There are many ways to show how your club serves kids — and we have resources to help. 

By Tony Knoderer

Facts and figures have their uses. But when it comes to showing what it’s like to be a Kiwanis member, you can’t beat the simple act of sharing the experience. Every time you do, you’re telling a story about what Kiwanis service means — to the kids who benefit from it and the members who provide it. 

In fact, storytelling is the most effective way to inspire and inform people. But what does it mean to tell your Kiwanis club’s story?  

It happens whenever you help people understand what Kiwanis is like — when you talk about your club with another person or in a presentation to a group or community leader, but also when you’re simply sharing photos of a service project on social media.   

It’s important — and that’s why Kiwanis International has resources to help. Check out “Tips and Tools to Tell the Kiwanis Story,” our downloadable booklet with best practices for everything from messaging and public relations to photography, social media and more. 

It’s just one of the resources we make available on our branding and marketing webpage.  

Remember: Whenever you communicate about your club and its service with people outside Kiwanis, you’re telling the Kiwanis story. And it’s the kind of story people want to be part of — because it’s about changing children’s lives, improving communities and giving members a sense of fellowship. 

Use these ACE tools to raise your community profile. 

By Tony Knoderer

Kiwanis clubs should take pride in their service. After all, improving children’s lives is one of the best things people can do. But when you let others know what you do in their community, something more than pride is at stake. 

The more visible your club and its service are, the more clearly nonmembers see what’s possible — and why joining your club is the best way to help make that possibility a reality. 

Kiwanis International has resources that can help your club raise its public profile. Take a look at these three Achieving Club Excellence (ACE) tools:   

• Evaluate your impact. Start with an accurate sense of the difference you’re actually making. With this tool, your club can make an honest and thorough assessment of each service project and fundraiser. When you increase or expand your club’s impact, you also increase the number of people in your community with firsthand experience of that impact. 

• Develop partnerships. When your club networks with local businesses, organizations and others, you create multiple avenues to prominence — from sponsorships for service projects and fundraisers to connections with key people in the community. This tool provides the steps to get you started. 

• Celebrate success. Taking time to acknowledge the club’s work — and individuals’ contributions— makes everyone feel valued. And making your community part of the celebration can add to the excitement around your club. Use this tool to help determine when and how to celebrate with your community. 

Don’t forget: All these resources can be found on the ACE tools webpage, which includes other common concerns clubs face — and pairs them with the tools that help club leaders address them.