ONLY FOR CLUBS IN U.S., EASTERN CANADA & CARIBBEAN AND WESTERN CANADA DISTRICTS

After October 2010, Kiwanis membership rosters for all clubs in U.S., Eastern Canada and the Caribbean and Western Canada districts will be filed electronically. The traditional paper rosters will be mailed to clubs in August with instructions on how to file your club's records online. The revised roster is due on October 10.

The system will provide you with a confirmation receipt.

After your billing roster has been updated, Kiwanis will send your club an invoice for the dues owed. (Payment is due within 30 days of receipt.)

Dues do's and don'ts
A new dues structure is in place

• For clubs with an organizational date from January to September, payment will be based on your club roster as of September 30, 2010.
• For those clubs organized between January 1 and April 30 (billing group 2): due December 1, 2010, payable no later than January 31, 2011.
• For clubs organized between May 1 and August 31 (billing group 3): due February 1, 2011, payable no later than March 31, 2011.

Maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) kills one baby every nine minutes. What if you had the chance to save a baby’s life from this terrible disease? With The Eliminate Project—Kiwanis eliminating maternal/neonatal tetanus—you can. Yes, you! Three doses of a 60-cent vaccine can protect babies and their moms too. Kiwanis and UNICEF have joined forces to bring this vaccine to 40 countries around the world.

The Kiwanis family is getting involved from the get-go. At the Kiwanis International Convention in June, Julianne Hallett, president of the Bowling Green Elementary School K-Kids Club, presented the very first donation to the campaign. She and her club earned more than $1,000 at its second annual talent show and donated it to The Eliminate Project.

Julianne and her faculty advisor, Rich Santer, are already planning new ways to support The Eliminate Project. What’s your club planning to do?

See Julianne making the presentation as featured in the latest edition of K-Kids Zone or Builders Bloc.

Delegates to the 55th Annual Circle K International Convention elected Amanda Marfisi (pictured, far right) from the Texas-Oklahoma District to serve as 2010–11 CKI president. Nicole Loehr (pictured, far left) from the Montana District was elected to serve as the 2010–11 CKI vice president. Representatives are (from left to right) Rachel Bennett, Juan Juarez, Krystal Weaver and Cal Burton. Three other representatives (not pictured) are Chad Gardner, Jarrod Echols and Louis Bayes.

To better assist Kiwanis district goals and support growth efforts, Kiwanis International is offering web hosting, website creation and content management tools free to Kiwanis districts for their district websites. The offer is available only to English language users in this initial rollout.

This special offer includes basic design customization for your district home page, options for automatic content, and tutorials for do-it-yourself add-ons. The system provides an easy user interface for getting started and a simple content editor for keeping the site up to date after launch. No technical skills required. Improvements and updates are rolled out to all participating districts automatically.

District participation will help build a stronger Kiwanis-family brand and serve as the example to follow at the club level. Join other Kiwanis districts in converting administrative task time into time spent serving your clubs and the children in those communities. Request your free district website by e-mail to kiwanisone@kiwanis.org.

What’s your club doing on Saturday, September 25? Why not plan a Day For Kids with your local Boys & Girls Club? Day For Kids is celebrated annually each September by thousands of Boys & Girls Clubs worldwide in an effort to establish stronger relationships between adults and young people. Popular events are picnics, parades and service projects. This year there will be a major emphasis on encouraging kids to be physically active as part of BGCA’s overall commitment to combat childhood obesity. Use planning and promotion tools provided by Day For Kids management to create a memorable day for kids and Kiwanians alike. Giving a nod to the Kiwanis family’s special partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs, Kiwanis is recognized on their site’s honor roll page.

Kiwanis offers FREE Webinars just for you. Learn more at www.kiwanisone.org/webinars.

(All times are Eastern Standard Time.)
September 1, 3 p.m.
Ten tactics to take your SLP from fine to fabulous
During this hour learn how to best support your Service Leadership Programs clubs. Gain tips and techniques to improve your SLP service opportunities and develop your Kiwanis family relationships.

September 8, 3 p.m.
Facilitating change
The changes in our environment make it critical to develop skills to lead change in a positive way. We will go through the basic principles of leading change successfully.

September 14, 8 p.m.
Membership campaigns: Recruiting through service
More members = more service. We don’t have to focus on either growth or service in our clubs—they are two sides of the same coin. Learn to tie service to member recruitment.

September 15, 3 p.m.
Planning your club’s success
Get tips from experts on using tools available from Kiwanis International to make your club the “best show in town.”

September 21, 8 p.m. 
Mentoring made easy: How to be an effective club counselor
You were chosen to be an advisor for a new club. You accepted, you attended training ... now what? Learn some best practices for building a relationship and coaching the club toward service, fellowship and growth.  

September 22, 3 p.m.
Innovative membership initiatives   
In this webinar you will learn new and exciting ways to help expand Kiwanis through a flexible range of club options and new and innovative membership initiatives including some new pilot programs.

September 29, 3 p.m.
Effective board meetings
The club board of directors has the primary role of providing ongoing general management of the club. Learn how to effectively use the monthly board meetings to manage club operations.

Maternal and neonatal tetanus is a real problem in many areas of the world. But these areas are far removed from our reality. They are miles and miles away from our homes, in most cases.

