Kiwanis
Kiwanis International is a global nonprofit founded in 1915 that mobilizes 438,000+ volunteers across 70+ countries through local clubs and age-segmented youth programs to serve children and communities, funded by membership dues, donations, and merchandise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1915
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kiwanis does
Kiwanis International, Inc. is a global nonprofit volunteer organization founded in 1915 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, that mobilizes more than 438,000 members across 70+ countries through thousands of locally autonomous clubs dedicated to serving children and communities. Its operating model is community-led: members join local Kiwanis clubs, self-organize service projects, and contribute to causes spanning youth protection, education, health, and nutrition, with coordination provided by Kiwanis International and its philanthropic arm, the Kiwanis Children's Fund (rebranded in 2016 from the Kiwanis International Foundation).
The organization's product surface spans the core local club structure, age-segmented Service Leadership Programs (K-Kids for elementary students, Builders Club for middle school, Key Club for high school, Circle K International for college, and Aktion Club for adults with disabilities), the Kiwanis Children's Fund as a centralized donation and grant-making platform, the Kiwanis Family Store for branded merchandise, and two AI-enabled digital features: KIRA, a members-only NLP chatbot launched in 2025 for 24/7 operational support, and an AI-powered website translation layer covering nine languages. Technology differentiation is limited to ease-of-use member support rather than core mission delivery.
Revenue mechanics rely on three streams: recurring membership dues from local clubs, donations to the Kiwanis Children's Fund (with PCI DSS-compliant processing), and merchandise sales through the Kiwanis Family Store priced at $1-$26 per item plus gift certificates up to $100. The go-to-market is non-commercial — digital content marketing, a club locator, blog, and member referrals drive volunteer acquisition — while grants and scholarships are distributed through foundation partnerships such as the Service Club Alliance with the Midland Area Community Foundation.
Kiwanis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kiwanis
- Legal name
- Kiwanis International, Inc.
- Website
- https://kiwanis.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1915
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kiwanis International is a global nonprofit founded in 1915 that mobilizes 438,000+ volunteers across 70+ countries through local clubs and age-segmented youth programs to serve children and communities, funded by membership dues, donations, and merchandise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kiwanis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Volunteer Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Student Clubs & Organizations (General Interest, Cultural, Service) (EDAJAJAG)
Keywords
Where Kiwanis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kiwanis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Merchandise Sales: The Kiwanis Family Store sells Kiwanis-branded merchandise including apparel, gifts, drinkware, jewelry, meeting items, and recognition products. Proceeds from sales are returned to Kiwanis International to support its mission.
- Donations to Kiwanis Children's Fund: Individual and organizational donations to the Kiwanis Children's Fund, which grants funds to support Kiwanis causes and children worldwide.
- Membership Dues: Kiwanis International collects membership dues from members of local clubs worldwide to support organizational operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual merchandise items available for purchase |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kiwanis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kiwanis International is a global nonprofit volunteer organization that operates through a network of local clubs dedicated to serving children and communities. It offers volunteer membership through local clubs, a portfolio of Service Leadership Programs (K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club, Circle K International, Aktion Club) for youth and adults with disabilities, a charitable Kiwanis Children's Fund for fundraising and grants, and a Kiwanis Family Store selling branded merchandise whose proceeds support the mission.
Product overview
Kiwanis International is a global volunteer organization dedicated to serving the children of the world through a network of local clubs. The organization operates as a unified platform comprising Kiwanis Clubs (the core membership structure), the Kiwanis Children's Fund (philanthropic arm for grants and donations), and the Kiwanis Family Store (e-commerce merchandise platform). Supporting the core mission are Service Leadership Programs spanning K-Kids (elementary), Builders Club (middle school), Key Club (high school), Circle K International (college), and Aktion Club (adults with disabilities). The Kiwanis Children's Fund manages fundraising and grants while the Kiwanis Family Store sells branded merchandise to support club activities. Additionally, KIRA (Kiwanis Intelligent Response Agent) is an AI chatbot providing 24/7 member support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Circle K International (CKI): College-level Service Leadership Program for young adults
- Key Club
- Builders Club
- K-Kids
- Aktion Club
- Key Leader
- KIRA
Products and services
- Kiwanis Club Membership
- Kiwanis Children's Fund
- Kiwanis Family Store
- K-Kids
- Builders Club
- Key Club
- Circle K International (CKI)
- Aktion Club
- KIRA (Kiwanis Intelligent Response Agent)
Quantifiable outcome
- 438,000+ volunteers serving children in communities worldwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kiwanis
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kiwanis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature2 records
Kiwanis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Kiwanis Children's FundcoreThe Kiwanis Children's Fund is the primary fundraising and granting arm of Kiwanis International. It places highest priority on integrity and transparency. The Fund grants dollars to support Kiwanis causes worldwide. Governed by a Board of Trustees selected to serve without compensation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kiwanis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rotary International: Rotary International is a global membership-based service club organization with clubs in nearly every country. It mirrors Kiwanis' structure of local volunteer clubs, membership dues, and international grant-making (Rotary Foundation), making it the closest comparable in mission and operating model.
