How to Be a Member of Kiwanis

Kiwanis is a service organization that was established in 1915. Today there are over 600,000 members in close to 100 countries. Kiwanis reaches out to children, the elderly and anyone in need, including disabled adults. As a Kiwani, you can be active in your own neighborhood or across international borders to help others. There are just a few steps to become an active member of the Kiwanis.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Find a sponsor. You have to be invited to join the organization by a Kiwani.

2. Attend one or two meetings with your sponsor. This is a great way to meet other Kiwanis and find out more about membership in the club.

3. Go to the Kiwanis Web site on the Internet. Locate the particular club you wish to join and click on "Membership Interest." Fill out the membership form and click on "Submit."

4. Wait for your membership application to be reviewed by the club's board of directors.

5. Give all the time you can once you have been accepted. Volunteer for different types of programs. The more time you spend with Kiwanis, the more knowledge you will gain and your membership will become more valuable to the club.

6. Run for election as a board member. Club officers are discouraged from serving for more than a couple of years, and elections are held on a yearly basis. Being in a supervisory role is a good start to becoming active in Kiwanis.

7. Get appointed to committees. This will help you gain expertise in particular functions of the Kiwanis and will require greater participation than the average member.

Tips & Warnings

• The Kiwanis have volunteer programs for all educational levels. Involve your children early with volunteerism. The Kiwanis encourage achievement and all adult members are retired or active in business. Your children can learn valuable lessons to help them become future business leaders, along with the importance of helping others.
• Clubs generally meet once or twice a month, and the average time given by members is six hours. There is no requirement for volunteer hours to maintain your membership.
• Joining the Kiwanis is a great way to to make friends and establish business relationships.
• There is a one-time fee for joining Kiwanis and annual dues.