Best of 2025

Best of 2025

Dec 2, 2025 | Club building, Fundraising, General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

It’s almost time to ring in 2026, but before we toast to a new year, let’s look back at some of the amazing Kiwanis family projects, events and achievements in 2025. 

By Sarah Moreland Byrne

Help when it’s needed most

Service is the heart of Kiwanis, and 2025 was no exception. Here are just some of the ways members around the world helped kids and families in need: 

Support for education:  

  • In Uganda, the Kiwanis Club of Nakivale distributed school supplies to more than 200 students.  
  • In Jamaica, a new scholarship will cover tuition for an associate degree for 10 students each year.  
  • In Vanuatu, students at Vanua Leadership College will learn practical skills thanks to 10 new sewing machines donated by the Kiwanis Club of Christchurch in New Zealand.  

Children’s health and well-being:  

  • The Indiana District of Kiwanis committed to raising US$1 million to fund mental health services at a children’s hospital.  
  • In Italy, the Kiwanis Club of Chieti Pescara G. D’Annunzio provided free health screenings for kids and helped purchase a neonatal ambulance.  
  • The Kiwanis Club of Badenweiler-Müllheim in Germany is keeping students safe by donating 275 high-visibility safety vests.  

Relief in tough times:  

Looking for more examples of amazing Kiwanis projects? Meet the winners of the 2025 Kiwanis Signature Project Contest.
Submissions for the 2026 Signature Project Contest will be accepted beginning January 6.   

Global impact 

More than US$9 million has been raised in cash and pledges so far for The Kiwanis Possibility Project, the first fundraising campaign that solely supports Kiwanis and the children we serve. Our goal: US$25 million to help 10 million children around the world be healthy, happy and successful.  

Other highlights from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund: 

  • Meet the eight outstanding Key Club and CKI leaders who received scholarships to continue their education. Students can apply now until February 1, 2026, for the next round of scholarships. 
  • The third annual Kiwanis Day of Giving nearly doubled its initial goal, resulting in US$186,000 raised for the Children’s Fund! That’s enough to reach more than 82,000 children. Mark your calendars now: Kiwanis Day of Giving returns February 25. 

Learning and leadership 

Kiwanis Amplify: Our online leadership program surpassed 2,000 all-time participants this year! Congratulations to these Kiwanians, who are using what they’ve learned to take on more leadership roles — not just within the organization but also in their professional and personal lives. 

The journey isn’t over yet! Kiwanis Amplify returns in 2026 with 22 new subject matter experts — and the first 200 incoming Kiwanis lieutenant governors to register will participate for free. Sign up to be the first to know when registration is live. 

New leaders: At the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., delegates elected Michael Mulhaul of the New Jersey District as 2025-26 Kiwanis International president. Hope Markes of the Eastern Canada and Caribbean District was elected to serve as president-elect, and Cathy Szymanski of the Pennsylvania District as vice president. Timothy Sheppard of the Rocky Mountain District and Amy Zimmerman of the Ohio District were elected trustees for the United States and Pacific Canada Region.  

Also joining the board for three-year terms are Shinichi Yoshikuni of the Japan District and Jon-Fadri Huder of the Switzerland-Liechtenstein District. See the full House of Delegates recap.  

Start planning for the 2026 Kiwanis International Convention in Manila, Philippines, June 24-27! 

Plus new ways to …

Volunteer with the Kiwanis family: We introduced Kiwanis Voices, a pilot program that allows 18- to 26-year-olds to join Kiwanis with their peers — and helps them move together through the early years of their service journey. 

Experience Kiwanis stories: In March, we launched our new podcast! With topics ranging from teddy bears and Thanksgiving meals to farm fun and honoring veterans, “Here’s an Idea” shares fundraising tips, service project ideas and more through conversations with members, leaders and staff. Listen to this year’s 13 episodes — and growing — wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video recordings.   

Start a project if you’re part of a new club: The Kiwanis Children’s Fund kicked off its new Kickstarter grant program, which invites new clubs that charter with at least 30 active members to apply for a service grant.  

Celebrating youth leadership 

The Kiwanis family consists of volunteers of all ages. Our Service Leadership Programs (SLPs) span elementary school through university and include a club for adults with disabilities. Here are a few SLP highlights for 2025:  

Key Club turned 100! Key Club International, our program for high school students, celebrated 100 years of leadership and service with alumni events, a district-based challenge, appearances from past presidents — even a commemorative book! At the annual Key Club convention, Isabella Baldisseri of the Pacific Northwest District was elected as 2025-26 Key Club International president. 

CKI is growing! Circle K International, our program for university students, chartered 33 new clubs this year — the most since 2017. CKI joined Kiwanis in Pittsburgh to host its 2025 convention in tandem with the Kiwanis International convention. Delegates elected Jonathan Huang of the New England District to serve as 2025-26 Circle K International president.  

Supporting worldwide causes: Key Club and Circle K International continued to partner with UNICEF USA on fundraising campaigns, Start Strong: Zambia and Brick x Brick, respectively. Three Key Club board members even traveled to Zambia to see their impact in action. 

P.S. Save the dates for K-Kids Week and Builders Club Week in February and Aktion Club Week in March!  

Interested in starting an SLP club? Check out these seven reasons students in your community could benefit from an SLP club. 

Grants help CKI take on new projects

Grants help CKI take on new projects

Oct 21, 2025 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service Leadership Programs | 0 comments

Eight Circle K International projects receive Tomorrow Fund grants.

By Erin Chandler

Circle K International members are the next generation of servant leaders — and they’re already making a difference in college and university communities around the world. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Tomorrow Fund to help these clubs implement more creative solutions to problems and make the greatest possible positive impact. 

