Ideas for exhibits that showcase your club 

Ideas for exhibits that showcase your club 

May 15, 2026 | Club building, Fundraising, General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

Here are some ways to spruce up your space when you have a showcase at community events.

By Julie Saetre

Is your club scheduled to host an event in the community — or attend one? Make the most of your presence with a showcase exhibit. Whether you’re staffing a booth, conducting a service project or hosting a club open house, a display is an opportunity to put your club’s story in one spot. From the joy of service to the fun of fellowship, here are some ideas to make it all memorable:  

  • Picture the possibilities. Select 10 to 15 photos (depending on the size of your space and the expected crowd level). Include shots of service projects, fundraising events and fellowship activities. Enlarge the photos for more impact — and consider adding captions or brief descriptions. Choose your images carefully: Focus on children being helped or having fun (and make sure you have photo releases signed by parents or guardians), members working together and other action shots. Find more tips for getting great shots on page 7 of the Kiwanis Tips & Tools guide. 
  • Show and tell. Include items from past and present projects, gatherings and accomplishments. Examples: a T-shirt from a recent walk-a-thon or race your club sponsored, an invitation to an upcoming fundraiser, a letter of appreciation from a local official or a beneficiary of a service project. 
  • Power up. Prepare a PowerPoint or similar presentation of your club’s greatest hits. Keep each slide simple and easy to read, with one key highlight or statistic per slide. Intersperse your text slides with colorful photos (similar to the ones suggested in the first bullet point) and contact information for your club. Be sure to include slides that invite new members to join your club! 

Get the conversation started in your club! Suggest taking time at an upcoming meeting to brainstorm how a showcase exhibit can appeal to potential members. 

The two-way benefits of sponsoring SLPs

The two-way benefits of sponsoring SLPs

May 12, 2026 | Club building, General interest, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

Mentorship boosts the value of clubs that provide it.

By Tony Knoderer

For a Kiwanis club, there’s no shortage of great reasons to sponsor a Kiwanis Service Leadership Program (SLP). Of course, many of those reasons involve the benefits to SLP members themselves — students in K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club and Circle K International, as well as adults with disabilities in Aktion Club.

But SLPs also benefit the Kiwanis clubs that sponsor them.

Over the past two years, Kiwanis clubs that sponsor an SLP club are 1.5 times more likely to have grown their membership (31.5% vs. 20.9%) than clubs that don’t sponsor an SLP club. In that time, SLP-sponsoring clubs were also 6.7% less likely to have lost members.*

When discussing SLPs with your club, these key facts about retention and recruiting are worth remembering. So is every success story about club growth and leadership connected to sponsorship. 

The benefits for students
It’s no wonder that SLP sponsorship has a positive impact on a Kiwanis club’s value for its own members. By helping to fulfill a Kiwanis cause — youth leadership development — it’s the kind of mentorship that makes a noticeable impact.

Members of SLP clubs develop skills and self-discipline alongside like-minded peers. According to multiple studies, students who volunteer: 

  • Tend to get higher grades. 
  • Improve their social and emotional health. 
  • Strengthen their ties to other youth and adults. 
  • Feel connected to the larger community — and motivated to contribute to it. 
  • Develop leadership abilities that lead to better employment opportunities. 
  • Have better awareness and understanding of public issues. 
  • Get more first-hand experience of diverse cultures and communities. 

From elementary school to young adulthood, service matters — and so do mentors. For young leaders, Kiwanians model the value of a lifetime journey of service. Learn more about each program and find links on our SLPs webpage.

*Analysis based on North American clubs, 2023-25 certified membership data. 

Five places to look for new members

Five places to look for new members

Apr 28, 2026 | Club building, General interest | 0 comments

If you’re struggling to find prospective members, reach out to these groups in your community.

By Erin Chandler

You’ve recruited family, friends and coworkers to join the Kiwanis family — but your Kiwanis club is always looking for new members to serve the children of the world! Here are five ideas to jumpstart your club’s recruitment efforts outside of your immediate circle.

1. Partner organizations. Think about companies and organizations that believe in your club’s mission and support you throughout the year. Get in touch with their leaders and ask if they would be interested in taking your partnership to the next level by sponsoring a corporate membership in your club — or if they would be interested in joining themselves.

2. Diverse groups and businesses. It’s important to seek a diverse membership, so you get a wide range of service ideas that enrich your club’s impact. Research various business groups and nonprofits — including minority-owned businesses and organizations — that represent the demographics of your community. Seek opportunities to speak during one of their membership or board meetings to promote your club’s contributions to the community. Invite representatives from these groups to speak during one of your upcoming club meetings as well. You can find resources for diversity, equity and inclusion in our club toolbox.

3. New businesses and nonprofits. Scan the local business news and think about inviting owners of recently opened businesses and new nonprofit executives to attend a club meeting. Allow them to make a two-minute plug for their business — and make sure you provide them with Kiwanis membership information.

4. Retired teachers. Invite local teachers who have recently retired to a Kiwanis meeting or service project. These individuals have spent their lives working with kids and might be looking for a new way to continue mentoring young people.

5. Former members. Sometimes Kiwanians leave clubs when they are not fully engaged in activities, when life circumstances do not allow time for Kiwanis — or simply when no one attempts to reinvolve them. However, circumstances can change over time. You can “reMember” people by inviting them to attend a meeting or event, and to follow up with any concerns they might have about the club. Remind them that kids still need Kiwanis in your community and ask them to rejoin.

For more membership resources, visit our club toolbox.