Here’s a guide to organizing a club through our new pilot program.

By Tony Knoderer

Formally announced during the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention, the Kiwanis Voices pilot program is an exciting opportunity to create Kiwanis clubs specifically for people ages 18-26. To help you and/or your club organize a Kiwanis Voices club, we’re providing the following five-step guide:   

1. Find out if your Kiwanis club or one nearby will sponsor a Kiwanis Voices club. During discussion with the Kiwanis club, make sure its leaders know that the club must remit a US$100 sponsorship fee, understand the obligations of sponsorship for a new Kiwanis club and appoint one member as the club coach.   
2. Find at least 15 new members between the ages of 18-26. Each person must complete a membership application and submit the required annual dues. (Note: A sustainable Kiwanis Voices club has members of each age represented and exceeds the minimum number of members to open a club. There is no maximum number of members.)  
3. Host an organizational meeting. This is the official start of the Kiwanis Voices club. The sponsoring club will assist with the election of charter officers and completion of bylaws, and it will allow the new members to discuss and determine their mission, their first service project and the timing of the next meeting. (To request a fillable pdf of the Kiwanis Voices bylaws, contact kiwanisvoices@kiwanis.org.)  
4. Complete and submit the official charter paperwork. Send the new club information sheet, official roster, completed member applications and US$40 for each member to Rene Booker, club processing representative, Kiwanis International, 3636 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46268. You may also email newclubs@kiwanis.org. (Note: Sponsoring clubs may choose to open Kiwanis Voices with the Club Opening Tool.) 
5. The sponsoring club should assist in acquiring an Employee Identification Number (EIN). Information on applying for an EIN is available here. For Kiwanis Voices clubs in the U.S., sponsoring clubs should also submit Form 8976 (see more information here) or any other government documentation and requirements.  

Next steps
Upon receipt and processing of the Kiwanis Voices paperwork, the sponsoring club coach and Kiwanis Voices officers will receive an email with the next steps. The new Kiwanis Voices club will also receive support with 30-, 60- and 90-day tasks to complete prior to its official charter celebration.  

Remember: Kiwanis Voices clubs may continue to add charter members up to the charter celebration — approximately 90 days after the organizational meeting. Member applications received in that time frame should be sent to Rene Booker (kiwanisvoices@kiwanis.org). After the charter ceremony, the Kiwanis Voices secretary will be able to add new members through Kiwanis Engage, the member management portal for all Kiwanis members and affiliates.  

As the Kiwanis Voices program continues, look for more information and resources — such as upcoming social media assets to market the club in schools and throughout the community. 

Here’s how clubs keep people coming back. 

By Tony Knoderer

For Kiwanis clubs, new members bring new ideas — and the kind of energy that refreshes the members you already have. But what can your club do to help people’s initial enthusiasm take root and deepen? And how do you support established members in maintaining their commitment to Kiwanis service?  

To help you answer those questions, we’re offering seven quick tips for creating a club culture that makes everyone feel inspired and appreciated: 

1. Make new members feel important. A member’s induction into your club will set the tone for how highly they value their membership. Make it feel like the significant event that it is — for them and for the club. Help new members understand the club’s traditions and the commitment it requires. 

2. Encourage a sense of connection. The more established members a new member feels comfortable with, the greater the chances they will stay involved. Introduce them — and encourage those connections early on. 

3. Give new members a mentor. Kiwanians are happiest when they get involved. Have someone mentor new members for the first year as they experience what your club has to offer.  

4. Empower all members to become leaders. Give people the opportunity to lead your club and the support they’ll need to do it. It’s a way of creating a pipeline that makes leadership a steady presence in the club through the years.  

5. Invest in member education. Invite interesting speakers. Send members to division, district and international events. Encourage them to share what they learned. 

6. Celebrate! Honor members’ achievements — both inside and outside your club — so they feel valued.  

7. Reach out to members you haven’t seen in a while. If a member isn’t attending events, there may be a valid reason. Even if life becomes hectic, we all appreciate friends who show they care. 

 There are more tips and tools where these came from! See our guide to good retention habits, which includes these and other tips. It’s part of our member retention webpage, where you’ll find resources that can help everyone in your Kiwanis club be an advocate for growth and membership.