A Kiwanis club in Ontario, Canada, has grown by giving young professionals a fun networking opportunity.

By Erin Chandler 

When Kiwanis International was founded in 1915, it was an organization to help businessmen make a positive impact in their communities. According to Jarrod Goldsmith, president of the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, “growing their business and networking” is still one of the top reasons people join Kiwanis.  

With that in mind, Goldsmith proposed a new recruitment program for his club in 2023: Kiwanis Socials. From 5-8 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month, the Ottawa club hosts a social networking event at different locations around the city. The events are open to non-Kiwanians as well as members of Kiwanis clubs throughout the area.  

“These are not Kiwanis Club of Ottawa Socials,” he says. “These are Kiwanis socials.” 

The only stipulation? The locations must be fun and engaging: a bar, a restaurant, an activity center, etc. Goldsmith encourages clubs to eschew the traditional church basements and find alternative places willing to host an event free of charge.  

The goal of Kiwanis Socials is to attract younger members who will keep Kiwanis serving communities well into the future. 

“Adapt the organization to where you think the prospective members would be,” Goldsmith advises. 

How does it work?
Goldsmith, who has professional experience organizing and hosting events, designed Kiwanis Socials to showcase the fun, vibrant side of Kiwanis — a complement to its ability to form connections and help communities. 

The events are free of charge and open to anyone who would like to attend. The typical social draws 30-50 attendees, about half of whom are non-Kiwanis members. There is always food, either provided by the venue or donated by a third-party sponsor. 

Goldsmith takes no more than the first 10 minutes to thank the venue and sponsor — giving them a chance to advertise their services — and to talk about the mandate and values of Kiwanis.  

“I don’t believe in sales pitches,” he says. “Kiwanis is such an easy sell.” 

Goldsmith makes sure to recognize all clubs in attendance. Each club gets a turn at the mic to let everyone know about upcoming events and to ask for extra help if needed. This lets nonmembers see the real work Kiwanis does. Recently, Goldsmith has even spoken to local Rotary clubs about taking part. Other clubs and service organizations aren’t the competition, he says. 

“We should be working together to promote the community.” 

The rest of the event is for having fun and allowing attendees to network, although there is always the opportunity to bring the conversation back to why Kiwanis matters and the impact it has. 

“Networking is what I do,” Goldsmith says. “I like connecting the ecosystem, the community, together.” 

Tips for success
For clubs looking to host their own Kiwanis Socials, Goldsmith has some additional advice: 

• To organize and lead your socials, look for an active club member who already attends networking events and might have existing relationships in the business community. They can draw on these connections for sponsorships and attendance. 

• Plan your events six months in advance and be consistent with dates and times. 

• Encourage attendees to engage on social media — take pictures, tag the people and clubs who are there, and use a designated hashtag. This will help increase your club’s social media presence. 

• Give door prizes donated by community organizations. Everyone loves a prize — and if you give out tickets for door prizes at the beginning of the night, but award the prizes at the end, it provides an incentive to stay. 

• Set up an online RSVP system so that you know approximately how many attendees you will have. If someone shows up without an RSVP, no big deal — just provide forms for them to fill out their contact information. 

Think outside the box
When Goldsmith first pitched the idea of Kiwanis Socials, he says some members were skeptical of trying something new, especially an idea from a younger person. But he persisted. 

“’We’ve always done it this way’ is the kiss of death [for a club],” he says. “This is thinking differently. And it’s working.” 

The Kiwanis Club of Ottawa has gained approximately 25 new members since it began hosting Kiwanis Socials.  

“The city of Ottawa is once again talking about Kiwanis, and these Kiwanis Socials are a big reason why our membership is growing,” Goldsmith says. “People are joining our membership because of these events. Because they see the value of intergenerational synergies.” 

Above all, Goldsmith encourages Kiwanians to be open to new ideas and perspectives from younger members. 

“Let them run with it,” he says. “What have you got to lose? It’s their time on the line. Probably won’t cost anything at all. It doesn’t cost us anything for these Socials. So why not? The worst that can happen is you’ll have a new project.” 

If your roster isn’t growing despite membership events and guests, try these resources. 

By Tony Knoderer 

Kiwanis International is always pleased to share success stories from Kiwanis clubs — especially those that are increasing their membership. Some have held open houses for the community. Others have invited relevant guests and speakers to meetings. Many of these same clubs rely on a combination of methods.  

But what if your club is doing those things … and you’re still not gaining members? 

It might be time to go back to basics. Don’t forget: One of our Achieving Club Excellence (ACE) tools is our guide and worksheet for hosting potential members.  

In this downloadable document, you’ll find six steps — starting with self-evaluation — to determine your club’s readiness for recruiting and welcoming new members. The worksheet will help your club track its work and even gain feedback from guests. After all, a membership event is the kind of activity your club will want to do on a regular basis. 

Other ACE tools
Of course, your club’s appeal to potential members also depends on communicating what your club is all about. Can your club do that for recruits and for current members?  

Our club vision guide can help. Get started on the process of defining your club’s purpose and values — what it does and why it exists.  

With a vision, your club has a guide for decisions about its projects, activities and more. And that builds members’ confidence about persuading other people to join. 

Don’t forget: 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 address those issues.

For a club in Ohio, U.S., the year’s recruiting has brought 20 new members.

