Community impact

Kiwanis is often called a “community service organization.” That’s understandable - every year, thousands of our members do millions (!) of hours of service in their communities.
But ultimately it sells volunteers short.
It can even prevent them from developing a larger vision. After all, what do people in Kiwanis clubs really do at their best? They make an impact. And that’s a bigger, more enduring thing.
In fact, Kiwanis is more than a volunteering service organisation, it is a “community impact organization.”
If you only think in the short term, the concept of service can be reduced to a task.
For us, this points to an important aspect of vision about leadership: clarity about what people do and why it matters. Kiwanis is a community impact organization because it’s a part of communities’ ongoing improvement. Kiwanians influence the direction of people’s lives with a specific focus on improving the lives of children. Sometimes they change the trajectory of a life altogether. In the long run, they provide a lasting inspiration — the kind that moves neighborhoods, organizations and communities. Now that’s true impact.