2025 Signature Project Contest winners

2025 Signature Project Contest winners

Out of 519 contest entries from around the world, this year’s six winning projects brought communities together. 

By Erin Chandler 

Kiwanis clubs around the world brought their communities together over the past year through creative and impactful service, fundraisers and events. On June 26 at the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., Kiwanians gathered to celebrate the best of Kiwanis clubs’ signature projects. 

Out of 519 contest entries from around the world, this year’s six winning projects were notable for bringing communities together, whether for projects that meet an important need or annual events that create joy for everyone. Through coordinated events and ongoing programs, these clubs promoted the Kiwanis causes — health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development — in innovative ways. 

For contest details, visit the Signature Project Contest webpage. 

Group One (clubs with 27 or fewer members)

Gold 

Kiwanis Club of Stunning Davao — Southern Philippine District 
Nature Warriors: A Kid Learns to Protect Nature  

Through its Nature Warriors program, the Kiwanis Club of Stunning Davao aims to keep the Philippines’ Davao region stunning — by reaching out to its youngest residents. The club partners with the Department of Education to connect with schools in isolated areas that are in critical need of environmental protection. The visiting Kiwanians distribute bags containing school supplies, dental kits and books on nature to the students; install waste segregation stations; and teach kids how to protect the environment by properly disposing of garbage. The program also includes regular coastal cleanups, and soon the club hopes to partner with a turtle sanctuary to give hands-on lessons on protecting marine life. Each child who benefits from the Nature Warriors program brings what they have learned home with them, spreading the word about responsible environmental stewardship throughout the community.   

Silver 

Kiwanis Club of Sydney — Australia District 
Kiwanis Sydney Comfort Care Cases  

Every year, the Kiwanis Club of Sydney raises funds through a cake stall at a local shopping center, a raffle and a silent auction to support children and families through their most difficult times. The proceeds help to make “comfort care cases” for kids facing end-of-life care at Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick. The cases include items like mood lights, scent atomizers, soft toys, pillows and blankets to create a comforting, homelike atmosphere for the children; cameras and art supplies to let families create photos, pictures and hand- and footprints; children’s books that explain the process of death and mourning; teas and coffee for long waits; and other items to help families care for and remember their children. Currently, the club stocks seven cases located in the hospital’s palliative care, oncology, emergency and intensive care wards, and two mobile cases for home visits. Over the past 12 years, Kiwanis comfort care cases have provided solace to 50 kids and families.  

Bronze 

Kiwanis Club of North Suburban, Saint Paul — Minnesota-Dakotas District 
Kiwanis Malt Shop at the Minnesota State Fair  

For 55 years, the Kiwanis Malt Shop has been a must on to-do lists of Minnesota State Fair attendees — and members of the Kiwanis Club of North Suburban, Saint Paul look forward to it every year, too! During the 12-day fair, club members are joined by the Roseville Key Club and community volunteers in dishing up 15,000-20,000 malts over the course of 230 four-hour shifts. A Kiwanian is always available to provide answers to questions — along with Kiwanis information and membership applications for guests to take with them. Each year, the malt shop raises an average of US$114,000, which the club uses to support a cause — such as Key Club, 4-H, student scholarships or organizations fighting food insecurity — which is chosen based on community need. Malt shop funds also have helped establish five elementary school libraries, install a slide in a park for an underserved community of new refugees, build a Miracle League baseball field for kids with disabilities and much more.  

 

Group Two (clubs with 28 or more members)

Gold 

Kiwanis Club of Birmingham — Alabama District 
Kiwanis Reads  

In just four years, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham’s Kiwanis Reads program has brought books into the schools and homes of 20,000 children. In this literacy program, Kiwanians visit 900 preschools in Birmingham twice a year to read to students and give each one a book to build their own home libraries. Each book contains a Kiwanis bookplate with a QR code that leads to a video of a Kiwanis club member reading the book aloud — an extra tool to help kids in homes where there might not be an adult available to read in English. This year, Kiwanis Reads received a club grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund; expanded into 10 new schools, allowing the club to serve 300 more students; and partnered with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to restart the Books Not Bullets program, providing books for police officers to hand out on patrol. School officials say students are increasing their vocabulary and reading fluency by reading aloud — all while they learn to associate reading with fun.  

