New club kickstarts student success

New club kickstarts student success

Jul 21, 2026 | Club building, General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service projects | 0 comments

A Children’s Fund grant helps the new Kiwanis Voices Club of Mírame launch a signature project. 

作者：艾琳・錢德勒

The Kiwanis Voices Club of Mírame, Panama, is one of the latest clubs to apply for and receive a Kickstarter grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund. As a result, the new club — part of the Kiwanis Voices program, which creates Kiwanis clubs for adults ages 18-26 — will help local students stay in school.  

Thanks to the Kickstarter program, a club that charters with 30 or more active members is invited to apply for a grant to help fund the club’s signature project — the service, event or fundraiser that the club will become known for in the community. For the Kiwanis Voices Club of Mírame, that project is Backpacks with Dreams (Mochilas con sueños), which will address the issue of school absences and damaged school supplies due to seasonal weather. 

Currently, when students walk to school during Panama’s rainy season, their supplies get wet and deteriorate. This has a negative effect on academic performance while also increasing school absenteeism and the financial burden on families who must replace supplies.  

Thanks in part to the Kickstarter grant, the Mírame club will partner with local organizations and the Ministry of Education to deliver waterproof backpacks and school supply kits to primary and pre-secondary students at the Ciri Grande Educational Center. Club members will be involved in every step of the project, including planning, purchasing and sorting supplies, and distributing the backpacks. They hope the project will help 100 kids in its first year. 

Club President Isai Meléndez shared some thoughts about the experience of launching the project as a new Kiwanis club. 

What led your club to choose Backpacks with Dreams as your signature project?
We believe education is one of the most powerful tools for changing lives. As a newly chartered Kiwanis club, we wanted our first signature project to reflect our commitment to serving children while creating a meaningful and lasting impact. After learning about the challenges faced by students in rural communities who lack access to basic school supplies, we knew we could make a difference by providing the resources they need to begin the school year with hope, confidence and dignity. 

What excites you most about your club’s first signature project?
What excites us most is turning a shared dream into a reality that directly benefits children and their families. Backpacks with Dreams represents the beginning of our club’s legacy and proves that even as a new Kiwanis club, we can make a meaningful difference in our community. Our favorite part is the distribution day, when we see the excitement, joy and hope on the students’ faces as they receive a backpack prepared especially for them. It reminds us that even a small act of kindness can open the door to great opportunities. 

What challenges, rewards or surprises have you experienced as a new Kiwanis club?
One of our greatest challenges has been introducing our club to the community, strengthening our organization and securing the resources needed to carry out meaningful service projects. We have also learned that coordinating volunteers, building partnerships and planning every detail requires commitment and teamwork. At the same time, the rewards have been incredible. We have seen individuals, businesses and organizations come together to support our mission, proving that when people believe in a meaningful purpose, they are eager to help. One of our biggest surprises has been discovering how much can be accomplished when passionate people work together to serve others. 

What advice would you give to other new Kiwanis clubs, especially those considering applying for a Kickstarter grant?
Our advice is to dream big and never let being a new club hold you back. Focus on identifying a real need in your community, develop a clear and well-planned project, involve every club member and document your progress along the way. Most importantly, tell your story with authenticity and clearly communicate the impact your project will have. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund Kickstarter Grant is an incredible opportunity to turn ideas into meaningful service. With teamwork, dedication and a genuine passion for helping children, even a new club can create a lasting impact in its community.

Find more information

  • Learn more about Kickstarter grants. Remember, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will invite all eligible clubs to apply — but you still need to fill out the application!  
  • Email [email protected] with any questions about this or any Children’s Fund grants. You can also call 1-800-KIWANIS (U.S. and Canada) or +1-317-217-6225 (worldwide). 
  • Learn about Kiwanis Voices, our pilot program for creating Kiwanis clubs that consist exclusively of members who are ages 18-26 years old. 
Plan a project to help newborns 

Plan a project to help newborns 

Jul 20, 2026 | General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

These Kiwanis club initiatives offer ideas and inspiration. 

