Best of 2025

Best of 2025

Dec 2, 2025 | Club building, Fundraising, General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

It’s almost time to ring in 2026, but before we toast to a new year, let’s look back at some of the amazing Kiwanis family projects, events and achievements in 2025. 

By Sarah Moreland Byrne

Help when it’s needed most

Service is the heart of Kiwanis, and 2025 was no exception. Here are just some of the ways members around the world helped kids and families in need: 

Support for education:  

  • In Uganda, the Kiwanis Club of Nakivale distributed school supplies to more than 200 students.  
  • In Jamaica, a new scholarship will cover tuition for an associate degree for 10 students each year.  
  • In Vanuatu, students at Vanua Leadership College will learn practical skills thanks to 10 new sewing machines donated by the Kiwanis Club of Christchurch in New Zealand.  

Children’s health and well-being:  

  • The Indiana District of Kiwanis committed to raising US$1 million to fund mental health services at a children’s hospital.  
  • In Italy, the Kiwanis Club of Chieti Pescara G. D’Annunzio provided free health screenings for kids and helped purchase a neonatal ambulance.  
  • The Kiwanis Club of Badenweiler-Müllheim in Germany is keeping students safe by donating 275 high-visibility safety vests.  

Relief in tough times:  

Looking for more examples of amazing Kiwanis projects? Meet the winners of the 2025 Kiwanis Signature Project Contest.
Submissions for the 2026 Signature Project Contest will be accepted beginning January 6.   

Global impact 

More than US$9 million has been raised in cash and pledges so far for The Kiwanis Possibility Project, the first fundraising campaign that solely supports Kiwanis and the children we serve. Our goal: US$25 million to help 10 million children around the world be healthy, happy and successful.  

Other highlights from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund: 

  • Meet the eight outstanding Key Club and CKI leaders who received scholarships to continue their education. Students can apply now until February 1, 2026, for the next round of scholarships. 
  • The third annual Kiwanis Day of Giving nearly doubled its initial goal, resulting in US$186,000 raised for the Children’s Fund! That’s enough to reach more than 82,000 children. Mark your calendars now: Kiwanis Day of Giving returns February 25. 

Learning and leadership 

Kiwanis Amplify: Our online leadership program surpassed 2,000 all-time participants this year! Congratulations to these Kiwanians, who are using what they’ve learned to take on more leadership roles — not just within the organization but also in their professional and personal lives. 

The journey isn’t over yet! Kiwanis Amplify returns in 2026 with 22 new subject matter experts — and the first 200 incoming Kiwanis lieutenant governors to register will participate for free. Sign up to be the first to know when registration is live. 

New leaders: At the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., delegates elected Michael Mulhaul of the New Jersey District as 2025-26 Kiwanis International president. Hope Markes of the Eastern Canada and Caribbean District was elected to serve as president-elect, and Cathy Szymanski of the Pennsylvania District as vice president. Timothy Sheppard of the Rocky Mountain District and Amy Zimmerman of the Ohio District were elected trustees for the United States and Pacific Canada Region.  

Also joining the board for three-year terms are Shinichi Yoshikuni of the Japan District and Jon-Fadri Huder of the Switzerland-Liechtenstein District. See the full House of Delegates recap.  

Start planning for the 2026 Kiwanis International Convention in Manila, Philippines, June 24-27! 

Plus new ways to …

Volunteer with the Kiwanis family: We introduced Kiwanis Voices, a pilot program that allows 18- to 26-year-olds to join Kiwanis with their peers — and helps them move together through the early years of their service journey. 

Experience Kiwanis stories: In March, we launched our new podcast! With topics ranging from teddy bears and Thanksgiving meals to farm fun and honoring veterans, “Here’s an Idea” shares fundraising tips, service project ideas and more through conversations with members, leaders and staff. Listen to this year’s 13 episodes — and growing — wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video recordings.   

Start a project if you’re part of a new club: The Kiwanis Children’s Fund kicked off its new Kickstarter grant program, which invites new clubs that charter with at least 30 active members to apply for a service grant.  

Celebrating youth leadership 

The Kiwanis family consists of volunteers of all ages. Our Service Leadership Programs (SLPs) span elementary school through university and include a club for adults with disabilities. Here are a few SLP highlights for 2025:  

Key Club turned 100! Key Club International, our program for high school students, celebrated 100 years of leadership and service with alumni events, a district-based challenge, appearances from past presidents — even a commemorative book! At the annual Key Club convention, Isabella Baldisseri of the Pacific Northwest District was elected as 2025-26 Key Club International president. 

CKI is growing! Circle K International, our program for university students, chartered 33 new clubs this year — the most since 2017. CKI joined Kiwanis in Pittsburgh to host its 2025 convention in tandem with the Kiwanis International convention. Delegates elected Jonathan Huang of the New England District to serve as 2025-26 Circle K International president.  