Silver 

Kiwanis Club of West St. Andrew — Eastern Canada and the Caribbean District 
Ferry Health and Dental Fair  

Not even a tropical storm can stop the Kiwanis Club of West St. Andrew’s Ferry Health and Dental Fair. The Ferry community suffers from high poverty and unemployment levels, a lack of running water and the absence of any health center or dental care provider. With help from Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, as well as partner organizations that provide equipment, volunteer medical professionals and more, the Kiwanis Club of West St. Andrew stepped in. The club’s Health and Dental Fair provides free treatments, screenings — including blood pressure checks, diabetes testing, and HIV/STI testing and counseling — dental cleanings, nutritional counseling and vitamin distribution. Patients are also provided with three months of any prescribed medication free of cost. In 2024, 67 medical professionals worked through the rains of Tropical Storm Raphael to treat more than 3,500 patients over the course of the three-day fair. The effort and dedication have even resulted in 12 new Kiwanis members.  

Bronze 

Kiwanis Club of Brandon — Western Canada District 
Annual Kiwanis Kar Derby  

For the past 35 years, residents of Brandon, Manitoba, have come together to cheer on their kids in the Kiwanis Kar Derby. Some of the motorless, handmade “soapbox” cars in the race have been passed down within families or sponsoring companies for generations — but the club also often supplies cars to children who cannot afford them or who don’t have an available adult to help build them. Around 300 people attended the most recent Derby. Ray’s Fireplace barbecues for the crowd, neighbors give up their yards for parking and soldiers from the nearby army base help move equipment. The event raises an average of CA$13,900 each year, which goes right back into the community. New and old club members love to see the work they do come to fruition — and to see the smiles on kids’ faces as they speed downhill.   

March grants increase access

March grants increase access

Four clubs received grants for projects that adapt services for kids and families.

By Erin Chandler

In March, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded 17 club grants to support outstanding Kiwanis club projects around the world. The following projects are just four examples of Kiwanians making services that are essential to kids’ development — such as in-depth education, health screenings, transportation and play — more accessible, regardless of a child’s ability or financial resources. 

Academia Kiwanis (Kiwanis Academy)
Kiwanis Club of Impacto 360, Panama
The Impacto 360 club has a plan to transform Panama City’s El Chorrillo corregimiento, where high levels of poverty have contributed to an increase in school dropout rates and juvenile crime. The plan’s first step is to convert a space into an extracurricular center where kids can learn and develop their skills in areas such as art, debate, karate and theater. The project already has the support of the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Culture; a Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will go toward renovating the Academy’s space for safety and purchasing necessary supplies for the classes. Club members hope the programs they offer will “grow with each child,” and that Kiwanis Academy graduates will return as volunteers, perpetuating its positive effects in kids’ lives and the community. 

Pediatric Cancer Screening Awareness Program
Kiwanis Club of Dhaulagiri, Nepal
The Kiwanis Club of Dhaulagiri has an ambitious plan to combat childhood cancers in the community — one that increases awareness, access to screenings, and emotional and financial support for kids with cancer and their families. The club plans to introduce its program in the small, rural Melung Village Development Committee in Nepal’s Dolakha District, which is remote from medical facilities specializing in pediatric oncology. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will go toward the management of educational workshops and awareness campaigns that will teach community members the symptoms of pediatric cancers; mobile screening clinics reaching thousands of children; training sessions for healthcare professionals on pediatric cancer diagnosis; support groups and counseling services for diagnosed kids and families; and fundraising events to aid in treatment. The club hopes their efforts will improve health outcomes for kids through early diagnoses and access to treatment. 

iCan Bike
Kiwanis Club of the Horse Heaven Hills, Washington, U.S.
Over the last seven years, the Kiwanis Club of Horse Heaven Hills has partnered with iCan Shine to host six iCan Bike programs, which help kids with developmental disabilities such as autism and Down Syndrome learn to ride conventional, two-wheel bicycles. Over the course of five days, participants attend 75-minute sessions where they, along with three to seven other riders, get individual instruction from a floor supervisor and bike technician. Two volunteer spotters also accompany each rider. The iCan Bike program has a high rate of success in teaching children to ride bikes, which in turn increases their self-esteem, confidence, physical fitness and social inclusion — and it provides an independent means of transportation. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will go toward fees associated with bringing iCan Bike to the club’s community. 

