Kiwanis Public News

Your Club Management System subscription is transferable

Scott Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:51:00 GMT

Webmasters go on vacation. Club secretaries retire from duties. It happens. No worries. Transferring responsibility for your club website and club administrative tasks in the online Club Management System (full version) is easy. The subscription belongs to the club so all you have to do is share or transfer responsibility using Members Admin > Assign Roles. As long as the subscription is kept current, your member records and website content will be retained. Even club content from a lapsed subscription might be recoverable.

Please contact support@clubresource.com for help transferring system access to a new club leader or for links to the system tutorials to help the new person get up to speed. Also be sure the new person subscribes to the KiwanisOne Club Management newsletter! www.KiwanisOne.org/subscribe

Not using the full version yet? Upgrading is quick and easy: www.KiwanisOne.org/upgradeCMS.

Foundation grants add some power to your project

Scott Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:12:00 GMT

Kiwanis International Foundation grants help clubs meet the needs of children. Sometimes those children are in your same Kiwanis district and sometimes in the opposite hemisphere. These grants help clubs reach their service-project goals that may otherwise be beyond their financial ability.

Does your club have a project that could use additional funding? Consider applying for a Kiwanis International Foundation grant.

Here’s what you need to know:

Grant applications are accepted year-round.
Applications postmarked by November 15, 2011 are reviewed at the January Board meeting, and applications postmarked by April 15, 2012 are reviewed at the June Board meeting each year.
Applicants are notified of the Board’s decision by letter within 30 days of the meeting.

In order to be considered for a grant, your project should follow certain guidelines. Learn more about these grants and the amazing work that’s been funded on the Foundation website.

Reaching recruits: Attract alumni with a good story

Scott Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:09:00 GMT

If you’re looking to recruit new members, don’t forget a group with rich recruiting potential: the Key Club and Circle K International alumni associations. Alumni association members are service-minded people. They’re familiar with Kiwanis. They’re looking to do more. Privacy policies prevent Kiwanis and its alumni associations from distributing contact lists—but you can still reach members.

Here’s an idea: Write about your club or district for the alumni associations’ blogs. The blogs are a combination of news articles and alumni stories, updated several times a week. They’re perfect for telling alumni about your club’s service projects, social events and recruiting drives.

It’s easy to get your stories posted—just send them to Sherri McKeen at smckeen@kiwanis.org. She’ll put them up on the associations’ blogs.

But how can you make sure your posts get read? Here are six tips:

Stick to the point. The more concise your post, the better you’ll retain interest in your message.
Ask alumni to write. Does your club have Key Club or CKI alumni? Have one write the posts and share an alumnus perspective.
Emphasize your impact. Key Club and CKI alumni join the associations to extend their service and fellowship. Show how club membership can also help them achieve that goal.
Post pictures. Add visual interest, and give readers an idea what service and membership look like in your club.
Respond quickly. Keep an eye on your post for responses. Follow up with anyone who comments. Responsiveness is a good sign for the reader of how efficiently your club operates.
Keep sending stories. You can’t control when people see (or don’t see) your posts. The more you share, the more likely the right people will find you. Remember, both alumni associations are in the early stages, with 3,500 members worldwide. If you don’t get a response, your community might not have alumni association members—yet.

Again, submit your blog posts to Sherri McKeen at smckeen@kiwanis.org. Once you send them in, we’ll schedule the post and link to it on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Blimp pilot gives his life to save passengers

Scott Smith — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:23:00 GMT

The odor of fuel and a loud whirring noise, and Michael Nerandzic knew instantly that his airship was only moments away from disaster. What the blimp pilot did in those few moments earned him the Kiwanis International Foundation's Robert P. Connelly Medal for Heroism.

Nerandzic, from Balgownie, Australia, was flying three journalist from a music festival in Germany, when he made the heroic decision that would save the passengers but end his life. Realizing the ship had caught fire during a descent over an airfield in Reichelsheim, Germany, the pilot hovered near the ground and told the passengers to jump from the gondola.

As they did, the ship shot up into the air and exploded, killing Nerandzic.

He was nominated for the medal by the Kiwanis Club of Glenelg, South Australia.

The foundation medal honors individuals who, like Nerandzic, risk physical harm or death to save another person.

Nominate a hero for the Connelly Medal of Heroism.

What a difference your gifts make!

Scott Smith — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:20:00 GMT

What do you know about Kiwanis International Foundation? Find out what a difference clubs like yours are making for children in their communities and around the world, through their service and through their gifts. Come away educated and excited to be a part of Kiwanis!

