Website Design & Functionality

7) Layout consistency is key

It is important for all your website pages to follow a certain layout in order to maintain a theme and uniformity. If the layout of your website pages are not consistent with one another, your website will look untidy and disorganized, thus not properly reflecting your club’s image online. With Website Designer 2.0, you have the ability to choose from different layouts which will be applied to all your site pages. This will ensure the consistency that is required in any website design.

8) Eliminate Clutter

Another common mistake that many people make is placing as much content as they can, on one page. Often, many people place so much information together that the visitor has an information overload.

Layout consistency is key because it allows the website designer to then organize how the content will be laid out in the website. By choosing a certain layout template, the website designer can then place certain widgets (i.e: Event Calendar, Sponsor Ads, Upcoming Speakers) in different areas of the website in an organized manner. With Web Designer’s drop down menu features, you will never have to worry about overpowering your website visitor with too much information, as you’ll have the opportunity to lead them to the information they need.

**Read more about the Top 10 Golden Rules including Rules #1, 2, 3 & 4, 5&6**

Golden Rule #5 & 6 of Website Design & Functionality

5) Website should work on multiple browsers.

Gone are the days where the only Internet browser that everybody used was Netscape. Today, there are various Internet browsers that people prefer to use. Thus, it becomes imperative that your website be able to load on any browser – whether that be Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Google Chrome.

ClubRunner websites not only work on every browser out there, but because we support unicode, we are able to provide you with a website that you can maintain in another language! So, you never will have to worry about your visitor’s browser preference or any language barrier.

6) Content should be updated often.

The real factor that drives a website towards becoming successful is the content. If content is not updated often, visitors of the website have no reason to visit the site often. Updating content on a regular basis becomes quite difficult if one does not know HTML and has to rely on a webmaster.

With Website Manager, there is absolutely no need to know any computer programming language. Furthermore, you can eliminate the need for any sole webmaster with the simple interface that is provided to you to design the website as you see fit. You even have the opportunity to let other members of your club update the content on the site based on their access rights. You can easily update your eBulletin on a daily basis and share any news or information on your homepage with a click of a mouse. The best part is that you can do all this at your own pace and at your own time, so you can make sure that your website is content-centric at all times.

Want to know how to implement these golden rules for your ClubRunner site? Contact support@clubrunner.ca or visit ClubRunner's knowledgebase for more information!

**Read more about the Top 10 Golden Rules including Rules #1, 2, 3 & 4**

ClubRunner Featured in RI Webinar Series

Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield was one of the many Rotary clubs that had their website featured on "Developing a Club Website" webinar held on Wednesday, October 12, 2010.

ClubRunner Champion, Rich Lalley was a panelist who shared best practices of website design and content management.

If you missed this session there's another one coming up. To register for the next session of this special webinar series, please visit the Rotary International website.

For more information about ClubRunner or to activate a free trial, please contact us.

Golden Rule #3 & 4 of Website Design & Functionality

3) URL should be easy to remember.

One of the most common mistakes in website design is choosing a proper domain name. Your domain name should be easy to remember and easy to spell.

With ClubRunner, you have the choice of picking your very own domain name, including .org, .com, or any of the available extensions.

4) Website should be easy to find/look up/search for.

Although, once upon a time, the ‘if you build it, they will come’ mantra worked for websites – it no longer does. Due to the fact that there are thousands upon thousands of websites on the Internet, it becomes important for you to ensure that your website ranks high in search engine results and is easy to find.

Since ClubRunner dominates all major search engines, having a ClubRunner hosted website will ensure that your website ranks high and is visible in search results. Thus, your club becomes extremely easy to find, without much effort on your end!

Want to know how to implement these golden rules for your ClubRunner site? Contact support@clubrunner.ca to inquire about domain names and search engine optimization today!

**Read more about the Top 10 Golden Rules including Rules #1 & 2.**

Golden Rule #1 & 2 of Website Design & Functionality

1) A good website should be easy to navigate.

A website that is easy to use is crucial because if the visitor finds it difficult to navigate from one page to another, he or she will get frustrated and leave the website. Attracting frustrated visitors to come back to visit the site is extremely difficult.

With Website Designer 2.0, you can create customizable drop down menus, so that the visitor can easily find what they are looking for with a few clicks of the mouse. Furthermore, with its power of customization, you are able to drag and drop content to control the order in which it appears on your website to ensure that the most important news is always on top.

2) Have a clear indication of where the user is.

The website’s visitor should always have a clear indication of which site page they are on and how they got there, thus making navigation easier.