Tactile and Sensory Learning Center for the Visually Impaired
Kiwanis Club of Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Kiwanis Club of Damansara, Kuala Lumpur has a close partnership with the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) — its CEO is even a club member. The two organizations’ next big collaboration is on a tactile and sensory learning center where kids with visual impairments can learn, socialize and play. Club members will research, select and purchase tactile and auditory equipment and toys that will promote learning, exploration and development. The center will have games, musical instruments, braille books and even audiobooks recorded by Kiwanians. A club grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will go toward expanding the available space and wiring it for electricity; purchasing furniture, toys and games; and producing Braille and audio books. The club will periodically restock the center, allowing hundreds of children to benefit from its inclusive fun over time. 

More club grant projects
Other projects that received club grants in August include:   

  • Inclusive, accessible playgrounds from the Kiwanis clubs of Chena-Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.; Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.; Saint Joseph-Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S.; Junction City, South, Kanas, U.S.; and Blue Spruce, Evergreen, Colorado, U.S. 
  • A new basketball court at the Kiwanis Children’s Sunshine Camp from the Kiwanis Club of Butte, Montana, U.S. 
  • A weekend food backpack program from the Kiwanis Club of Las Vegas Sangre de Cristo Sunrise, New Mexico, U.S. 
  • A back-to-school shopping spree from the Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria, California, U.S. 
  • A career exploration program for eighth-grade students from the Kiwanis Club of Litchfield, Minnesota, U.S. 
  • New books and bookcases for elementary schools from the Kiwanis Club of Kernersvile, North Carolina, U.S. 
  • A book vending machine from the Kiwanis Club of Pooler-West Chatham, Georgia, U.S. 
  • Funding to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in Blount County from the Kiwanis Club of Maryville, Tennessee, U.S. 
  • A program allowing Kiwanians and local police to hand out books to schoolchildren from the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. 

How you can help
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund makes grants that improve the lives of children around the world by identifying projects that create a continuum of impact in a child’s life — one that spans their entire childhood and sets them up for a bright future. Through The Possibility Project, the Children’s Fund ensures that its grantmaking has the greatest possible impact, supporting projects that target the Kiwanis causes — health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development — whether through a Kiwanis club’s local service project or a club’s partner.  

Learn how your club canapply for a grantto help kids in your community.If you are interested in extending your and your clubs impact beyond your community,make a gift in support of The Possibilty Project. 

     

    Grants enhance CKI partnerships

    Grants enhance CKI partnerships

    Eleven Circle K International projects get support from Tomorrow Fund grants.

    By Erin Chandler 

      Members of Circle K International (CKI) are forming vital partnerships to find creative solutions in college and university communities around the world. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Tomorrow Fund to help CKI clubs make the greatest possible positive impact as the next generation of servant leaders.  

      This February, the Children’s Fund awarded Tomorrow Fund grants to six CKI clubs and five districts that are teaming up with local organizations, schools and more to serve where they are needed most.  

      Baby Supplies for Families in Need
      Circle K International of Arizona State University, U.S.
      Arizona State University CKI’s support kits will help vulnerable members of the community — including those experiencing homelessness — cope with the stresses of new parenthood. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the club purchase blankets, diapers, wipes and other essential items. CKI members, prospective members and members of the Kiwanis Club of Tempe will come together to pack the supplies into 20-40 kits, which will be distributed to those in need through House of Refuge. 

      CKI Gives
      Circle K International of the University of the Philippines Los Baños
      Each year since 2017, the University of the Philippines Los Baños CKI creates a special Christmas for community children in need. Club members hold a celebration that includes games and storytelling, and they give kids Christmas gifts, hygiene kits and Noche Buena meal packages. A Tomorrow Fund grant will go toward the purchase of gifts; hygiene items such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, bandages and nail clippers; and Noche Buena food items, including rice, rice noodles, soy sauce, fruits and biscuits. 