Kiwanis philanthropy: The impact of charitable giving

January 31, 8:00 p.m., EST

This webinar will provide an overview of Kiwanis International Foundation and also explore how charitable giving can make a difference locally and globally.

See our entire listing of webinars offered in the next few months at www.kiwanisone.org/webinars.

Be part of the parade: Enter the shoebox float contest!

Scott Smith — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:18:00 GMT

Here’s a fun idea for all your creative and inspired K-Kids: Create a shoebox float.

Decorated in themes associated with The Eliminate Project, these floats will be presented at the Kiwanis International Convention in New Orleans in June where they’ll compete for recognition as 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. But all entries will be winning efforts because working on these floats will help educate K-Kids and others about maternal and neonatal tetanus and our effort to eliminate it from the face of the Earth.

With the help of faculty and Kiwanis advisors, K-Kids can follow the contest rules and use theme ideas to design fabulous floats.

Encourage your clubs to participate, promoting The Eliminate Project message and maybe even winning a cash prize!

Happy 97th birthday, Kiwanis!

Scott Smith — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:34:00 GMT

We are 97 years strong—and still going. On January 21, the Kiwanis International organization celebrates our official birthday, which is the day the Detroit No. 1 Club chartered in 1915.

It’s a good time to reflect on and celebrate all that’s been accomplished in our 97 years of serving children around the world. Where would children in your community be without Kiwanis?

Here are some ideas on how to mark the date.

Social: Serve birthday cake at one of your club’s January meetings or to your SLP club meetings.

Philanthropic: Send $97 to The Eliminate Project.

PR: Cover the costs for the local ice cream shop to give away a “Kiwanis sundae” to its next 97 customers.

Service: Plant 97 bulbs around a neighborhood playground.

Make it special!

Numbers never lie: What truths are your website analytics telling you?

Scott Smith — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:29:00 GMT

“Web analytics is like accounting for the Internet,” according to Reid Carr, founder of San Diego’s Red Door Interactive. Just as your club hears the treasurer’s report regularly so should it be with your website’s analytics. These numbers should give you enough feedback to determine if your club website is truly a useful tool.

According to the latest research, Web visitors decide whether to stay or to move on in 10 seconds or less. What does that mean for your website? It means that you don’t have long to make a good first impression.

Access your Web analytics to find out if your site is passing the 10-second test. Let those numbers tell you the truth about which pages of your club or district website are getting the longest look and which ones could use some improvements.

You’ve invested time and effort in your website. Use Web analytics to find out how your investment is performing.

Need help setting up or adding fresh content for your site? Get ready-to-run content at www.KiwanisOne.org/readytorun. Check out an ideal club website at www.KiwanisOne.org/idealsite.

[Sources: “The 10-second test” on http://freewritingtips.wyliecomm.com/2011/11/pass-the-10-second-test/; and How to Jazz Up Your Website by Max Chafkin and Ryan McCarthy at http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080201/how-to-jazz-up-your-site.html]

Be part of Key Leader in 2012

Scott Smith — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:27:00 GMT

Make a difference in a young person’s life through Key Leader. Key Leader is a Kiwanis-sponsored weekend experience that teaches high school–age students about leading by serving, developing their confidence in their own leadership abilities.

Start by finding events near you: You’ll find the Key Leader schedule for 2012 online. Then add some of those dates to your brand-new 2012 calendar.

As a Kiwanian, you can support Key Leader by:

Serving as a volunteer at an event
Sponsoring young people on their weekend
Promoting an event in your region at the nearby high schools

Snag a custom website domain name from our preferred vendor

Scott Smith — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:54:00 GMT

Does your club have a website, or are you thinking about creating one? In conjunction with Club Resource, the Kiwanis International Web team has hand-picked Hover as the domain vendor of choice for Kiwanis-family clubs and districts.

Hover offers a clean, simple, and easy-to-use interface free of popups and high-pressure add-ons. Hover only sells domains, which means they aren't going to try to get you to buy other things you may not really need through the checkout process.

The checkout process is simple. Pick the name you want, add it to your cart, create a basic username and password, pay and that's it. You now own the domain.

View the Hover video tutorial for more information on how to register for a domain.

