Ideas

Congratulations! Your club has been helping your community for 25, 50, 75 or 100 years. It’s time to celebrate. Here are some ideas to get your club started:

Form a task force. Determine how many members your club needs to plan its anniversary events, who could be involved and what the task force could do.
Request a custom anniversary logo free from Kiwanis.
Set growth, service and/or fundraising goals for your club. Such as: 100 members by the end of your 100th anniversary year. Fundraising for The Eliminate Project or any youth leadership programs; serving 100 children; raising more money for a project. The list is endless. Make sure it has an impact on your community and Kiwanis as a whole.
Brainstorm celebration ideas. Involve members. Decide when your club will celebrate. Review the celebration ideas below.
Contact the media. Make sure the local media knows about your anniversary celebrations. Not sure how to start? Use the templates provided for media releases, letters to the editor, proclamations and use our flier template. Also, email pr@kiwanis.org if you need additional help.
Participate in events throughout the year. Schedule special observances at your district conventions, attend the Kiwanis International convention. Host an open house for the community to showcase your service projects and youth leadership programs, and use that as a membership recruiting tool.

Celebration ideas

Before selecting a project, answer the following questions so your club can determine the best fit:

How would your club like to observe the anniversary? A party? A project? Brainstorm with club members. Once you have the answers, you can establish a task force or a committee to help with the details.
How much time and how many people will be needed to accomplish our goals?
What is the estimated budget for your project, and how will you raise the funds?
If your club decides a project is best, what skills or contacts can members bring to the project? For example, is there an expert landscaper or carpenter in the group? Does someone in your club have a contact at city hall?
What facilities or organizations (community center, shelter, park, homes, etc.) would benefit from hands-on service?
What signature project would leave a lasting mark on the community?
What types of projects are your members passionate about?
Will your club involve Service Leadership Programs?
Will you ask others outside the Kiwanis family to participate?
Will your project or celebration attract media attention?
Will your project appropriately reflect 100 years — or 75, 50 or 25 years — of Kiwanis service?
Will your project create pride in membership and in our Kiwanis history?
How can your project or celebration attract new members to Kiwanis?

Creative Ways to Celebrate

The numbers 25, 50, 75, and 100 and multiples. For example: 100 children served, 100 canned goods collected, 100 winter coats collected, 100 games donates to a school, etc.
Note your club’s achievements. Share them on your website and social media. Tie in your club’s history too.
Sponsor a new Kiwanis youth program in your community. A new Service Leadership Program will engage more youth, offering more kids more service and leadership opportunities.
Invite members of other service organizations and representatives of groups you help to an event honoring the partnership.
Highlight oldest club members and their memories.

Suggested service project ideas

Playground build with local government, school or community partners.
Park or pool splashpad.
Park/sculpture dedication.
Tree planting.
Location-specific clean-up or build at a campground, beach or park; a playground at a city or county park or school; neighborhood restoration, cleanup or beautification.
Literacy projects such as a reading room, reading to children, helping with homework, or little free libraries.
Sporting events for children with disabilities paired with Aktion Club.
Blood/book/food drive.
Safety fair or bicycle rodeo.
Create and write greeting cards to children in hospitals.
Create a Kiwanis display at a library, historical society or museum about Kiwanis’ local and global projects.
Antique car/motorcycle/bicycle/toy/fashion show.
Sponsor an outing for children to a zoo/opera/theater/movies/sporting event/fair/movie.
Poster/writing contest for youth programs.

Fundraising ideas

Food festival or booth.
Christmas market booth.
Wine tasting.
Sale of items made by club members such as comfort dolls, bookmarks, magnets, cards.
Concert.
Fashion show.
Dance.
Dinner or wine tasting.

Media Toolkit

Read the PR Tips & Tools handbook
Request your custom club logo if your club doesn’t have one, and ask for an anniversary logo.
Once your club has determined its events, projects or celebrations, make a list of those, adding community partners, beneficiaries and other significant information.
Write a letter to the editor or op-ed explaining what your club does, how your club helps the community and how your club’s anniversary celebrations will impact the community. Use the editor template here.
If your club is undertaking a big project such as a playground build or another large-scale project that will benefit the community, ask other organizations if you can make presentations at their meetings. If your club is working on a playground, ask if your club can present information about the project at local government meetings.
Ask your local government to issue a proclamation. Use the proclamation template here.
Develop a brochure that explains the project, your club and how your community will benefit from your club’s anniversary project.
Let your club and your community know about your event using publicity resources such as event flier and emails.
Use social media to tell your story and these posts that are already written for you. Images can be found here.