作者：Julie Saetre

For many Kiwanis clubs, service to children starts at the very beginning of life. After all, the first months and years set the tone for all that follows. And helping new parents is one way of helping newborns. If your club is looking for ways to support babies and their families, here are a few ways that other clubs have done it: 

  • Provide safe sleep or host a diaper drive. Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to reduce preventable injuries to infants, children and youth up to 19, reports that nearly 3,500 infants die each year in the United States alone from sleep-related incidents. Florida Kiwanis members purchase and donate portable cribs, fitted crib sheets and wearable blankets to provide families with safe sleeping options for their babies. And because diapers and other supplies can pose a significant financial burden to families of young children, Florida Kiwanians hold diaper drives for Healthy Families Florida, a nationally accredited home visiting program for expectant parents and parents of newborns experiencing stressful life situations. 
  • Donate at a maternity ward. On Christmas Day each year, members of Kiwanis International Division 23 East in Jamaica visit moms and new babies in the maternity ward of a local hospital. It’s all part of the division’s Baby Love project, which has been praised by Jamaica’s minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton. In 2025, the Kiwanians delivered 61 gift baskets to Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston — one for each mom in the ward.  
  • Collect baby wipes. In February 2026, the Kiwanis Clubs of Bend and Redmond engaged in the Battle of the Buns — a friendly competition to collect baby wipes for families in need. All collected wipes were donated to Central Oregon Baby Resources, which distributes essential items to families throughout a three-county area.“The biggest concern is always going to be for [their] children and making sure they have what they need,” Central Oregon Baby Resources founder and director Kiersten Moen-Wertheimer told Central Oregon Daily News during the drive. “Once we get that taken care of, then they can focus on what they really need to focus on, whether it’s getting a job [or] going to school.” 
  • Host a community baby shower. For the past 11 years, the Kiwanis Club of Newburgh in New York, U.S., has held its Warm Beginnings baby shower. The club asks for donations of diapers, wipes, baby blankets and clothing — as well as items such as toys, books, bathing items, breast pumps and baby monitors. All donated items are given to a local hospital’s maternity and neonatal intensive care units. By relieving some of the financial stress of having a newborn, the Newburgh club allows families to focus on what’s really important: bonding with their babies. 

Looking for more ideas? Explore one of these:  

  • 在地區醫院為新生兒編織嬰兒毯子或短靴。 
  • Interview parenting experts and distribute parenting-tip worksheets to organizations helping inexperienced moms and dads. 
  • Provide new slow cookers, healthful recipes and pantry staples to families in need. 
  • 將新的或輕輕使用的嬰兒板書捐贈給支援新媽媽的團體。 

And don’t forget about The Possibility Project. Many projects and initiatives like the ones above happen because people give to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund. See what’s possible when you and your club join our fundraising campaign to help Kiwanis reach 10 million kids around the world. 

在科賓，企業人脈至關重要

在科賓，企業人脈至關重要

2026年7月14日|社團大樓、一般興趣、服務計畫| 0 則留言

看看這 美國基瓦尼斯俱樂部 如何將會員人數從五人擴增至四十多人。 

作者：Tony Knoderer

美國肯塔基州科賓市的基瓦尼斯俱樂部成立於1921年——但今年已成為該俱樂部最不平凡的一年之一。光是自一月以來，該俱樂部的會員人數便從五人增長至四十多人。  

該俱樂部在會員招募方面取得的成功，歸因於多項因素，包括人口統計學上的目標定位、納入企業會員等。但該俱樂部會長凱爾·珀金斯表示，最重要的影響因素在於，俱樂部願意超越單純專注於擴大會員人數的思維。 

「這不只是為了增加人數，」他說。「我們的目標是 人。我們在尋找合適的會員——那些能為俱樂部帶來貢獻的會員。我們發現，只要坐下來與大家聊聊我們的使命和目標，這其實並不難。」 