Supporting worldwide causes: Key Club and Circle K International continued to partner with UNICEF USA on fundraising campaigns, Start Strong: Zambia and Brick x Brick, respectively. Three Key Club board members even traveled to Zambia to see their impact in action. 

P.S. Save the dates for K-Kids Week and Builders Club Week in February and Aktion Club Week in March!  

Interested in starting an SLP club? Check out these seven reasons students in your community could benefit from an SLP club. 

Lessons from the Kiwanis Polar Dip

Lessons from the Kiwanis Polar Dip

Aug 22, 2025 | Fundraising, General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

The Kiwanis Club of Tysons adopted an existing event and turned it into a successful fundraiser.

By Jeffrey Wolff, event chair, Kiwanis Club of Tysons Polar Dip

Want to raise money for your club, but struggling to find a successful project? At the Kiwanis Club of Tysons, Virginia, U.S., we’ve benefited from maintaining partnerships and connections in the community: Our club of about 25 members has transformed a preexisting “polar dip” into a major fundraiser.  

With the right preparations and a suitable body of water, it’s the kind of event that other clubs can replicate.  

The Kiwanis Polar Dip is an annual event in which teams and individuals jump into Lake Anne in February to raise money for charity. The event was previously held by Camp Sunshine, which provides free getaways to children with illnesses and their families. After participating as a team, our club worked with Camp Sunshine to assume responsibility for the event and turn it into a Kiwanis fundraiser.  

While it requires an “all hands on deck” approach on the day of the event, much of the work — such as recruiting jumpers — can be done from home beforehand. The club just needs to find a place to hold the event, coordinate logistics and set up a website for donations. The Kiwanis name itself adds to donor confidence, making it easier to secure sponsorships and donations.  

Learning and adapting
Our club had more manpower than the individual who ran the event for Camp Sunshine, but our biggest challenge was to learn everything she’d figured out over the previous 15 years — including vendor relationships and the complicated web of organizations that had to be contacted to make the event happen. 

Another key to success was adding a sense of friendly competition. For instance, a leaderboard on the event website tracks how much individuals and teams have raised. We find that you raise more money when you spur competition between jump teams. In addition, the event day has a party-like atmosphere, featuring a DJ and face painting, which make it a fun experience for the participants and the hundreds of spectators. 

The goal for our first year managing the Polar Dip was to raise US$25,000. In just its second year, the event has grossed almost US$50,000. Those funds help fulfill our club’s dual mission: to support the 11 Service Leadership Program (SLP) clubs we sponsor — nine Key Clubs, one CKI club and one K-Kids club — and to fight food insecurity in Northern Virginia. In the past, the Kiwanis Polar Dip had solely supported Camp Sunshine. But to support our mission as well, we added Food for Neighbors, which provides meals for middle school and high school students, as a major beneficiary of the event 

The event also has received significant community support, with roughly 60-70 jumpers and 150-200 spectators. It also has been featured on the front page of local newspapers. The success of the Kiwanis Polar Dip has had a positive impact on the Kiwanis Club of Tysons, increasing its visibility and fostering a greater sense of success and involvement with local beneficiaries and the community.

Five fundraiser fundamentals 

Five fundraiser fundamentals 

Aug 8, 2025 | Fundraising, General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

Here are tips for launching or refreshing your club’s event.

By Tony Knoderer

Service is the heart of Kiwanis. But service projects require money.  

That’s why fundraising events are crucial to Kiwanis clubs. Whether your club is launching a fundraiser or updating an established one, we offer five fundamentals for making it work: 

  1. Make it sustainable. As a club, answer these questions: Do we have the time and ability to make this event successful over time? Does the event have growth potential? Are we making the best use of our resources and relationships?  
  2. Promote your cause and your club. Your event may be the public’s first opportunity to learn about your cause. Same for your club and even Kiwanis. Make sure every attendee understands what they’re supporting — and that your club is helping them support it.  
  3. Highlight local culture. Is there an industry or a “scene” that’s important in your town? Is there a sport or a team that unifies the community? Whatever is special in your area, make it a part of your event — and include the people, businesses and organizations that make it special. The Lititz Chocolate Walk is a great example on our blog.  
  4. Have fun! Ultimately, Kiwanis is about kids — so make your event playful and light, even if all the attendees are adults. Keep in mind that if club members themselves don’t embrace the event, it might not be the right one. 
  5. Follow up. People who attend your fundraiser may be interested in becoming members or partnering with your club. Don’t wait for them to get in touch. Reach out! 

Looking for more ideas? Check out this step-by-step guide to creating a silent auction. And if your club needs to re-evaluate a current fundraiser altogether, see how some of our ACE tools can help.