Website Designer 2.0 automatically creates a bread crumb trail so that your visitors can keep track of where they are on your site, and allows them to click on any of the items to go back to that level. In fact, you can even create a site map to allow your website visitors to understand the layout of your website.

Want to know how to implement these golden rules on your ClubRunner site? Watch the video to learn how today!

10 Golden Rules of Website Design & Functionality

Did you know that your website is a direct representation of you? It represents your persona and character online. As a result, creating and maintaining a well designed website becomes imperative. In fact, the design of a website can either make you or break you.

In today’s society, the importance of having an online presence is highly recognized but the importance of having a good website design in still a rather unfamiliar concept. Here at ClubRunner, we value the art of great design but more importantly, we value our customers. That is why - we offer state of the art products and services to ensure that all ClubRunner websites are designed based on the Golden Rules of Website Design & Functionality.

Stay tuned to upcoming blog posts to get the Top 10 Golden Rules of Website Design & Functionality . With our ClubRunner services, including our new Website Designer 2.0, you are able to personalize your website to reflect your club’s unique style while projecting the image you want to the world through a well designed and user friendly website.

ClubRunner.ca has a New Look!

There’s a reason to celebrate here at ClubRunner and we’d like to share our joy with you! As of October 7th, 2010, ClubRunner has a new look and feel. We’ve launched a new website that better reflects our products and services. You told us that you wanted a website that was easy to navigate through and we listened! Over the past few months, we’ve worked hard to ensure that we create a dynamic and user friendly site which is simple and intuitive. Our URL has not changed, so you can visit us using www.clubrunner.ca.

Our new website features an intuitive drop down menu, smart buttons for quick navigation to relevant pages, a breadcrumb trail so you never lose track of where you are and much more! The dynamic trial and order forms allow you to type out all the required information rather than writing it out by hand. You told us that you wanted to be able to find information easily and yes, we listened! We’ve also incorporated an internal search engine so finding data will be a simple and uncomplicated task. Of course, these are just a few of the many updates that we’ve worked on. On our new website, anything you need is now just a click away!

Our focus is and always will be to allow clubs to be able to connect, collaborate and communicate. Browse through our new website and provide your feedback!

Sponsor Ads on your ClubRunner Site Benefits Everyone

Advertising on ClubRunner most definitely has its benefits. With the launch of ClubRunner 2.0, we’ve increased the ways available to advertise on club sites. Ads can be text or graphic ads, and can appear wherever you choose on your home page and on the right hand side of all your subsequent website pages. You have the freedom to choose to show each ad on the homepage as well as the eBulletin – for maximum flexibility. Not to worry, uploading sponsor ads is as easy as uploading photos to your website. Uploading as little as 4 sponsor ads in a year can equate to your website administration fees, which means, you can get your ClubRunner subscription for free!*

To get started, your Site Administrators needs to login to your website, and click on Website Sponsorship Area. This will allow you to create the ads for your website. You can also prepare an information page which shows visitors how to submit an ad and what your pricing is. This will appear on all pages under the Sponsorship area, linked to the Interested in being a Website Sponsor link. With ClubRunner, the opportunities are endless!

*Suggested cost only. Rates are determined by each individual club and not enforced by ClubRunner

Week #49: Tip of the Week

#49: Did you know that you can download your member data and sort by type?

We have further streamlined our reports to allow you to only search for your desired member types and export it to an Excel spreadsheet. No longer do you have to further scrub or analyze your member data to determine who you’d like to contact. Select the member types you wish to download, press Regenerate and then Download to Excel.

for more information about the member profile, contact support@clubrunner.ca or visit our official website.

Week 48: Tip of the Week

#48: Did you know reports generated in ClubRunner can be exported for personal use or distribution?

Reports that are available in ClubRunner can now be exported in either PDF or Excel format. Also recently available, under the Birthday and Anniversary Report, you can create a report for spouse’s birthdays as well as member birthday’s, join dates and anniversaries. If you have any suggestions for additional reports or search parameters, contact feedback@clubrunner.ca or visit the user community and join into the discussions.

Week 47: Tip of the Week

#47: Did you know that you can reorder the sequence of your website contents faster with drag-and-drop

We’ve made it easier to reorder website content listings by using either up/down arrows or the drag and drop feature. This is available for home page links, stories, news, photo albums, site pages, download files and the website sponsorship area. Try it out today!

