New club kickstarts its signature project

New club kickstarts its signature project

Feb 13, 2026 | Club building, General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service projects | 0 comments

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Vernon County launches into service with a Children’s Fund grant. 

By Erin Chandler

The newly chartered Kiwanis Club of Greater Vernon County, Missouri, U.S., is one of the latest clubs to apply for and receive a Kickstarter grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.  

All clubs that charter with 30 or more active members are invited to apply for a Kickstarter grant to help fund a signature project — the service, event or fundraiser that the club will become known for in the community.  

For the Kiwanis Club of Greater Vernon County, that project is the Feeding Futures After School Nutrition Program. The club will partner with local schools to provide nutritious snacks and meal bags to students who might not have reliable access to food outside of school breakfasts and lunches. Club members will personally purchase, package and deliver the food to students’ homes. They hope the project will reach 100-150 kids in its first year. 

We asked the club’s president, Kalli Gober, a few questions about the experience of launching the project as a new Kiwanis club. 

What led your club to choose the Feeding Futures After School Nutrition Program as your signature project? 
As a new Kiwanis club, we wanted a project that addressed an immediate, visible need in our community and directly supported children and families. Food insecurity continues to be a real challenge in our area, especially after school hours when many kids don’t have reliable access to meals or snacks. The Feeding Futures After School Nutrition Program was a natural fit because it allows us to make a direct, meaningful impact while building partnerships with schools, local organizations and volunteers. It aligns perfectly with Kiwanis’ focus on improving the lives of children and gives our members a hands-on way to serve. 

What are you most looking forward to in your club’s signature project?  
I’m most looking forward to seeing the project come to life and watching our members, community partners and volunteers come together around a shared purpose. There’s something powerful about a simple, practical project that meets basic needs for our community. My favorite part will be knowing that what we’re doing will have an immediate impact.  

What are some of the challenges, rewards and/or surprises you’ve encountered as a new Kiwanis club? 
One of the biggest challenges has been building momentum and awareness as a new club. It takes time to grow membership, establish routines and help people understand what Kiwanis is all about. At the same time, one of the biggest rewards has been seeing how willing our community is to support the mission once they learn about it. A pleasant surprise has been the number of partnerships and connections that have come from simply reaching out and sharing our vision. People truly want to help when given the opportunity. 

What advice would you give other new Kiwanis clubs, especially those considering a Kickstarter grant application? 
Start with a project that meets a clear, local need and that your members are genuinely excited about. Keep it simple, practical and achievable in your first year. When applying for a Kickstarter grant, be specific about the impact you’ll make and the partnerships you’ll build. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or to collaborate — community support is often stronger than you expect. Most importantly, focus on projects that create visible results, because that momentum will help your club grow and stay engaged. 

You can learn more about Kickstarter grants in the members’ section of our website. Remember, all eligible clubs will receive an invitation to apply for a Kickstarter grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund — but you still need to fill out the application!  

If you have questions, email grants@kiwanis.org. You can also call 1-800-KIWANIS (U.S. and Canada) or +1-317-217-6225 (worldwide). 

 

Grants make kids’ days special

Grants make kids’ days special

Feb 5, 2026 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service projects | 0 comments

From October through December, smaller clubs made a big impact through the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.

By Erin Chandler

In October, November and December, Kiwanis clubs around the world received Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrants for projects that fostered children’s growth through memorable moments and everyday experiences. The following three projects highlight some of the ways Kiwanis clubs are using microgrants to give young people of all ages a promising start in the Kiwanis cause areas: education and literacy, health and nutrition, and youth leadership development.   

Health and nutrition
Animal-Assisted Happiness
Kiwanis Club of Milpitas, California, U.S.
A Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant will give students with severe disabilities a day of fun with therapeutic barnyard animals. Students at Russell Middle School and Milpitas High School will be accompanied by a mainstream student “buddy” as they greet the chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and miniature goats. Many of the students have limited communication skills and difficulty interacting with people, but their caregivers say that outside stimuli and interaction with animals may help with their development. The project’s trial run, in collaboration with an organization that brings the animals directly to the school, has been a great success. 

