Membership FAQ

If I join now, how much would it cost?

Zonta Club of Mobile annual dues is $110, which covers membership from June 1 – May 31 of the Zonta fiscal year. If you join after Dec. 1, the dues are $65 until May 31 of that year. New members also pay a one-time fee of $20 to cover membership installation at the local and international level, regardless of the time of year in which they join.

What are some examples of community service?

A sampling of ZCM community service projects include:

 • Taking the women at Sybil’s Smith Family Village, Emma’s Harvest House, Penelope House to lunch.

 • Having a birthday / holiday party for the residents of Sybil Smith’s Family Village and Penelope House.

 • Having a fall and spring yard sale and give women and children at the various organizations play money to pay for their   purchases. We provide hot dogs and drinks and make it a fun day for the whole family.

 • Providing dinner to the residents at the Home of Grace and Emma’s Harvest House.

 • Sponsoring a Day in the Country for all of the organizations we work with throughout the year.

What does the Mobile Club consider to be its value to the local community?

In addition to the service projects that have been listed, our members contribute many services hours to local organizations, whose mission is in line with Zonta’s. The funds raised and service hours donated enable many women and children to participate in life changing programs. Each year ZCM gives a $1000 scholarship to a woman who is at least 30 years old and returning to school to establish a career and become independent.

What challenges does Zonta Club of Mobile face and how can I help?

Zonta is one of Mobile’s best-kept secrets. When women become engaged in the club and in the community, their satisfaction in belonging to this special organization keeps them coming back year after year. At least one third of our membership has been active for over 30 years. You can help by joining Zonta, giving your special talents and helping to spread the good word.

I do not like selling things to friends and neighbors. How do you raise funding for grants and scholarship? What have you done for the last two years?

Our focus is to keep the FUN in fundraising. Our primary fundraiser last year was a silent auction to benefit a new homeless women and children’s shelter in Mobile. This year we are planning to join forces with other area service clubs to grow the event. Our fall and spring yard sales are fundraisers with the primary focus of providing clothing and other items to the women and children in organizations which we support. 100% of all proceeds of fundraisers go to our service projects and scholarships.

I am so busy at work and with my personal activities in the evenings. What are the time commitments? Do I have to attend all meetings?

All ZCM members participate in service projects, fundraising or committees. This can take many forms with varying degrees of time commitment. Members give as little as 2 hours or as much as 20-30 hours a month, depending on their available time, talents and interest levels. ZCM encourages Zontians to attend dinner meetings regularly. That is our opportunity to conduct business that involves the entire club, to network with each other and learn about issues that affect our mission. At the same time, we understand that members work and personal commitments often make it impossible to attend every meeting.

I am burned out by the business world during the day. I like to unwind on my “off” hours. Is Zonta too much like work?

Many members apply their professional talents to Zonta committee work. In this case, Zonta can be like work... but with the added satisfaction of giving of yourself, doing for others and making or strengthening friendships with others who share your interests. Some members prefer to simply contribute in ways that take them totally away from their professional lives. Either way, working in Zonta becomes a worthwhile and gratifying diversion from the demands of daily work life.

How large is the Mobile Club and what is the member profile?

ZCM current membership stands at 30. Members are management professionals in a variety of businesses. While the average ZCM member is a mid-career professional, new members are welcome at any stage in their careers, if they are actively engaged at least 20 hours per week in their profession. Our goal is to increase our membership to 45 by May 31, 2007, end of our fiscal year.

I am not sure I want to join today. Can I attend some meetings before I make may decision?

Yes. Most attend a few monthly meetings as guests before joining. Please let us know of your interest and we will send you a newsletter with our meeting info.

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