Week 46: Tip of the Week

#46: Did you know that you can have more information in your stories and news items

The capacity of characters within your stories and news articles has increased to the following:

• Brief (appear on the home page as an introduction to your subject) = 20,000 characters
• Content (appear within your bulletin and/or stories/news pages of your site) = 30,000 characters

Create dynamic content and let your current and prospective members know what's going on in your club!

If you haven't already switched your site to ClubRunner Version 2.0, watch the video to see how easy it is today!

Week 45: Tip of the Week

#45: Did you know that Club and District documents are now organized by folders.

ClubRunner 2.0 has re-organized club and district documents to support multiple folders so it is easier to organize and find specific information. With this update, you are able to change the list order of files within the folders from most to least important, relevant, etc. using our new and improved up/down icons. You can also created multiple folders and subfolders to further categorize your documents by year, topic, or committee. If you’re looking for the link for a particular document to reference elsewhere on your site, click on the magnifying glass to copy the URL.

For more information, contact our support team.

New - ClubRunner 2.0 has a built-in shared image library!

Gone are the days that you need to upload your desired standard Rotary images from your local computer to your website. A new feature of ClubRunner V2.0, you are now able to upload commonly used pictures for your club within the image library. Now you can quickly and easily reference various images in your custom content and banner designer from this predefined image library. Located under the Website tab, this enhancement allows site administrators to upload pictures so they can now be stored and accessed in a centralized location. For each picture uploaded, you can specify the re-size width or height so that it can be compressed. If your image is greater than 1024 pixels, it will automatically be re-sized for you.

For more information about this feature, please contact our support team.

Week 44: Tip of the Week

#44: Did you know that adding YouTube Videos to your site has become easier!

Now it’s easier to upload YouTube videos to your site. In the HTML editor, simply click on the “Embed YouTube Video” button. This will provide a popup box that you can paste the embed link into and it will be placed on your site without any other HTML knowledge requirements.


Please note that this feature is only available with ClubRunner V2.0. To take advantage of this quick and easy way to upload embed YouTube Videos, switch your site today.

ClubRunner 2.0 is Here...Take a Look

If you're a ClubRunner user, switch your site and rediscover ClubRunner 2.0 today. If you're just learning about ClubRunner, activate your free 30-day trial.

Week 42: Tip of the Week

#42: Did you know that ClubRunner 2.0 is completely menu driven

Navigation of the through your site’s administration section is now even more user friendly. An intuitive ribbon menu navigation makes it easier to access all the modules you need within 2 clicks. However, you can still find your familiar Admin page under the first tab if you choose to view everything at once.

To learn how to create a customized navigation menu for your site, attend a live webinar or watch our on-demand demo.

Week 41: Tip of the Week

#41: You can define and list member designations

If you have an access level of level 50 or greater, you can create and assign various designations to your active members. With three levels of designations available – Universal (which are predefined by ClubRunner), District Defined (if District is online with ClubRunner) and Club Defined, now it’s easier to identify all members within a club or district that fall under an exclusive, yet special category, such as Past President or Paul Harris Fellow. Once member designations are assigned, they will show up in the “Rotary” tab of each member’s profile, and can also hold a comments area per assignment. Also, you will be able to run reports (and export in CSV format) and communicate exclusively to these members if need be through the email message center.

For more information about how to use this powerful feature, contact our support team.

ClubRunner Launch Party at RI Convention 2010 was a Blast!

On June 22, hundreds of Rotarians participated in ClubRunner’s launch party to celebrate the entrance of a new era! With the Launch of Website Designer 2.0, many current and prospective users viewed the demonstration of how they could make their club and district sites truly distinct and unique and display all the wonderful activities going on in their community!

Many entered the raffle draw to win an iPod® Touch, but it was awarded to one lucky ClubRunner user – Suzanne Johnson from the Rotary Club of Middle Island. Immediate Past District Governor John Gill of District 6040 helped us to pick the winners and fellowship with all Rotarians who were there! Other items won include free one year subscriptions to ClubRunner and will be announced within a few weeks to all who visited the ClubRunner booth.

During this party we also celebrated our Champions, who were and continue to be instrumental in our success. As a special thank you, there was an exclusive raffle draw for them as well and the winner for her own personalized iPod® Touch was Ginny Sharples of the Rotary Club of Scottsdale North!

Topping off the festivities, everyone shared ideas and experiences while enjoying cake, truly making this event a memorable experience for all!

Stay tuned to see our complete photo documentary of this powerful week in ClubRunner and RI history - vive le Montreal!