珀金斯表示，該俱樂部的優勢之一在於其領導團隊——包括現任的同儕幹部 秘書阿曼達·艾利斯、副會長傑夫·坎貝爾，以及財務長芭芭拉·洛根（上圖中，珀金斯位於右起第二位）—— 以及他們 對社區及周邊地區的深入了解。 以英里為單位計算，科賓鎮位於美國75號州際公路上，大致處於肯塔基州列克星敦與田納西州諾克斯維爾之間的中點（正如珀金斯所言：「向北90英里，向南90英里」）。在像科賓鎮這樣人口規模屬中小型的地區，穩固的商業基礎使其成為向企業界招募會員的理想地點。 

「我們這裡沒有 IBM 或喬治亞電力公司這類企業，」珀金斯說。「百事可樂是我們這裡最大的僱主之一，但這裡有許多創業家和各行各業的業者——例如暖通空調公司、電氣承包商，以及規模龐大的鐵路產業。」  

靈光一現
今年年初，隨著一閃而過的靈感，這個市場機會隨之而來。珀金斯受一位客戶邀請，於1月9日前往亞特蘭大觀看美國大學美式足球全國冠軍賽。  

「當時在體育場的大LED螢幕上，在[介紹與會團體]的環節中，出現了基瓦尼斯（Kiwanis）的名字，」他說。「我當時心想：『天啊，說不定有天我們也能登上那個位置。』所以我從那場活動回來後，腦海裡一直盤旋著一個問題：他們究竟是怎麼做到的？」 

珀金斯意識到，答案在於企業的參與——以及對這種參與的大力宣傳與展示。例如，該俱樂部透過「Patenschaften」建立聯繫，以此制定了一套招募企業會員的策略。  

「我們正在調整 Facebook 專頁，打算將企業贊助商以一個區塊的形式呈現，並展示所有贊助商的標誌，」他說，「然後我們也會將這些資訊展示在網站的橫幅上。」 

這些贊助商亦有機會以每年 500 美元的費用成為該俱樂部的企業會員。  

「一旦我們開始在社區舉辦超越烘焙義賣和辣椒晚餐這類活動的活動，」珀金斯說：「我認為我們將有更大的機會透過企業會員制度籌集更多資金。」 

思考您的社交網絡
企業的參與並非自然而然地發生，而是需要每位會員的努力，主動與當地企業及組織的人士建立聯繫。即使在科賓俱樂部的會員人數跌至最低點時，認清現有的聯繫網絡依然至關重要。  

珀金斯本人就是一個例子：「我在此地居住已久，因此認識許多人與企業。我們正致力於透過我的客戶群來積極拓展人脈——只是要辨識出哪些人會成為有效的基瓦尼斯會員。」 

對許多俱樂部而言，這類資訊可能難以輕易取得。因此，國際基瓦尼斯協會提供了諸如 會員名冊分析工作表等資源，其中列出了詳盡的職業清單——以及相關的技能與經驗——這些都能進一步提升分會的影響力。  

當然，若缺乏付諸行動的意志，知識本身並不能帶來任何改變。在科賓俱樂部，珀金斯與他那小群核心成員在年初便明確承諾要擴大會員規模。他們現有的關係網絡固然重要——但源自他們全心投入所迸發的活力，同樣是成功的重要因素。    

「說實話，當時發生的事有點超現實，」珀金斯說。「我幾位親近的朋友和同事開始注意到我對這件事的投入和興趣。他們真的直接問我：『我們跟你一起吃午餐，你介意嗎？』一旦我們開始這樣做，事情就開始像滾雪球一樣越滾越大。一件事引來另一件事——接著又一件事，再一件事，如此這般。」  

「於是，我們終於到了這個階段，可以真正開始成立各委員會，並重新著手進行這項基礎建設。」

放眼未來
隨著科賓俱樂部不斷壯大，各委員會也逐漸成形，其對服務與籌款的雄心壯志也日益高漲。該俱樂部正積極探索贊助 基瓦尼斯服務領導計畫中贊助其他社團， 珀金斯表示，其獎學金委員會也正在擬定相關建議。  