By Tony Knoderer 

On February 20, the Kiwanis Club of Berea, Ohio, U.S., held an induction ceremony for 16 new members. Add those to the four members whom the club had welcomed previously in the Kiwanis year, and that’s 20 new members since October.  

For the Berea club, the induction was the latest reward for a reinvigorated recruiting effort. But it wasn’t just about adding names to the roster, says Jeff Haas, the club’s president.  

“The issue was not so much membership,” Haas explains. “It was about having active members.” 

In a club that consisted of 85 people at the start of the Kiwanis year, he adds, about 25 could be counted on to attend meetings. And a core of about 10 people did much of the work at meetings and projects. 

It wasn’t that the other members refused to participate at all. But larger commitments, such as leadership roles, often came down to the same people year after year.  

“Eventually, those 10 people won’t be there,” Haas says. “We need people who bleed Kiwanis blue.” 

That’s what made the induction ceremony gratifying for the club’s leaders.  

“When folks got inducted that night, we took time and asked them why they had come,” Haas says. “They said they wanted to get involved. That’s important. We don’t expect people to become an officer in six months — but we want people who are active.” 

A new committee
The induction ceremony was the culmination of the club’s renewed commitment to getting engaged members. It began in October, at the start of the Kiwanis year, when Haas became club president — and when club member Jeff Wayner became chair of the club’s recruiting committee.  

In fact, that was the start of the recruiting committee itself. Even in a club the size of Berea’s, such a committee led to new ways of thinking about growth and retention.  

“The first thing I did,” Wayner says, “was to ask for volunteers to join the committee. I got five other people. And our first meeting, we decided what we need is a video of what we do, a better, refreshed website — and an open house.”  

The video, by design, is simple and straightforward about what the club does. Even the title provides plain information: “Our Story in 5 Minutes!” And the link to the video is placed prominently on the club’s home page. 

The other action item from that first committee meeting — the open house — became a matter of sustained focus. 

“Rather than hoping the door opens and someone walks in and wants to be a member, we wanted an event where people can learn about Kiwanis,” Wayner says.  

That required preparation, inside and outside of club meetings. 

Links in the chain
Like many successful Kiwanis clubs, the Berea club drew upon existing factors in the community: a relationship with local leadership and a knowledge of what interests people. For instance, members invited Berea’s mayor, Cyril Kleem, to speak at a club meeting — and then made a special effort to invite as many community members as possible to attend.  

“Cyril supports us,” Haas says. “That’s key. He’s a real advocate. And he’s a great speaker.” 

It didn’t hurt that one topic the mayor addressed is a popular one in town: the Cleveland Browns. The National Football League team’s preseason training facility is in Berea, so it’s a natural subject of civic interest — and another reason for local people to show up. 

Of course, attendees at that meeting were then invited to the club’s open house. 

“That meeting led to the open house, which led to the induction ceremony in February,” Haas says. 

But those weren’t the only links in the chain. Members put notices in local publications, even including church bulletins, and visited local institutions.  

“The police department had a shift change at 6:45 one morning, and Jeff and I were there,” Haas says with a smile. “We have good relationships. The chief of police accepted us, and the fire chief accepted us.” 

Wayner also relied on a time-tested virtue: personal contact. 

“I called people all through my address book,” he says. “The phone — that little gadget we all carry around today — that’s my No. 1 tool for recruiting people.”  

To the heart
The work and the planning paid off: Forty prospects came to the open house on January 14.  

“We filled the place,” Wayner says. “We were astounded.” 

The event was set up with tables for club members and members of local Kiwanis Service Leadership Program clubs to talk with prospects, introducing themselves and answering questions. Some time also was set for presentations, such as an opening address from Haas, a showing of the “five-minute” video and one member’s discussion of the Kiwanis Objects. The club included a Kiwanis leader in the event as well: Alan Penn, executive director of the Ohio District Kiwanis Foundation and 2011-12 Kiwanis International president.  

“Alan got people pumped up,” Wayner says. “He’s a good speaker, and he went to the heart. He gave the prospects an idea of what Kiwanis is about.” 

Of course, any event that attracts prospects is only successful if it ultimately results in new members. As Wayner said to himself at the time: “Okay, Jeff — we got all these people. How do we make them members?” 

Persistence, not perfection
The answer, he says now, was follow-up. Three fellow members joined him for a session to make calls to open house attendees.  

“They came to my house, I gave them the list, and we sat down and did it,” he says. 

That persistence, from committee formation to open house to follow-up calls, resulted in the 16 new members at the induction ceremony — putting the club over the 100-member mark. But the key, of course, is to have motivated members.  

“There’s no magic number of meetings that every person goes to that makes them stick,” Haas says. “We want them to come and see what it’s about — to come regularly and get engaged in it.”  

That’s why the club emphasizes persistence rather than perfect attendance for new members. 

“We understand you have work, we understand you have family,” Wayner says of the club’s message. “But if you help when you can, you’ll make a difference.” 

Resources for your club
Is your club considering an open house but doesn’t know where to start? Kiwanis International has a timeline and checklist to guide you through the process, from planning to hosting. It’s just one of the recruiting resources we offer online. 

We can also help you with a new website — thanks to our free, easy-to-use service. 

And don’t forget Jeff Wayner’s not-so-secret weapon: “If I could put one thing at the top of my list for what works, it’s the cellphone. That’s my best means of communication.”