NEW: Detailed Attendance Report in District Version

Now available is a report that shows a more detailed snapshot of all the club’s attendance figures year-to-date. Searchable by month, this report will provide information about the attendance percentages by club for the previous year, the current year and the current month. It will also show the ranking of each club’s attendance figures against each other, both by month and year. In addition, Club and District Executives are able to see the membership count and the beginning and end of the month, the number of members added or that have left the club, the percentage for that month and to date.

For more information or to comment about this new report, please contact support@clubrunner.ca.

ClubRunner is in a new era!

ClubRunner is in a new era! For years we’ve been helping clubs and districts communicate easy. Now we have enabled you to connect, collaborate and communicate with Rotarians from anywhere you are. With our new and improved outlook for ClubRunner, we also are in midst of transitioning our product and websites to a brand new look and feel.

The first stop is with ClubRunner Version 2.0 . Check out the new Website Designer where you can customize and configure your site’s layout, navigation menu and banner. Also, the ClubRunner Administration Section is completely menu driven! Whatever you’re looking for is now only 2 clicks away. For more information visit our official website or contact a member of our support team.

Next, there’s a new look to ClubRunner’s BlogSpot! Check out all our news items, post your comments, take a poll and so much more. Coming soon is a recap of ClubRunner’s presence at the RI Convention in Montreal on in our photo album!

Now Available...Switch Your Site to ClubRunner 2.0!

You've been waiting patiently for this, and it's finally here, ClubRunner 2.0 is now available on production. You can now migrate your website to the new Website Designer 2.0 template at the press of a button.

If you have been building your new site layout under Beta, you can now publish your new site by clicking on "Switch to New Version" under the main page of Website Designer. If you haven't yet played with Website Designer, you can get started now in 4 easy steps. Simply login to your site, click on Website Designer 2.0, and follow the 4 easy steps to design your layout, decide on the widgets to display, customize your banner, and select your preferred theme. Once you have previewed your new site and are happy with it, click on "Switch to New Version" to publish the new page. All your existing content in stories, news, events and even site pages will seamlessly transition to your new template. Get started today and start the year with a complete website makeover!

To learn more about it, attend a live demonstration.

ClubRunner and Rotary International Discuss the Future of Rotary

We had the great opportunity to chat with Peter Markos, Chief Information Officer and General Manager for Rotary International, about the future of Rotary and how digital communications will help bring the next generation of Rotarians. Peter mentioned how important communications and ease of participation is key for their organization, all while streamlining administration for clubs and districts.

The entire interview will be published live in our upcoming quarterly newsletter this August. If you're not already on the list to receive our newsletter and would like to, please sign up today!

ClubRunner supports Polio Plus with its "Stress Relief for World Relief " Program.

In an effort to support the Polio Plus Foundation, ClubRunner had globe stress balls in its booth for everyone who made a donation. It was a great hit, and just through people's generosity we were able to raise over $250 for PolioPlus. The ClubRunner team had the opportunity to present this to the Chairman of the foundation and also had the honour of sharing it with RI President Ray Klinginsmith. This is the first step in supporting ClubRunner's pledge to hit $5,000 in contributions for Polio. We will be sharing this magnificent journey with everyone on the ClubRunner Community site in July.

ClubRunner Launches Website Designer 2.0 in Montreal

ClubRunner's anticipated 2.0 version came to reality and we celebrated with hundreds of ClubRunner users, as we unveiled the new version and helped customers kick off their new website. Website Designer is the first of several enhancements made in ClubRunner 2.0, and allows clubs and districts to easily personalize their website design using an intuitive dynamic design technology.

Learn more about this new beginning today!

ClubRunner Champions Connect and Collaborate at Booth 1000

We're excited to have met with some ClubRunner Champions today at our meet and greet breakfast. These VIP users had the chance to interact and share tips, tricks and best practices. Some even stayed and jumped right in as an extended member of the ClubRunner team.

If you're not yet a ClubRunner Champion and would like to know more about this program, visit community.clubrunner.ca!

ClubRunner is at RI Convention 2010!

The 101st Rotary International Convention kicked off in Montreal today with the presentation of a commemorative Rotary Stamp from Canada Post. ClubRunner was honoured to be there for this day in history.

Stay tuned for daily updates about RI Convention 2010 and ClubRunner's presence!

ClubRunner Community Now Available!

Share your feedback and join discussions with fellow ClubRunner users on the new user community.

ClubRunner now provides our users with the platform to give direct feedback to our development team that will contribute to the final release of Website Designer 2.0 by having an active voice through the ClubRunner Community.

