Family teamwork produces a new club

Family teamwork produces a new club

Apr 1, 2025 | Club building, General interest, Leadership | 0 comments

In Iceland, a longtime Kiwanian worked with his daughters to open a club.

By Guðlaugur “Gulli” Kristjánsson

The 2024-25 governor of the Iceland-Faroes District, Guðlaugur “Gulli” Kristjánsson (pictured above, right) joined Kiwanis in 1982. Over the next decade, his family grew with the births of three daughters — who are now the leaders of the Kiwanis Club of Hera in Iceland. We asked Kristjánsson, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Eldey, in Kopavogur, Iceland, to share his experience working to open a club with family members. 

Our district, like many Kiwanis districts, had drifted away from renewing our clubs by bringing in new members. The average age here had become way too high. My goal (as governor) was, among other things, to start a club with young members. When preparations began in December 2023, my daughters saw me looking at the various options, and they sat down with me one evening.  

They have all grown up in the Kiwanis spirit. They were involved with helping in local projects in one way or another, and in the fundraising campaign against maternal and neonatal tetanus. 

The eldest, Hildur, asked me whether she could be president of this new club if it became a reality, while Thorunn, my middle daughter, was prepared to be president-elect. Our youngest daughter, Hulda, was 17 at the time and had attended the Young Kiwanis Summit organized that year by Kiwanis International Europe.  

The task became much simpler with them by my side. All three of them have a lot of organizational ability, are very imaginative and really fun to work with. Soon, all three were immersed in the preparatory work — and by the fall, the group had grown to 15 enthusiastic young women. 

There were 19 members of the Kiwanis Club of Hera by the time of the introductory meeting on November 30, 2024. The average age was 37. Since then, four more have been added. And one person in this group is the mother of someone who was already in the club! 

In this club, there are pilots, flight attendants, kindergarten teachers, bankers and more — a wide range and a fun, cohesive group.  

I recommend talking to people who have been raised in a family of Kiwanis members about opening a Kiwanis club. It all starts by asking. 

5 tips for your club’s social media 

5 tips for your club’s social media 

Mar 25, 2025 | Club building, General interest | 0 comments

If posting feels like screaming into a void, try these ways of reaching a wider audience. 

By Erin Chandler

Social media is an excellent tool to spread the word about the ways Kiwanis serves communities. A strong social media presence can boost awareness, membership and event attendance for your club. Below are five tips for using your club’s social media accounts effectively — and getting your message out to the widest possible audience. 

  • Create a post — with pictures! — to celebrate every successful club project. What better way to advertise Kiwanis to your community than by showing your club in action? Whether you’re collecting and distributing donations, making school supply kits, cleaning up a park or hosting a pancake breakfast, celebrating your service in a social media post demonstrates that your club is active, fun and having a real impact. If the local media covers your project, you can also share the link to the news story. The more you post, the more people are likely to see your club’s service! 
  • Include key information about the project in the text of your post. If a potential new member or community partner stumbles across your post without prior knowledge of your club, what would you want them to know? In the text of your social media post, be sure to include your club’s name, a description of the project and the key message you want readers to know about it. You can also tag or link to partners you worked with. 
  • Use engaging photos. Instead of a picture of all your club members standing in a row, or of one person handing a check (even a giant check) to another, take photos that show your club and community members in action — smiling, interacting and taking part in the project. Give potential new members an idea of what being a Kiwanian is actually like. And make sure any Kiwanis logos on display are up to date! For more photo tips, see our PR tips and tools. 
  • Encourage club and community members to engage with your posts. The more people like, comment on and especially share your posts, the more people will see them. Lots of comments from members show the camaraderie in your club. Tag club members, your club’s official page and community partners in your post and/or photos, and encourage them to share the post on their own pages.  
  • Share your posts on the official Kiwanis Facebook group. You probably know about the official Kiwanis Facebook page. But do you know that we also have a group page where members can share their club’s news with Kiwanians around the world? Once you’re a member of the group, you can hit the “share” button at the bottom of a post on your personal or club page, then select “Group” and “Kiwanis International.” Sometimes we choose posts from the group page to share on official Kiwanis social media! (But remember: It’s a private group, so we can’t share posts directly from the group page — only posts you share from your club’s public page.)  

Bonus tip: Make sure the contact information on your social media page is up-to-date and check your messages often! Once your posts start drawing attention, potential new members and partners will contact you via the information on your page. 

For more resources and tips on how to publicize your club in all kinds of media, check out the Branding and Marketing page of our website.  We have social media graphics you can use, a guide to PR tips and tools and more!   

 

Grants enhance CKI partnerships

Grants enhance CKI partnerships

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

Eleven Circle K International projects get support from Tomorrow Fund grants.

By Erin Chandler 

    Members of Circle K International (CKI) are forming vital partnerships to find creative solutions in college and university communities around the world. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Tomorrow Fund to help CKI clubs make the greatest possible positive impact as the next generation of servant leaders.  

    This February, the Children’s Fund awarded Tomorrow Fund grants to six CKI clubs and five districts that are teaming up with local organizations, schools and more to serve where they are needed most.  

