Microgrants boost health, learning and leadership

From October through December, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund helped clubs with fewer members make a bigger difference.

By Erin Chandler

The Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded microgrants for several deserving Kiwanis club projects in October, November and December of 2023. Carried out by clubs with 35 members or fewer, these projects might seem small, but they’re making a huge impact on kids’ lives in the Kiwanis cause areas: health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development. Read about one outstanding project in each cause area and see how your club could make a big difference in little ways! 

Health and Nutrition
Fleece Blankets for Camp Evergreen Bereavement Camp 

The Kiwanis Club of Knute Rockne Memorial, Granger in Indiana, U.S., knows that caring for kids’ health does not end with nutritious food and exercise — it also includes attention to mental and emotional health. The club provides fleece blankets to Camp Evergreen, a bereavement camp for children who have lost a close family member. Each kid at the grief day camp or the Saturday family workshops learns how to use their blanket as a positive coping tool that they can take home. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant will help the club purchase material, which members will cut and tie into blankets at a service event/potluck dinner. Club members value this project both to support children in need and to build camaraderie with their fellow Kiwanians. 

Education and Literacy
Sulphur Springs Library Improvement Initiative 

In 2022, the small rural town of Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, U.S., reopened its public library after years of closure — and the Kiwanis Club of Gravette was there to help. After donating children’s books and a rug for kids to sit on during story time, the club got a microgrant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund to expand its support. As a result, they purchased materials for a new bookcase for the children’s section of the library and more books covering a range of topics and cultures. One group of Kiwanians designed and built the bookcase, while another consulted with the librarian on the most-needed books. The club knows how essential the public library is to increasing literacy in a low-income community where not all families can afford to purchase books of their own. 

Youth Leadership Development
Southern University Laboratory School Garden Enhancement 

The Kiwanis Club of Baton Rouge-Early Risers, Louisiana, U.S., has partnered with Cooper Farms and My Kid Plate Foundation on a project that encourages kids to become leaders — while helping them learn about and get access to nutritious food. With assistance from Kiwanians, elementary school students in the Science, Writing and Agriculture (SWAG) program at Southern University Laboratory School are responsible for maintaining and harvesting a garden. The students take the initiative in caring for the garden while learning about the benefits of the healthy food they grow. The quality of the vegetables they produce is evaluated by the Southern University College of Agriculture. The club will use a Children’s Fund microgrant to add equipment and a vertical trellis that will help the garden grow.  

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

If you want to amplify your impact to reach children around the world through the Kiwanis causes of health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development, you can make a gift to the Children’s Fund or learn how your club can apply for a grant to help kids in your community today.