On this community, you can:

• Tell us how we are doing
• Share your ClubRunner experiences
• Exchange any ideas and best practices
• Create and join various discussion forums
• Get sneak peeks about product enhancements

To start participating today, simply visit community.clubrunner.ca and use your ClubRunner login credentials to join active discussions or start your own!

New in MyEventRunner: Event Email Service

Now event chairs are able to email their attendees. Specify your target audience based on:

• Attendee Groups (Paid, Unpaid or All Attendees)
• Packages selected
• Add-ons purchased

To make it easy and save you time, all custom distribution lists that are created in ClubRunner are automatically imported for you. Check out this new feature or contact a member of the ClubRunner team for more information.

Website Designer 2.0 Beta Now Released for Clubs

Website Designer 2.0 is now available under beta release to ClubRunner users.

With this upcoming release, you will now have the flexibility to configure and personalize your site. With ClubRunner's Website Designer, build it how you want it and launch the website that will boost the image of your club or district.

In three easy steps, you pick your theme, configure your layout, and add content – with no coding required. There are no obstacles between you and your ideal website.

See it for yourself! If you are a Site Administrator, simply log into your ClubRunner site and click on the Website Designer 2.0 Beta link to play around in this new module.

Also, attend a live demonstration and get a guided tour of how to configure and customize your site using the new Website Designer, now under Beta release.

Register for Session:
June 8 at 4 p.m. EDT
June 9 at 11 a.m. PDT

The official unveiling is less than one month away! Stay tuned for details.

Visit ClubRunner RI Convention 2010

The Rotary International convention is just around the corner on June 19 - 23 and ClubRunner will be there! If you are planning to attend, be sure to drop by the ClubRunner display at Booth 1000.

There’ll be lots to see and do and prizes to win. Join in the fun and celebrate this annual gathering of Rotarians! For more details and to provide feedback, visit the RI Convention 2010 - Montreal page!

The Dues & Billing Module Allows Club Treasurers Even More Flexibility

ClubRunner’s Development Team has been busy at work making it easier for your club to collect, track and report various payments with the Dues and Billing Module.

Not only can clubs track payments and debit/credit adjustments, but now you can specify more details about the payment terms and conditions, and due date for payments. Also, when posting a payment, you can now specify your own transaction date (to accommodate previously received payments) instead of defaulting to the date the information is entered. This will provide more insight for when payments are received.

Coming soon: manual credit card payments will be able to be processed by club treasurers. Stay tuned for more details.

Week 40: Tip of the Week

#40: Did you know that you can earn revenue for your club and promote local businesses by having website sponsors?

Having a web presence for your club has many benefits, both for the club itself and its members. As many businesses are moving to online options to promote their products and services, why not provide a platform for promotion and public relations. Adding a sponsorship ad to your site is simple. To start adding sponsors, follow these steps once logged in*:

1. Once you have logged in, click on Website Sponsorship Area under the For Administrators heading.

2. Click on Add New Sponsorship.

3. Type in an email address or URL if you want the sponsorship ad to become a link.

4. Select Text for a text sponsor, or Image for an image.

5. Type in the text for a text sponsor.

6. Click the Browse... button and locate the image for an image sponsor.

7. Type in a Start Date and End Date

8. Decide on where you wish this ad to appear. You can choose to show on any of the following: Home page, Secondary pages and eBulletin.

9. Click on Save

*Please note that only Site Administrators have access to this feature.

Clubs typically charge anywhere from $50 to $250 for annual sponsorships, and this depends on the size of your club as well as the friends distribution list. Don’t forget to upload your own sponsoring guide so that interested parties can find out your club’s policies and get in touch with your club if interested. You can upload this file under the For Administrators section, by clicking on Website Sponsoring Guide.

For more information about ClubRunner visit our official website or contact a member of the ClubRunner team.

Week 39: Tip of the Week

#39: Did you know that it only takes a few minutes to update and showcase new content on your website to the world?

ClubRunner’s Website Manager Module allows you to quickly update your content without any difficulty. The WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) editor allows you to either type or paste in content and format it just as you would using Microsoft Word. No longer is there a need to have a technical background in order to publish and maintain a website.

Find out for yourself how easy it is with a free trial today!

Be a ClubRunner Champion

Calling all champions...

ClubRunner has revamped the Champion Program and has wonderful opportunities for VIP and power users of ClubRunner.

Are you someone who is…

• Interested in new technology and ways of communicating?
• A person of influence within your club (power user)?
• Not afraid to help out others?
• Able and willing to pro-actively voice your suggestions and opinions?
• Interested in accessing and previewing beta releases for new features?