      The Present and Ready Project
      Circle K International of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
      The University of Cincinnati CKI is taking on the problem of chronic absenteeism in Cincinnati Public Schools. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide backpacks filled with school supplies — including scissors, folders, writing supplies and art supplies — for families that might not be able to afford them. The club also will provide resources for parents on mental health, transportation and other factors that can contribute to frequent school absences. Club members will provide handmade letters of encouragement and bookmarks to accompany books donated by Queen City Book Bank. 

      Boys and Girls Club Craft Class
      Circle K International of the University of Texas at Dallas, U.S.
      The University of Texas at Dallas CKI will continue last year’s Tomorrow Fund-grant-awarded project, hosting art classes for kids at the local Boys and Girls Club. Grant funds will go toward supplies for crafts such as yarn flowers, slime, bracelets, origami, decorated journals and more. Club members hope to serve as mentors to the children and give them a healthy emotional outlet through art. 

      Empower Her: Bridging the Gap in Menstrual Health
      Circle K International of the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
      A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the University of the West Indies CKI purchase pads, menstrual cups and other menstrual hygiene products to reduce “period poverty” in the community. The supplies will go into menstrual kits for 200-plus students at UWI and Papine High School, plus permanent “period corners” that will be restocked regularly at both schools. Funds also will go toward resources and speakers for menstrual health education workshops, which will help eliminate myths and stigma around menstruation and provide information on lesser-known issues like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. 

      After School Soup Konnection
      Circle K International of the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
      The University of Windsor CKI will work with Feeding Windsor Essex on the After School Soup Konnection program, which provides meals to children in need every Friday after school. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide soup, granola bars, juice, applesauce, oatmeal and other nutritious foods — enough to provide food packs to over 150 kids every week throughout the school year. 

      Hygiene for Hope Program
      Circle K International Eastern Canada District
      The Eastern Canada District of CKI plans to expand a hygiene kit program — begun by the University of Windsor’s CKI club — across Ontario. A Tomorrow Fund grant will go toward enough shampoo, soap, hand sanitizer, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other essential hygiene items to assemble into 549 kits. Volunteers will distribute the kits to shelters across the province, where district leaders hope they will improve the health and dignity of people experiencing homelessness.  

      Making No-Sew Fleece Blankets at Georgia CKI District Convention
      Circle K International Georgia District, U.S.
      A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide enough fleece and scissors for members of the CKI Georgia District to make 50 no-sew blankets at their annual convention. The blankets will go to Simple Needs GA’s My Birthday Matters program, which provides toys, books and supplies to children celebrating birthdays while experiencing homelessness in Cobb County, Georgia. The blankets made at the convention will supply 10% of the program’s annual need. 

      Sojourn Shelter Survivors Self-Care Project
      Circle K International Illinois-Eastern Iowa District, U.S.
      Members of the CKI Illinois-Eastern Iowa District will spend part of their district convention making supply kits to support the dignity and recovery of survivors of domestic violence at Sojourn Shelter. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help purchase personal hygiene items like shampoo, conditioner and body wash; self-care items like nail polish and lip oil; notebooks and coloring books; and underwear for the shelter’s general supply. Altogether, the supplies will go into 30 kits for women, two for men and 20 for children. 

      New England CKI District Convention Meal Packing
      Circle K International New England District, U.S.
      A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the New England District of CKI purchase supplies needed for members to pack over 10,000 shelf-stable, nutritious meals at their annual convention. Through a collaboration with End Hunger New England, the meals will go to families in need, children’s backpack programs and food cupboards in vulnerable communities. District leaders hope that members who participate in the project will be inspired to learn and do more to combat food insecurity with their clubs. 

      Ronald McDonald House Charities Care Kits
      Circle K International Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District, U.S.
      A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District of CKI put together approximately 48 activity kits for children and families staying in Ronald McDonald Houses in Eastern Wisconsin. The kits will contain coloring books, fidget toys and other items to provide distraction or comfort to kids of all ages undergoing medical treatment. CKI members hope these kits will elevate the mental and emotional wellbeing of Ronald McDonald House families during difficult times.  

      How to get involved
      Does your Circle K International group have a project idea that could benefit from a Tomorrow Fund grant?Learn more about the grantand how to apply. If your Kiwanis club does not yet sponsor a CKI club,learn about the advantages of chartering one.