    Baby Supplies for Families in Need
    Circle K International of Arizona State University, U.S.
    Arizona State University CKI’s support kits will help vulnerable members of the community — including those experiencing homelessness — cope with the stresses of new parenthood. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the club purchase blankets, diapers, wipes and other essential items. CKI members, prospective members and members of the Kiwanis Club of Tempe will come together to pack the supplies into 20-40 kits, which will be distributed to those in need through House of Refuge. 

    CKI Gives
    Circle K International of the University of the Philippines Los Baños
    Each year since 2017, the University of the Philippines Los Baños CKI creates a special Christmas for community children in need. Club members hold a celebration that includes games and storytelling, and they give kids Christmas gifts, hygiene kits and Noche Buena meal packages. A Tomorrow Fund grant will go toward the purchase of gifts; hygiene items such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, bandages and nail clippers; and Noche Buena food items, including rice, rice noodles, soy sauce, fruits and biscuits. 

    The Present and Ready Project
    Circle K International of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
    The University of Cincinnati CKI is taking on the problem of chronic absenteeism in Cincinnati Public Schools. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide backpacks filled with school supplies — including scissors, folders, writing supplies and art supplies — for families that might not be able to afford them. The club also will provide resources for parents on mental health, transportation and other factors that can contribute to frequent school absences. Club members will provide handmade letters of encouragement and bookmarks to accompany books donated by Queen City Book Bank. 

    Boys and Girls Club Craft Class
    Circle K International of the University of Texas at Dallas, U.S.
    The University of Texas at Dallas CKI will continue last year’s Tomorrow Fund-grant-awarded project, hosting art classes for kids at the local Boys and Girls Club. Grant funds will go toward supplies for crafts such as yarn flowers, slime, bracelets, origami, decorated journals and more. Club members hope to serve as mentors to the children and give them a healthy emotional outlet through art. 

    Empower Her: Bridging the Gap in Menstrual Health
    Circle K International of the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
    A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the University of the West Indies CKI purchase pads, menstrual cups and other menstrual hygiene products to reduce “period poverty” in the community. The supplies will go into menstrual kits for 200-plus students at UWI and Papine High School, plus permanent “period corners” that will be restocked regularly at both schools. Funds also will go toward resources and speakers for menstrual health education workshops, which will help eliminate myths and stigma around menstruation and provide information on lesser-known issues like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. 

    After School Soup Konnection
    Circle K International of the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
    The University of Windsor CKI will work with Feeding Windsor Essex on the After School Soup Konnection program, which provides meals to children in need every Friday after school. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide soup, granola bars, juice, applesauce, oatmeal and other nutritious foods — enough to provide food packs to over 150 kids every week throughout the school year. 

    Hygiene for Hope Program
    Circle K International Eastern Canada District
    The Eastern Canada District of CKI plans to expand a hygiene kit program — begun by the University of Windsor’s CKI club — across Ontario. A Tomorrow Fund grant will go toward enough shampoo, soap, hand sanitizer, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other essential hygiene items to assemble into 549 kits. Volunteers will distribute the kits to shelters across the province, where district leaders hope they will improve the health and dignity of people experiencing homelessness.  

    Making No-Sew Fleece Blankets at Georgia CKI District Convention
    Circle K International Georgia District, U.S.
    A Tomorrow Fund grant will help provide enough fleece and scissors for members of the CKI Georgia District to make 50 no-sew blankets at their annual convention. The blankets will go to Simple Needs GA’s My Birthday Matters program, which provides toys, books and supplies to children celebrating birthdays while experiencing homelessness in Cobb County, Georgia. The blankets made at the convention will supply 10% of the program’s annual need. 

    Sojourn Shelter Survivors Self-Care Project
    Circle K International Illinois-Eastern Iowa District, U.S.
    Members of the CKI Illinois-Eastern Iowa District will spend part of their district convention making supply kits to support the dignity and recovery of survivors of domestic violence at Sojourn Shelter. A Tomorrow Fund grant will help purchase personal hygiene items like shampoo, conditioner and body wash; self-care items like nail polish and lip oil; notebooks and coloring books; and underwear for the shelter’s general supply. Altogether, the supplies will go into 30 kits for women, two for men and 20 for children. 

    New England CKI District Convention Meal Packing
    Circle K International New England District, U.S.
    A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the New England District of CKI purchase supplies needed for members to pack over 10,000 shelf-stable, nutritious meals at their annual convention. Through a collaboration with End Hunger New England, the meals will go to families in need, children’s backpack programs and food cupboards in vulnerable communities. District leaders hope that members who participate in the project will be inspired to learn and do more to combat food insecurity with their clubs. 

    Ronald McDonald House Charities Care Kits
    Circle K International Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District, U.S.
    A Tomorrow Fund grant will help the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District of CKI put together approximately 48 activity kits for children and families staying in Ronald McDonald Houses in Eastern Wisconsin. The kits will contain coloring books, fidget toys and other items to provide distraction or comfort to kids of all ages undergoing medical treatment. CKI members hope these kits will elevate the mental and emotional wellbeing of Ronald McDonald House families during difficult times.  

    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.