If this sounds like you, we can help you get involved today. Contact us if you’re interested in joining this community of ClubRunner power users or click here for more information.

Week 38: Tip of the Week

#38: Did you know that ClubRunner has the largest online Rotary Community worldwide?

With thousands of Rotary clubs and districts subscribed to the ClubRunner network worldwide, we take pride in serving Rotarians in 6 continents. In use by various sizes of clubs, districts and zones, our users have provided valuable suggestions to contribute to what ClubRunner is today.

Read more about ClubRunner’s history and find out how ClubRunner is making a difference to Rotarians every day by visiting our official website.

MyEventunner: Monitor and Track Your Event Registrations Payments.

We know that it's important for your event committee to monitor the status and success of your upcoming events. With that in mind, MyEventRunner now provides a report just to monitor event registration payments.

The Event Registration Payments Report allows event administrators to search confirmed member registration records for a specified event by the following parameters:

• First name
• Last name
• Registration number

Also, filter the search results by either the all, paid or unpaid payment status. The results of this generated report can be exported into an Excel or PDF file. Lastly, send a reminder notice to all unpaid members from this screen to make following up with registrants quick and easy.

Stay tuned for more information about MyEventRunner and how it can help you make event registration easy!

Week 37: Tip of the Week

#37: Did you know that you can use the EventPlanner to get members to volunteer for your new committee structure?

Use the Volunteer Tasks sub-module within EventPlanner to create each committee as a Task, and each subcommittee as a subtask. You can also specifiy how many members are needed per committee. When you’re done putting together your structure, you can issue a Volunteer request to all your members so that they can see the club’s committee structure and who else has joined each committee. Then, they can volunteer online and sign up to join a committee.

For more detailed instructions on using the Volunteers sub-module, please click here.

Meet ClubRunner at the Tejas Multi-District Conference

Next weekend, ClubRunner will be in San Antonio at the Tejas Multi-District Conference and we can't wait to meet you there! If you are planning to attend, be sure to drop by the ClubRunner booth so you can learn about all our recent product enhancements! Also, get a sneak peak at the Website Designer 2.0 and find out how you can become a beta tester.

Week 36: Tip of the Week

#36: Did you know that discussion forums are great ways to ease your members into the social media movement?

Built into your ClubRunner site, discussion forums can be used to share information and seek feedback from members on topics related to club matters without leaving your site. If you’re looking to encourage members to access your club’s social networks (i.e. Twitter, Facebook), this is a great way to start.

Located on the menu bar as “Forums”, once logged in members are able join various discussions and share their thoughts.

Visit ClubRunner's Booth at the Heartland PETS

This weekend is the Heartland Rotary PETS, and ClubRunner can't wait to see you there! If you are planning to attend, be sure to drop by the ClubRunner booth so you can learn about all our recent product enhancements! Also, get a sneak peak at the Website Designer 2.0 and find out how you can become a beta tester.

Week 35: Tip of the Week

#35: Did you know that you don’t have to change the interface of your current website in order to use ClubRunner?

ClubRunner is able to provide you with a database administration and communication package to help your club manage all your behind the scenes tasks and duties. There’s no need to change your current website provider and we’ll work with you to implement a secure system while maintaining the look and feel of your own website. Contact us to learn how today.

Coming Soon: ClubRunner's Website Designer 2.0 BETA

The wait is almost over - ClubRunner has revamped the club and district web pages to give you the flexibility to configure and personalize your site. With ClubRunner's Website Designer, build it how you want it and launch the website that will boost the image of your club or district.

In three easy steps, you pick your theme, configure your layout, and add content – with no coding required. There are no obstacles between you and your ideal website.

Find out how you can become a Beta Tester by contacting a member of the ClubRunner Team and share your experiences by commenting about this new and improved look and feel to ClubRunner.

Week 34: Tip of the Week

#34: Did you know that ClubRunner has a dedicated support team and resources to help you become a ClubRunner expert?

We know that as a club member there are many responsibilities relating to ClubRunner. Seemingly, there’s not enough time to learn how to and get all the required tasks done, but we’ve made it easier for you to get all the information you need quickly and efficiently.

We have a dedicated technical support team, available by phone and email from Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern Time to answer any questions that you may have about ClubRunner services. Also, we have a variety of resources available online for you to take advantage of:

• Searchable Knowledgebase
• On Demand Demos
• How to Documents
• Live Product Training

For more information, contact a member of the ClubRunner team or visit our website.