Education and literacy
Book Nooks
Kiwanis Club of Barbados-In Action, Barbados
The Kiwanis Club of Barbados-In Action has already installed “book nooks” in 37 nursery and primary school classrooms, motivating kids and teachers around the island to enjoy reading. A microgrant from the Children’s Fund will help the club toward its goal of creating 200 book nooks over the Kiwanis year. Club members set up each nook with mats, cushions, books and a book display unit, and they inaugurate the nook with a story-time session. They have also recruited community partners to continue visiting and reading to the children. This project supports the Barbados government’s initiative to improve literacy in the country — and while many programs are focusing on adults, the Kiwanis club is directing its efforts toward early learning. The club’s goal is to “create a reading revolution in Barbados” by inspiring kids to love reading, improving literacy levels and strengthening bonds between schools and communities. 

Youth Leadership Development
Rock Indian Grove Rehabilitation
Kiwanis Club of Hemet Valley, California, U.S.
The Ramona Pageant, which dramatizes conflicts between Native Americans and settlers in 19th century California, is the state’s official outdoor play and has been performed annually for over 100 years. A Children’s Fund microgrant will help the Kiwanis Club of Hemet Valley become a part of this dramatic legacy as they rehabilitate the long-neglected staging area for the 75 child volunteers who portray the play’s Native American villagers. The club will fund and assist with grading the area, removing graffiti, cleaning and rebuilding a spring-fed pond, clearing brush, trimming trees and installing picnic tables. A safe and fun place for the kids to get ready for their performance will emphasize the significance of their role in telling an important story — encouraging them to stay engaged in community service and California history. 

How you can help 
To learn more about Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrants, visit kiwanis.org/microgrant-program.      

If you want to help the Children’s Fund provide grants like these that reach children around the world, you can make a gift to The Kiwanis Possibility Project. Your club also can apply for a grant to help kids in your community today.   

Key Club projects unite communities and Kiwanis family

Key Club projects unite communities and Kiwanis family

Jan 16, 2026 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

The Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded 45 Youth Opportunities Fund grants to outstanding Key Club projects in November. 

By Erin Chandler

Last year, Key Club International celebrated 100 years of making a difference in schools and communities around the world. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Youth Opportunities Fund so Key Club leaders can continue taking action for the next 100 years and beyond.   

In November, the Children’s Fund awarded Youth Opportunities Fund grants for 45 outstanding Key Club projects that provide essential items for those in crisis, create memorable holidays for kids and families, plant gardens that serve as outdoor classrooms, and more. And many of them turn their projects into Kiwanis family affairs, involving other Key Clubs, Builders Clubs, K-Kids, Aktion Clubs and sponsoring Kiwanis clubs. 

In alphabetical order by club name, the top nine projects — as determined by the Key Club International Board committee and Children’s Fund representatives — are:  

“Key to Sweet Dreams” Bedtime Kits
Boyd County High School Key Club, Kentucky, U.S.
The Boyd County High School Key Club leads a project that has grown to include five other Key Clubs, two Kiwanis clubs, a Builders Club and a K-Kids club across multiple counties. Through donations and fundraising, club members assemble bedtime kits containing a set of twin-size sheets, a comforter or blanket, a mattress cover, a pillow, a stuffed animal, a book, a night-light and an alarm clock — everything a child needs to form a healthy bedtime routine. Through a partnership with Ashland Build-A-Bed, the kits are given along with bedframes and mattresses to kids who need beds of their own to sleep in. Last year, a Youth Opportunities Fund grant helped the club provide over 175 kits, and this year, they hope to give even more, along with hygiene products and essential supplies for the whole family. 

WASH for Borana
Carmel High School Key Club, Indiana, U.S.
Thanks to the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) for Borana project, members of the Carmel High School Key Club will grow as leaders and environmentalists by organizing three fundraising events to bring clean and accessible drinking water to the Borana Zone in Ethiopia. A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will go toward supplies for Walk for Wells, a symbolic walk representing how long women and children must walk for water in the Borana Zone; Art for Access, a student and community art exhibition and auction that raises awareness about water insecurity; and the Splash Summit, a multi-school youth leadership conference on service, global health and sustainability. Proceeds from the three events will be allocated by the Holistic Relief Organization. 