New administrators, plan to attend the Service Leadership & Kiwanis Programs Conference

Scott Smith — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:52:00 GMT

Where will you be January 20–22? If you are the 2012–13 Service Leadership & Kiwanis Programs administrator for your district, you’ll want to spend those days in Indianapolis attending the 7th annual SLKP Conference. The SLKP Conference serves as training for SLP administrators, so if this group includes you, make plans now to attend.

Here’s what you need to know:

Current Kiwanis governors will appoint SLP administrators for the 2012–13 year. After the governors submit the names of the appointees to the International Office, all administrators will receive a letter of invitation including all conference details. (You could send your governor a gentle reminder to notify Lizette Bennett at lbennett@kiwanis.org of your appointment as soon as possible.)
Conference attendees should plan to arrive in Indianapolis sometime Thursday, January 19, so the training can begin early the morning of the 20th. Other travel and conference details will be included in the letter of invitation so watch your mail!
Young Children Priority One chairmen will also be in attendance.

Visit www.KiwanisOne.org/slkpconference for more info.

New tax filing requirement for Kiwanis clubs in the U.S.

Scott Smith — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:50:00 GMT

Beginning in 2008, some organizations in the United States that were not required to file tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)—including Kiwanis clubs—have a new filing requirement: the electronic postcard Form 990-N.

To file the electronic Form 990-N, you’ll need your club’s:

official name
mailing address
website address (if applicable)
employer identification number (EIN)
annual tax period date
a statement that annual gross receipts are still normally $50,000 or less.

Previously the threshold was $25,000 or less but for years ending after December 31, 2010, that amount was increased. Because Kiwanis International and most clubs operate on a fiscal year (October 1–September 30), the current year filing will be for the tax period that begins October 1, 2010, and ends September 30, 2011, with a filing due date of February 15, 2012.

Refer to the IRS website to see if the ruling applies to your club.

Online milestones: Kiwanis districts lead the way

Scott Smith — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:08:00 GMT

Welcome to our newest Kiwanis International districts using the personalized website template and content management system in KiwanisOne:

Eastern Canada & Caribbean (EC&C)
Philippine Luzon

Their new sites illustrate the versatility and professional format available free to all Kiwanis International districts wanting an easier way to manage their Web presence.

Nearly 50 percent of Kiwanis International districts are currently using the free website template and content system. Kudos to those forward-thinking districts leading the way with graphic standards, great online communications strategy and Web prominence! You’re a shining example to the clubs in your region. Keep up the good work.

If your district would like to take advantage of this free offer, contact kiwanisone@kiwanis.org to get started. It’s easy! Just ask the following leaders:

Alabama

Asia-Pacific (ASPAC)*

Illinois-Eastern Iowa

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky-Tennessee

Louisiana-Mississippi-Tennessee

United Kingdom (U.K.)*

Utah-Idaho

West Virginia

Wisconsin-Upper Michigan

Don’t see your district listed? Contact kiwanisone@kiwanis.org to learn how your district can join this elite group of online leaders.

*Regions, not actual districts

Start the new year off right

Scott Smith — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:54:00 GMT

Renew your commitment to your club’s growth. Attend one or all of these January webinars that will help you effectively reach existing, new and soon-to-be members.

Generation gaps
January 10, 8:00 p.m., EST
For the first time in history, there are four different generations working and volunteering side by side. Learn about what makes the generations different and how we are alike. Discover how we can come together to utilize our strengths to build stronger communities for the future.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/791265578

New-member orientation
January 17, 8:00 p.m., EST
One of the most important activities your club can do is provide a high quality new-member orientation. Learn the basics of developing and delivering a great new-member orientation.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/785614114

The personal ask
January 24, 8:00 p.m., EST
When someone asks you what Kiwanis is, what is your answer? The best responses are short, from-the-heart stories of your personal experiences as a Kiwanian. Become a top sales person in your club by knowing how to share the Kiwanis story.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/345166954

See our entire listing of webinars offered in the next few months at www.kiwanisone.org/webinars.

Is your club a Model Club?

Scott Smith — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:47:00 GMT

Did you know that each member of your club could save or protect 416 lives? When clubs commit to becoming a Model Club, each member saves or protects an average of 416 mothers and their future newborns. A Model Club commits to give a per-member average of US$750 to The Eliminate Project. Clubs have the ability to raise these funds over multiple years (up to five). More than 55 clubs have already committed to Model Club status. By pledging to become a Model Club, your club will inspire other clubs to join in our quest to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus by 2015. Contact The Eliminate Project Campaign Office to pledge your commitment level: campaign@TheEliminateProject.org.