proyectos de servicio Kiwanis International

A new way to build youth leadership

Nov 4, 2026 | Club building, General interest, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

One Kiwanis club turned its annual member installation into a civic event.

By Maleah Stephens, club secretary, Kiwanis Club of Litchfield, Arizona, U.S.

When people think of Kiwanis service projects, park cleanups and book drives often come to mind. But for our Kiwanis club in Arizona’s West Valley, the annual officer installation is no longer just “business” conducted in a club meeting.

Instead of hosting a private, closed-door dinner around a charter date, we created a wide-open, high-energy event on a community stage. In fact, it’s a regional catalyst for young adult leadership and cross-sector civic unity.

In September 2026, the ”United in Service” Community Installation Dinner brought together over 200 community leaders, students and local officials to see the Kiwanis family in action. Held at Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) in Avondale, Arizona, the evening broke the traditional mold of club routine to establish a bold new model for youth development.

The power of partnership
“United in Service” demonstrated the full power of the Kiwanis family and its community collaboration. Attendees saw and learned about:

Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs (SLPs): Officers from 15 sponsored SLP clubs, spanning K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club and Aktion Club, participated in presentations about activities they have planned in their communities as well as joint officer installations.
Institutional support: High-level attendance from local school district superintendents, mayors and city council members solidified Kiwanis as the premier youth-development partner in the region.
Cross-organizational unity: Leaders from neighboring nonprofit organizations joined the event, celebrating shared community goals.
Higher education integration: By partnering with EMCC, the event demonstrated direct pathways for student life, student government and honor society members to transition into active Kiwanis leadership.

How the project stands out
Rather than placing adult board installations at the center, the program inverted the traditional schedule. That helped us showcase:

The youth-first shift: Student leaders were installed first, giving young people maximum energy from the crowd and visibility in front of city leaders and educational partners.
Innovating young adult engagement: The event served as the official launchpad to support the Kiwanis Voices Club of the West Valley in Phoenix, Arizona. This was the second Kiwanis Voices club chartered in the U.S. Designed specifically for young adults ages 18-26, the Kiwanis Voices program helps bridge the gap between high school and college leadership and lifelong civic engagement.
Interactive civic connections: Guests kicked off the night with an interactive “Civic Bingo” icebreaker, pairing student officers with mayors, superintendents and nonprofit executives to build authentic mentorship connections over dinner.

Our results 
The immediate and long-term outcomes of the event include:

Engaged leaders: Over 200 attendees joined the event — including 120 student leaders and advisors representing 15 schools.
Sustainability: Built on a cosponsored model with EMCC and local business partners, the event was fully self-sustaining, requiring zero additional allocation from standard club funds.
A young-adult pipeline: We established direct support for young adults ages 18-26 in the West Valley, securing the next generation of Kiwanis leaders.

What’s your club’s story?
Has your club held an innovative installation ceremony — or transformed routine club business into a service and recruiting event? Tell us at [email protected].

Informa a los posibles patrocinadores de quién va a asistir

Oct 30, 2026 | Club building, Fundraising, General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

La información demográfica puede influir en a las empresas locales a apoyar a tu club evento.

Por Tony Knoderer

Cuando tu club esté organizando un evento de « recaudar fondos » o de servicio « evento », la búsqueda de patrocinadores locales debería formar parte del proceso. Al fin y al cabo, el apoyo de patrocinio puede ayudar a sufragar los gastos, atraer la atención de la comunidad y generar nuevas conexiones.

Por supuesto, es importante explicar a los posibles patrocinadores por qué deberían participar. Pero, a menudo, no basta con decirles cuánta gente habrá.

Es importante saber quién estará allí.

Tener en cuenta los datos demográficos le dará a tu club un buen punto de partida. A continuación te ofrecemos algunos ejemplos de asistentes a « evento » que podrían llamar la atención de posibles patrocinadores:

Consumidores «ecológicos». Si tu evento tiene una temática medioambiental (o relacionada con el aire libre en general), atraerá a un público muy codiciado por los centros de jardinería y los paisajistas.
Amantes de la gastronomía. ¿Estás organizando un evento en el que la comida será protagonista recaudador de fondos? Las cadenas de supermercados, los servicios de catering, las panaderías y los restaurantes deberían encabezar tu lista de candidatos patrocinio .
Aficionados al deporte. En el caso de un evento deportivo evento, las tiendas de artículos deportivos y los equipos locales (profesionales o semiprofesionales) tienen un interés evidente en llegar a los asistentes. Una opción menos obvia (pero potencialmente fructífera) es tu centro local de medicina deportiva.
Los amantes de las mascotas. Los dueños de gatos y perros gastan mucho dinero en sus amigos de cuatro patas, y muchas empresas lo saben. Si tu evento (o una parte de él) está dirigido a este público, las tiendas de mascotas, los veterinarios, los peluqueros caninos y las residencias caninas querrán saber de ti.

¿Quieres más información como los consejos anteriores? Nuestro patrocinio kit de herramientas la tiene. Encontrarás toda la orientación que necesitas para el proceso, desde identificar posibles patrocinadores hasta fijar precios y aprovechar oportunidades de venta, pasando por cumplir lo prometido.

5 pasos para Patenschaften

Oct 29, 2026 | Club building, General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

See how to start seeking out the partners who will enhance your club’s fundraising event.

Por Tony Knoderer

For Kiwanis clubs around the world, the best fundraising events have sponsors — the local partners who will boost club resources, raise your community profile and create access to a pool of potential members.

But sponsors don’t just come knocking on your door. You have to find them. Your club can make that work easier by taking these five steps to organize the sponsorship search:

Create a demographic report on your club. Include average age, education level, professional background and anything else that a prospective sponsor might find useful.
Identify the best club members for the hunt. Who can bring special skills or enthusiasm — or both — to the search for sponsorship?
Put together a report on your event. Gather as much information as possible about attendance, demographics of attendees and media exposure.
Identify potential competition for sponsorships. For instance, if someone in your area holds a similar event on the same weekend — or even the same month — you might want to switch dates.
Put someone in charge of promotions. Do you have a communications committee chair — or at least a member who heads up promotional efforts for events? If not, put someone in charge of your club’s website, newsletter and advertising.

Of course, this is just the beginning. Fortunately, Kiwanis International provides a comprehensive resource to guide you to the sponsorships you need. With our sponsorship toolkit, you’ll learn how to: