How to publicize your club in local media

How to publicize your club in local media

Feb 1, 2024 | Club building, General interest, Leadership | 0 comments

Kiwanis member Brooke Davis has five tips for getting your projects in the news.

By Erin Chandler 

Your Kiwanis club is doing good throughout your community — but to have the greatest impact, you need to let your community know! Local print, TV and online media can increase attendance at your events, attract potential new club members and inspire other Kiwanis clubs looking for project ideas. 

Want to raise your own media exposure? Brooke Davis has some insights for you. Based on her experience with the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos, New Mexico, U.S. — which consistently receives local publicity, appearing frequently in two online area newspapers — the suggestions below can help put your club in the community spotlight. 

  1. Know your news outlets. Read, watch and listen to local news so you can get to know each outlet’s style and how it presents information. Davis partially attributes her club’s publicity success to its place in a close-knit community with two online newspapers, one of which publishes a weekly print edition. For each event, she must consider which outlet and medium will help her reach the largest possible audience — or just the right audience. 
  1. Develop your messaging. Whether you are writing your own news release email for local publications or preparing to be interviewed, develop about three key, concise messages to convey, including the most important information about your event and the Kiwanis organization’s service focus. Find templates to help you write your key messages at “PR Tips and Tools” on the Kiwanis Branding and Marketing page. 
  1. Establish a relationship with local journalists. Davis advises clubs in smaller communities to contact the editors of their community publications directly. “In a small town, editors are usually eager to share stories about community members and organizations and their activities,” she says. If you live in a larger community, contact a reporter who covers stories involving children, philanthropy, education or service. Look for information on individual reporters and their contact details on the news outlet’s website or the reporter’s social media. 
  1. Offer to provide photos. “I realized early on that the editors really want photos of our speakers and activities and events,” Davis says. “I try to take enough photos so I can send different ones to each paper.” Photos of your club in action are best! 
  1. Remember to say, “thank you.” As part of building rapport with editors and journalists, Davis makes a point of thanking them for any coverage the club receives. A little courtesy goes a long way — especially for maintaining relationships as you look toward publicizing your next event or project. 

Looking for more tips, tools and resources? Check out the Kiwanis Branding and Marketing page. 

5 steps to growth through Two For Two

5 steps to growth through Two For Two

Jan 31, 2024 | Club building, General interest | 0 comments

Kiwanis clubs are finding members through our membership program. Here’s a quick way to get your club started. 

By Tony Knoderer 

Have you and your fellow club members heard of Two For Two but don’t know how to begin? Try these five steps: 

  1. Decide to increase your club’s impact. It starts with commitment. After all, membership growth is not a one-time campaign or event. It’s a continuous club operation. Inspire your club to make that commitment — to help more kids in the community.  
  1. Download the Two For Two guide. The guide is filled with pages of information and ideas: who to approach, how to approach them, ways to identify prospects and more. Cards help you follow through on contacts — and they also offer prospect suggestions. Use the guide’s back cover to track your club’s progress.  
  1. Spend a club meeting working the plan. Identify two club members to reach out to two prospects for each of the next several months. Members who work in pairs can support each other and reach more people more rapidly. Refer to the Two For Two guide for help identifying people and personalities your club may be missing.  
  1. Reach out. When recruiting, make an appointment to talk to potential members — rather than “cold calling” or simply showing up at their location. Ask for a date and time.  
  1. Meet with a prospect. While discussing what Kiwanis is about, focus on impact. Potential members need to know what you do, how you do it, why the community needs them and where they can immediately fit. Then invite them to join your club! And remember the key message: Kiwanis is a global organization of members, clubs and partners who are dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. 

Learn more about Two For Two and find helpful materials — including the program guide — at kiwanis.org/twofortwo. 

Can’t find a service project? Just ask.

Can’t find a service project? Just ask.

Dec 21, 2023 | Club building, General interest | 1 comment

Instead of waiting for ideas to come to you, reach out to others who serve. 

By Thomas J. Jankowski, board member, Garden City Kiwanis Club, Michigan, U.S.

Have you looked in your own backyard for hands-on service projects? It’s probably the most overlooked opportunity for clubs!

Our Garden City Kiwanis Club in Michigan, U.S., has partnered with other service clubs, but we were lacking opportunities with other nonprofit charities. That is, until I had a discussion with Dan Layman, community liaison manager for The Blood Cancer Foundation of Michigan — one of the nonprofit vendors at the Kiwanis Michigan District’s Great Lake Conference.

As we talked, I asked if our club members could help with any hands-on projects. In fact, Layman said, we could. The foundation was about to arrange its annual holiday party for the children it serves. (The Blood Cancer Foundation of Michigan addresses the needs of patients and families in Michigan who are affected by blood cancer.) Could our club members inventory and package toys that were donated for the party?

Of course, our members said yes, and a number of us participated. While there, we were asked if we could volunteer at the party itself, so we supervised art and craft projects with children. It was all a very rewarding adventure. Later we were told that the organization could use our help with other events as well.

The Blood Cancer Foundation of Michigan is not located in Garden City, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is making a better life for the children it serves. So don’t limit yourself to helping only in your community — and don’t wait for a service project to come to you. Reach out. Chat with representatives of other organizations that help children and families. Talk with vendors at Kiwanis events and others. Your next service project could be one conversation away.