This July, the Children’s Fund awarded eight Tomorrow Fund grants — all to help launch brand-new projects with five CKI clubs and three districts. 

Happy Halloween Project
Circle K International of Baldwin Wallace University, Ohio, U.S.
Halloween is a Kiwanis family holiday for Baldwin Wallace University CKI. The club teams up with the Kiwanis Club of Middleburg Heights, the Berea-Midpark High School Key Club and the Berea-Midpark Middle School Builders Club to fill over 900 bags with candy and healthy treats. The Kiwanis club distributes 800 of the bags to local food pantries, while the CKI club takes 100 bags to the elderly residents of Generation Living Center. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help purchase the healthy Halloween treats for the bags and refreshments for volunteers. 

Six-Cycle K Program: Read. Lead. Succeed.
Circle K International of Maryhill College, Quezon Province, Philippines
A Tomorrow Fund grant will help Maryhill College CKI establish and equip a reading hub — an accessible learning space where children can practice reading, borrow books and engage in literacy-enriching classes and activities. The hub is part of the club’s larger literacy initiative, which aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for education and literacy.  

Care Without Conditions
Circle K International of Northern Arizona University, Arizona, U.S.
Members of Northern Arizona University CKI aim to help the unhoused population in their community — including fellow students — by assembling and distributing care packages containing hygiene products, nonperishable snacks, socks, bottled water and more. Each package also will include a handmade card and a guide to local resources like shelters, food banks and healthcare services. Club members hope the care packages will bridge the gap between people experiencing homelessness and the larger university community. 

Birthday in a Box
Circle K International of Stockton University, New Jersey, U.S.
Stockton University CKI wants to give everyone in the community a chance to celebrate their birthday. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help club members assemble at least 50 birthday kits containing cake mix, frosting, a disposable cake pan, balloons, ribbons, stickers and a handmade birthday card, all of which they will deliver to local food pantries. The project will ensure that those facing food insecurity do not have to choose between purchasing meals for the week and making a loved one’s birthday special. 

Mama & Me Literacy Lounge
Circle K International of the University of Technology, Jamaica
University of Technology CKI is establishing a reading nook for mothers and babies at Mary’s Child, a home for teenage moms in crisis. This “literacy lounge” will give approximately 25 teens and 25 children each year access to parenting and special needs resources, as well as books that will boost early childhood literacy and maternal mental health. The club also will support regular reading sessions and workshops to foster bonds between mothers and children. 

Governor’s Project
Circle K International Caribbean District
A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the Caribbean District of CKI set up a community library and computer resource center inside a school or community center in an underserved area of Jamaica. The district hopes that access to books and computers will promote and support lifelong learning for everyone from young children gaining basic literacy skills to adults seeking employment. If successful, the project will expand to more locations across the Caribbean. 

What’s In My Meal?
Circle K International Florida District
During the Florida District’s 2025 Leadership Training Conference, CKI and Kiwanis club members will come together to assemble 120 “healthy food kits.” A Tomorrow Fund grant will help fill the kits with toy foods, games, aprons, printed placemats and information sheets to help kids and families learn how to create balanced, healthy meals — even on a tight budget. Clubs will take the kits back to their communities to be distributed through schools to kids in low-income households. 

One Family
Circle K International New England District
Members of the CKI New England District connect with their communities by visiting the residents of local senior centers. At this year’s district convention, they will join Kiwanis club members in making care packages with items like tissues, lip balm and hand lotion — along with hand-written notes that they will take to seniors in their hometowns. A Tomorrow Fund grant will double the number of care packages that convention-goers can make from 1,200 to 2,400. 

How to get involved
Does your Circle K International group have a project idea that could benefit from a Tomorrow Fund grant? Learn more about the grant and how to apply. If your Kiwanis club does not yet sponsor a CKI club, learn about the advantages of chartering one.    

Why sponsor a Kiwanis SLP club? 

Why sponsor a Kiwanis SLP club? 

Oct 15, 2025 | General interest, Service Leadership Programs | 0 comments

For Kiwanis clubs considering service and mentorship, check out these reasons to get started. 

By Tony Knoderer

Now that the 2025-26 Kiwanis year is underway, you and your fellow club members may be discussing whether to sponsor one of our Service Leadership Programs (SLPs). There’s no shortage of great reasons to do so — whether for the first time or as a way of expanding your mentorship to new age groups and locations.

Need help convincing fellow members? According to multiple studies — and Kiwanians’ own experiences — students who volunteer: 

  • Tend to get higher grades. 
  • Improve their social and emotional health. 
  • Strengthen their ties to other youth and adults. 
  • Feel connected to the larger community — and motivated to contribute to it. 
  • Develop leadership abilities that lead to better employment opportunities. 
  • Have better awareness and understanding of public issues. 
  • Get more first-hand experience of diverse cultures and communities. 

By sponsoring and working with Kiwanis SLPs, clubs and members help fulfill a Kiwanis cause: youth leadership development. As members of SLP clubs, students make an impact in the lives of others — and develop skills and self-discipline alongside like-minded peers.

Kiwanis SLPs include K-Kids for students ages 6-12, Builders Club for students ages 11-14, and Key Club for students ages 14-19. Our SLP members also include adults: Circle K International for university and college students, as well as Aktion Club for adults with disabilities. 

 From elementary school to young adulthood, service matters — and so do mentors. Advisors to SLP clubs are models for the benefits of service and fellowship throughout a person’s life. Learn more and find links to each SLP on the Kiwanis website.