除了傳統的服務項目，例如辣椒晚餐、衣物募集活動，以及參與當地百貨公司的募款活動之外，社團活動的規劃也日益豐富。 

「我們的專案和活動團隊正在討論舉辦一場高爾夫球賽，」珀金斯說。「這將是我們成立105年來首次舉辦高爾夫球賽。」  

「我們有一群胸懷大志的人。而當你擁有這樣的人時，他們往往會問：『好，我們該怎麼讓這件事成真？』」 

其中一個促成此事發生的因素，是該俱樂部在肯塔基-田納西區的成長所獲得的關注。其中一個例子，便是與肯塔基州薩默塞特市基瓦尼斯俱樂部（Kiwanis）的潛在合作計畫。 

「他們去年舉辦了一場募款活動，為肯塔基州倫敦市龍捲風災民籌募善款，」珀金斯說。「他們聯繫了我們的地區總監（拉里·多布森），他回應道：『聽著，科賓那邊現在也發生了狀況。你們去聯繫他們吧。』」  

因此，珀金斯與薩默塞特俱樂部會長諾曼·馬丁，一同參與了一場會議，商討一項可能最終以聯合計畫簡報作為結尾的流程。此外，湯瑪斯與薩默塞特俱樂部財務長康妮·馬丁，向科賓俱樂部遞交了一張金額為 3,000 美元的支票，用以援助倫敦龍捲風災民。  

有意義的貼文
薩默塞特郡的一家報紙《新聞日報》以 一則報導及一張照片 ——這要歸功於該俱樂部在會議前發布的新聞稿。與此同時，該俱樂部持續透過 Facebook 展現其煥然一新的活力。  

「我們每週會發布兩到三篇貼文，而且都是有意義的內容，」珀金斯說。「有好幾位朋友主動聯繫我，說：『我們注意到有事情在發生，因為我們在扶輪社的朋友們，也開始發文，簡直像是要跟你們一較高下。』所以這件事確實引起了注意。」  

事實上，會員人數的增長本身就是該俱樂部在貼文中著重強調的議題之一——這有助於鞏固其作為當地「必去之地」的聲譽。  

「我們最重視的一點是，如果某一周有三位新成員加入，我們不會在同一個星期內將這些消息全數發布，」珀金斯表示。「這樣一來，透過將這些消息分散在一段時間內發布，便能持續強化我們俱樂部的成長。」 

他補充道，即使擁有現代線上通訊的便利，基瓦尼斯會員資格對新會員而言，似乎仍具有一種經典的吸引力。  

「這更著重於實際參與，而非線上或社群媒體的互動，」珀金斯說。「我認為在當今世界，人們正在尋找能讓自己成為其中一員的事物。」 

請記住我們的資源
科賓基瓦尼斯俱樂部（Kiwanis Club of Corbin）用來服務社區的方式，您的俱樂部同樣可以參考。事實上，國際基瓦尼斯（Kiwanis International）提供了一系列資源，讓這一切變得更加輕鬆： 

  • 名單分析工作表.在招募成員時，請務必考量社區中所有可能具備貴社所需才能與人脈的專業領域。  
  • 企業會員行銷.當地企業或組織可成為基瓦尼斯俱樂部的會員，並指派一名員工出席會議及活動。我們備有免費的宣傳單張插頁，可協助您說明並推廣此項機會。  
  • 行銷與公關. 探討您的俱樂部如何運用社群媒體（尤其是 Facebook），向媒體及大眾分享資訊。 
  • 社群媒體素材。下載我們現成的圖片和插圖，即可立即用於貴俱樂部的社群媒體帳號。 

 

您可以在我們的 線上俱樂部工具箱中找到這些以及其他許多資源。快來探索這個工具箱——並運用它來建立一個注重成長與會員留存的社團文化吧！