How to recruit new members

How to recruit new members

Feb 20, 2024 | Club building, General interest | 0 comments

A South Carolina Kiwanis club is having a record-setting year of growth. Their tips could help your club become stronger too.

By Julie Saetre

In February 2024, the Kiwanis Club of Bluffton in South Carolina, U.S., inducted five new members at one time — a club record. Overall, the club has inducted seven individuals in the current Kiwanis year and is now 35 members strong. 

“Bluffton Kiwanis is growing,” says Bill Rickett, club president, “and there’s always room for more.” 

Rickett and Ed Murray, the club’s publicity chair, share what’s working for their club — and what could work for yours: 

  • Take recruiting into the community. Membership Chair Tim Beedle coordinates information tables at club events, providing details about the Kiwanis family and the value of membership in the Bluffton club. Club members also attend volunteer fairs to share the same messages. Look for similar opportunities in your area. 
  • Make the most of social media. “Our club has developed a serious and aggressive self-promotion campaign on Facebook and Nextdoor, with press releases in everything we do,” Rickett says. “Our members share all these posts to their own pages, enabling us to reach untold hundreds of others who live in the area.” Make sure you’re keeping your official club social accounts updated regularly and encourage members to share the good news through their own social media networks. Kiwanis has tools to help. 
  • Use members’ skills and contacts. A charter club member and past club president works as the social media director for a local TV station, providing both valuable contacts and promotional insight. Chat with your members about their own skills and connections and how they could help the club grow. 
  • Tell people the Kiwanis story. “We do a lot of recruiting by word of mouth,” Murray says. “For example, each of the five new members joined as a result of knowing a current member.”  

Rickett has asked each member to bring in at least one new-member prospect during the current Kiwanis year. “My goal as president is to end my year with 45 members and a new Kiwanis club satellite in a neighboring community that could lead to a chartered club down the road.” 

To help you share your club’s accomplishments in your community — and attract potential members — our PR Tips & Tools guide is packed with information you can start using today. 

Summing up the benefits of Kiwanis membership

Summing up the benefits of Kiwanis membership

Feb 16, 2024 | Club building, General interest, Leadership | 0 comments

If you have so much to share about Kiwanis that it’s hard to give it shape, emphasize these points.

By Tony Knoderer

For all the great things you can share about Kiwanis, it’s never a bad idea to have a quick list of overarching reasons for joining. Consider stressing the personal benefits we share with new members when they receive their welcome message from Kiwanis International:  

  • Meaningful impact. Kiwanis empowers you to make a tangible difference in your community.  
  • Personal growth. Kiwanis offers a place to enhance your skills and self-confidence — with opportunities for leadership development, public speaking and project management.  
  • Investment in the future. As part of an organization that improves the health and well-being of children and their communities, you help create global citizens who are better equipped for success. 
  • Global network. The Kiwanis family connects you with like-minded individuals worldwide, fostering friendships, collaborations and cross-cultural experiences. 
  • Lasting friendships. Lifelong friendships often blossom through shared service. Kiwanis clubs offer a sense of belonging and camaraderie. 

Don’t forget to send people to kiwanis.org for information about the organization — who we are, what we do and more. 

Look for leadership opportunities

Look for leadership opportunities

Feb 15, 2024 | General interest, Leadership | 0 comments

In addition to service, the Kiwanis experience includes several ways for members to be leaders and learners.

By Tony Knoderer

Kiwanis creates leaders. In fact, the Kiwanis experience provides members with multiple opportunities to develop leadership skills while changing children’s lives. Here are a few to look for: 

  • Leadership development training. Kiwanis offers virtual Club Leadership Education (CLE) for presidents, secretaries, treasurers and membership committee chairs — whether they’re new to their roles or want to refresh their knowledge. And all Kiwanians are welcome to participate each year in Kiwanis Amplify, a program that amplifies your leadership skills in your club, career and community. 
  • Project leadership. Many of the best Kiwanis clubs are known for their service projects. And those projects give you opportunities to step into leadership roles — which help you develop leadership skills while you contribute to your community. 
  • Mentorship. Many longtime Kiwanians say they stayed with their clubs in their early days because someone took the time to make them feel welcome and help them navigate their service journey. Be that mentor for a fellow member — especially someone who recently joined your club. 

As you seek out opportunities for leadership, don’t forget our tips for honing your leadership skills, with advice from a couple of experts: Kiwanis International Executive Director Paul Palozzolo and the recently retired executive director, Stan Soderstrom.