Week 33: Tip of the Week

#33: Did you know that the ClubRunner Network has thousands of service clubs and associations?

ClubRunner serves a wide range of users spanning around the world in Rotary clubs, districts & zones, Kiwanis clubs, federal associations and many other service clubs. Each organization has their unique way of serving their community and ClubRunner is proud to be able to provide a complete and powerful solution with database administration and communication tools to help spread the word and continue to positively impact each of these communities. To see how ClubRunner is helping various clubs, view some sample sites and share your thoughts right here on our blog!

Keep your members informed with an eBulletin

Your club is busy with tons of activities and has lots of information to share with members and friends. Although the goal is to increase traffic to your web site and get visitors to browse through and read through informative stories and news items, it helps to spark their interest by sending out a newsletter.

The eBulletin is one of the most effective tools in meeting the challenge of public relations, membership growth and retention and ClubRunner includes a module to create one for your club. To learn how to best use the eBulletin feature, watch a video tutorial contact a member of the ClubRunner team.

Week 32: Tip of the Week

#32: Did you know that ClubRunner now has 12 modules available to help your club manage your database administration and communication activities?

ClubRunner has grown dramatically and we have incorporated much of the suggestions and feedback that we have received to make this the software solution of choice and get every task done in one application! For more information, click on each module listed below:

• Website Manager
• Committees Management
• Photo Manager
• Attendance Manager
• Membership Manager
  
• Online Payment & eCommerce
• Event Planner
• eBulletin
• Dues & Billing
• Discussion Forums
• Email Message Center
• Member Directory

Week 31: Tip of the Week

#31: Did you know that your district’s event calendar pulls in all events posted on their respective club calendars?
You don’t have to worry whether your event is getting maximum exposure and advertised to the masses. If your district is online with ClubRunner, any event that your club publishes on the calendar can also be published on the District calendar. Members can register for events (if applicable) and even sign up visitors. For more information, visit the official ClubRunner website.

Week 30: Tip of the Week

#30: Did you know that you can now leave your unique imprint on your email communications using custom signatures?
You can now create customized email signatures to include both text and graphics. Include your contact information and if you wish, a picture of yourself or your club’s logo. This is a great way for those receiving your email messages to remember your correspondence and keep in touch!

Publish Post

Visit ClubRunner's Booth at PETS in March

It's now PETS season and members of the ClubRunner team will be in attendance. If you or a member of your club is planning to attend, be sure to drop by our booth or attend a session so you can learn about all our recent product enhancements! Get a live demonstration of the features soon to be released and share your experiences with ClubRunner.

Click here for a complete listing of all the PETS we are scheduled to attend.

Week 29: Tip of the Week

#29: Did you know that posting pictures on your site is one of the best ways you can share your club’s accomplishments and encourage fellowship? Since a picture is worth a thousand words, tell your story with much detail by creating photo albums with on your web site. Watch a video tutorial to find out how easy it is!

Visit ClubRunner's Booth at the Southern California Nevada PETS

Southern California Nevada Rotary PETS is quickly approaching, and ClubRunner can't wait to see you there! If you are planning to attend, be sure to drop by the ClubRunner booth so you can learn about all our recent product enhancements! Also, get a sneak peak at the features soon to be released and find out how you can become a ClubRunner Champion!

Week 28: Tip of the Week

#28: Did you know that you can collect various payments online for your club?

With ClubRunner’s Online Payment & eCommerce Module, you can now collect payments online (either by check or credit card) for almost anything you choose! Sell raffle or fundraising tickets, request donations for a worthy cause, collect registrations and other fees for events are just a few of the many things you can do with this module. Also, since it’s already integrated with the Dues and Billing Module, you’ll also be able to collect online payments from members for the invoices that you send out.

To learn more about this module, contact a member of the ClubRunner Team or visit our official website.

New Feature: District AG Module

As part of the updated Organization Chart, there is now a new module specifically for Assistant Governors. Accessible by clicking on the "View AG Details" link under the Areas/Assistant Governors section, AGs can now view and edit their own clubs' executives, club information pages, create and manage their committees (with full committee module functionality), access club growth reports, and use a tailored email message service that can be used to email members, executives and directors of their own clubs only, as well as District officers. AGs automatically get access to this module by virtue of being assigned an AG of their area, and all District officers can access these modules by default.