Winter Blitz
Clackamas High School Key Club, Oregon, U.S.
Winter Blitz is a longstanding tradition (and recipient of multiple Youth Opportunities Fund grants) that calls for members of Clackamas High School Key Club and Adrienne C. Nelson High School Key Club to help those in need during the winter holidays. Each year, the two clubs organize fundraising events and donation drives to collect essential items like clothing, hygiene products, household goods, toys and even small appliances. Some of the items go into a free “storefront” at Clackamas High School, while others are delivered directly to families. Each year, Winter Blitz supports over 600 families — and each year Key Club members work to raise more funding and better tailor the event to community needs. 

Children’s Christmas Project
Foxcroft Academy Key Club, Maine, U.S.
In an area that ranks highest in Maine for poverty, food insecurity and mental health issues, the Foxcroft Academy Key Club is stepping up to make sure kids still have a magical holiday season. Parents submit lists of the winter clothing items and shoes their kids need as well as some of the toys they want. Key Club members with a budget of US$210 per child are then given the chance to “play Santa” — and the local Kiwanis club makes sure every child gets a pair of boots. A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help the club meet its goal of sponsoring 30 children and allow for the purchase of more “fun” gifts like toys and games. 

Harvest Pack
Fridley Senior High School Key Club, Minnesota, U.S.
In 2025, Fridley Senior High School Key Club teamed up with classmates, its sponsoring Kiwanis club and the local Builders Club to pack 32,488 meals for people struggling with food security all over the world. This year, a Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help them attempt to pack even more meals during another Harvest Pack event. Volunteers spend all day weighing and adding healthy ingredients, packing boxes of meals and loading them into a truck that will take them to Harvest Pack for distribution. 

Hygiene Kits
Lincoln East High School Key Club, Nebraska, U.S.
A past Youth Opportunities Fund grant helped the Lincoln East High School Key Club surpass its goal of assembling 500 hygiene kits for those in need in the community. This year, another grant will help them assemble over 600 kits containing shampoo, bodywash, toothpaste, a toothbrush, bandages and other essential hygiene supplies — along with a handwritten or hand-drawn card from a Key Club member or member of the St. John School Builders Club. The kits will be distributed between Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach, People’s City Mission and a new addition this year, the Foster Care Closet. 

Pollinator Garden
Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Key Club, Michigan, U.S.
With support from a Youth Opportunities Fund grant and the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Plymouth, the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Key Club will plant a wildflower pollinator garden on unused green space at Starkweather Academy school. Creating Habitats for Pollinators will provide seeds and supplies, while Key Club members and Starkweather Academy students will install and maintain the garden. By aiding biodiversity and conservation in the area, the pollinator garden will serve as a living outdoor classroom. 

Care Bear Towels and Hygiene Packages
South River High School Key Club, Maryland, U.S.
A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help the South River High School Key Club team up with the school’s National Organization for Women Club to create hygiene packages for Sarah’s House, a local emergency center for families experiencing homelessness. The packages will contain shampoo, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products and other essential items, as well as towels folded into the shape of teddy bears. The club plans to assemble 125 kits — enough to help every resident of Sarah’s House.  

Knapp and Play Learning Center
Webster High School Key Club, South Dakota, U.S.
The whole community of Webster is coming together to support the opening of the new Knapp and Play Learning Center, a daycare and after-school program for children from infancy through fifth grade — in a building donated by a Kiwanian! For the Webster High School Key Club, which has been helping to set up the center, a Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help purchase cubbies, chalkboards, art supplies, games and books. Other supplies will be donated by local businesses and collected by Builders Club and Key Club members. 

How to get involved 
Does your Key Club have a project idea that could benefit from a Youth Opportunities Fund grant? Learn more about the grant and how to apply on the Key Club website. If your club does not yet sponsor a Key Club, learn about the advantages of chartering one today.