- Lions Clubs International: Lions Clubs International is one of the largest global service club organizations with volunteer-led local clubs serving community needs. It directly parallels Kiwanis' membership structure, dues-based funding, and youth programs (e.g., Leo Clubs), competing for the same volunteer demographic.
- Junior League: The Junior League is a women's volunteer service organization with local chapters focused on community impact and leadership development. It shares Kiwanis' membership-club operating model and community service mission, though focused on a narrower demographic.
- Optimist International: Optimist International is a volunteer service club organization specifically focused on youth, operating Junior Optimist clubs in schools analogous to Kiwanis' K-Kids and Builders Club. It competes directly for youth-focused volunteer engagement and community service grants.
- Civitan International: Civitan International is a community service club organization with local chapters and a focus on serving people with intellectual disabilities, mirroring Kiwanis' Aktion Club programming. It operates with the same volunteer-club model and dues-based funding structure.
- Sertoma International: Sertoma International is a U.S.-focused civic service club with local chapters emphasizing hearing health and community service. It shares Kiwanis' volunteer-club structure, dues-based model, and cause-driven local programming approach.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national youth development organization with affiliated local clubs providing after-school programming. It directly parallels Kiwanis' youth-focused mission and local-club delivery model, though with paid staff rather than volunteers at the chapter level.
- Altrusa International: Altrusa International is a volunteer service organization with local clubs focused on community literacy and service projects. It shares Kiwanis' membership-club operating model, dues funding, and project-based local service delivery.
Broad incumbents
- United Way Worldwide: United Way is a large established nonprofit umbrella organization that aggregates donations and distributes to local community programs. It is comparable in scale and community-service focus but differs in being a fundraising/distribution intermediary rather than a volunteer-service club.
- Points of Light: Points of Light is a major nonprofit focused on mobilizing volunteer service globally, with affiliated volunteer infrastructure. It is comparable to Kiwanis in mission (volunteerism for community impact) and global reach but operates more as a service platform than a membership club.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kiwanis social profiles
Digital presenceKiwanis compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Kiwanis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kiwanis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kiwanis subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Kiwanis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kiwanis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kiwanis
What does Kiwanis do?
Kiwanis International is a global nonprofit volunteer organization that operates through a network of local clubs dedicated to serving children and communities. It offers volunteer membership through local clubs, a portfolio of Service Leadership Programs (K-Kids, Builders Club, Key Club, Circle K International, Aktion Club) for youth and adults with disabilities, a charitable Kiwanis Children's Fund for fundraising and grants, and a Kiwanis Family Store selling branded merchandise whose proceeds support the mission.
Is Kiwanis a public or private company?
Kiwanis is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kiwanis founded?
Kiwanis was founded in 1915. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kiwanis based?
Kiwanis is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kiwanis make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Merchandise Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations to Kiwanis Children's Fund and membership Dues.
Who are Kiwanis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rotary International, Lions Clubs International, Junior League, Optimist International, Civitan International, Sertoma International, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Altrusa International. Broad incumbents are United Way Worldwide and Points of Light.
Does Kiwanis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kiwanis.
What industry is Kiwanis in?
Kiwanis's product category is Community Volunteer Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits, with a secondary code of HLAJAKAD, International & Local Implementing NGOs. Its NAICS code is 8134 and its SIC code is 8600.