Updated Feature: District Org Chart by Year

The Organization Chart on the District system has been upgraded to the new platform. In addition to being able to sort the positions easily using the up and down arrows, this chart is now completely independent by year, so you can make any changes to the positions and areas ahead of time. Organization charts can be set up in advance for an unlimited number of years, rather than just the current and next year. Committees are now easily accessed from this chart, and are available for every position, including officers.

For more information about product updates, please visit our official website.

Week 27: Tip of the Week

#27: Did you know that you can now determine if your email messages were received?

There’s no need to wonder ever again whether your email communications have reached their intended recipients or if they got lost in cyberspace. ClubRunner now will send out an email bounceback report to the sender of email messages. You will receive a report with a list of all members whose addresses resulted in a bounceback, along with their corresponding email address automatically a few hours after the email has been sent and any updated reports if applicable.

ClubRunner gets a Makeover in 2010!

Our development team is busy working on many product enhancements as suggested by our users. We are excited to announce that 2010 brings a new level of automation, communication and database management to the Rotary world with spectacular additions.

Changes to ClubRunner Module Interfaces. You will gradually notice the Graphical User Interface (GUI) updated and opening in a new window to provide a clean and sleek design, making it easier to navigate and to read data. This has already taken effect for the following features:

• Member Profile
• Committees Module
• Email Message Center
• Member Lists (Active, Inactive & Others)
• Account Statements
• Active Request Update
• Dues & Billing
• Edit Executives & Directors
• All Reports

Eventually, all modules will be transitioned to the new platform, at which time you will be able to access each feature through convenient drop down menus. We are excited about this technological upgrade and once ported over entirely, we will be able to introduce more flexibility and customization. Stay tuned for more information about dynamic changes to ClubRunner or feel free to contact us.

Week 26: Tip of the Week

#26: Did you know that you can plan, manage and track any of your event registrations and collect payment online?

You can do more with your event registrations with MyEventRunner Lite - now available and included with your ClubRunner subscription! You can create a customized registration form, monitor your event registrations and collect payment online with the Online Payments & eCommerce Module. It’s only a 3 step process to create, promote and publish your event to your target audience and get well on your way to making your event a success. For more information, visit www.myeventrunner.com.

Week 25: Tip of the Week

#25: Did you know that you can now view your outstanding balances?


The recently updated Dues and Billing Module now allows for tracking and viewing of payments online. You can login to your club’s site and view your personalized billing account statement and check your balance in real time. This feature displays all invoices (with links to view/print the detailed invoice), as well as all payments and debits and credits that were made against your account. Now you can be proactive and manage your outstanding payments at any time.

For more information about this feature please contact support@clubrunner.ca or read more at our official website.

ClubRunner District Version Update: District Club Positions

A new feature is available to define and change the Positions for all Club Executives and Directors. As each club edits their list, they are able to link to a related district position. This is what populates the district mailing lists and directories. You can now view the positions, see which members are in each group, and be able to export to Excel all member data for a particular position.

To access this feature, go to "Define Current and Next Year Executives" under "District, Clubs & Membership", then click on "Define Club Positions" at the top left of the screen.

For more information about this feature, please contact support@clubrunner.ca.

New Report for Committees Module - Member Committees by Year

A new report has been added to both Club and District committee modules (Basic and Enhanced versions): Report by Member, Committee or Year. This report allows you to generate listings of members by year or committee or both. In addition, view a report of all committees a member belongs to.

To access this report, go to your Administration page, click on Committees Management, then Member Committees under Reports.

For more information about this report, please contact support@clubrunner.ca.

Now Available: Enhanced Dues and Billing Module

We've recently updated the Dues and Billing module to allow clubs to track payments and debit/credit adjustments. This allows you to now generate account statements and outstanding balances for each member, which you can email to all or selected members. Members can also login to view their personalized billing account statement and check their balance in real time. This would display all invoices (with links to view/print the detailed invoice), as well as all payments and debits and credits that were made against their account.

New! Online Payment is now enabled on the Club Dues & Billing module. Contact us to inquire about setting up a merchant account for your club.

New Year, New Resolution

With the start of a new year, many people have made their list of aspirations, goals and resolutions, both personally and professionally. This is by no means an exception for service clubs.

Boost your club's public image by posting news regularly to your website, promote what Rotary is all about by adding more friends to your eBulletin subscriber list, and encourage your members to keep their profile current by using the Active Member Update Request. Show off your holiday fun by uploading your memories to photo journals, post a new YouTube video to your homepage, and so much more!

Stay tuned for more information about how ClubRunner can help you meet your goals and take your administration and communication needs to the next level in 2010!