When you are asking people to donate to our global campaign for children, to eliminate MNT from the face of the earth, you need to “bring it home” for them. Educate them about the 40 countries where MNT is still a devastating disease, show them the faces of the people living in those countries and share with them key messages from spokespeople from UNICEF, our partner in this effort, using the many resources are available in the Resources section of The Eliminate Project website.

Share in the excitement as plans for the 2011 Kiwanis International Convention in Geneva unfold. Sign up to receive announcements, updates and reminders via e-mail. You don’t want to miss a detail!

U.S. DISTRICTS ONLY - The IRS Filing Relief Voluntary Compliance Program could save your club from having to reapply for not-for-profit status, even if your club missed the Form 990 filing deadlines.

Has your club or district filed your annual Form 990?
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a one-time special relief program for small charities that have not filed a return for 2007, 2008 or 2009. These charities have until October 15, 2010 to file the necessary return in order to maintain their not-for-profit status. After October 15, 2010, the IRS will revoke the not-for-profit status of small charities that did not take advantage of the relief program. “Charities,” in this case, includes Kiwanis clubs.

The first type of relief is for organizations with less than $25,000 in average annual receipts. These organizations can visit the IRS website (www.IRS.gov) and complete Form 990-N. The second type of relief is a voluntary compliance program for organizations that file Form 990-EZ. These organizations must file the delinquent returns and pay a compliance fee. Relief is not available to organizations that file Form 990 or Form 990-PF. Additional information regarding this relief program is available on the IRS website, such as a listing, by state, of organizations that have not filed a return.

The IRS issued the guidance on July 26, 2010,noting, “This one-time relief benefits Form 990-N (e-Postcard) and Form 990-EZ filers only. Organizations required to file Form 990 or Form 990-PF are not eligible and are automatically revoked if they fail to file for three consecutive years.” The guidance also specifies that this one-time relief is available to organizations whose returns were due on or after May 17 and before October 15, 2010, and reiterates that nonprofits that do lose tax-exempt status must reapply if they want their exemptions restored.

What should you do if your club missed a 2010 filing deadline?

• Start by checking the IRS list of organizations at risk of revocation.
• If you find your club on the list and its gross receipts are less than $25,000, an officer from your club should file Form 990-N.
• If your organization’s revenues are $25,000 or greater, determine whether your club qualifies to file a Form 990-EZ.
• If it does, follow the instructions to participate in the Filing Relief Voluntary Compliance Program.
• You will be required to pay a fee of $100, $200 or $500, depending on the amount of your 2009 gross annual revenues.
• If your organization is required to file Form 990 or Form 990-PF and has missed the deadline for filing your 2009 return, you cannot participate in the Filing Relief Voluntary Compliance Program. You must reapply to the IRS if you wish to regain your exemption.

Watch for more information about this program on www.KiwanisOne.org and in future issues of KIWANIS magazine.

Kiwanis recently announced the organization's second global campaign for children: The Eliminate Project: Kiwanis eliminating maternal/neonatal tetanus. Here's how you and your club can get ready for the kickoff.

July–September 2010
What’s happening: Kiwanis International leadership appoints global campaign for children council.

What you can do:

• Educate yourself and your club about maternal/neonatal tetanus (MNT).
• Prepare your club. You’ll need a strong club to take on the challenges of the campaign.
• Attend your district convention.

October–December 2010
What’s happening: Governors and governors-elect make multi-year appointments for district global campaign for children chairpersons.

What you can do:

• Share what you know about MNT with your club, your community, your family and your school.
• Engage the Circle K, Aktion, Key Club, Kiwanis Junior, Builders Club and K-Kids members you support.
• Strengthen your club through growth.
• Plan to attend the 2011 convention in Geneva, Switzerland.

January–March 2011
What’s happening: Kiwanis International education conference for leadership involved in The Eliminate Project; lieutenant governor education and club leadership education (CLE); district midyear conferences; regional meetings in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

What you can do:

• Advocate for the cause. Add a link to TheEliminateProject.org on your club website.
• Continue preparing your Kiwanis, Kiwanis Junior, Aktion, Circle K, Key Club, Builders Club and K-Kids Clubs.
• Make plans to send a club representative to the Kiwanis International convention in Geneva.

April–July 2011
What’s happening:  Campaign kickoff at the 96th Annual Kiwanis International Convention in Geneva, Switzerland, July 7–10, 2011.

What you can do:

• Take part in the Kiwanis International convention in Geneva.
• Make an initial gift and check for updates on www.TheEliminateProject.org.
• Share your enthusiasm with your community as you prepare to kick off the project locally.

Find resources at www.TheEliminateProject.org.

Explaining what Kiwanis is all about now comes in a handy and fun to watch visual aid format. Go to the main Discover page on the public site at www.kiwanis.org/discover. The YouTube video at the top of the page dubbed “It starts with ONE” helps explain the many ways Kiwanis engages in service and leadership at every age level and interest. This video is a first-ever experiment with using flash technology to tell the Kiwanis story through animated words and music. The video is around two and a half minutes and can be played full screen for group viewing. There’s no better way to illustrate your club’s potential impact on the community and the power of one making a difference. This is a link you'll want to share! Check out the video for yourself and then bookmark it as a great recruiting tool or ice-breaker.

Go to www.KiwanisOne.org/districts and choose your region: The Americas, Europe or Asia-Pacific. From that selection, each page provides a list of districts in alphabetical order. You can access your district ID, a contact person and their hometown club with an e-mail link, and if available, a link to the district website.

Registration is now open for hotels and tours for the 2011 Kiwanis International Convention in Geneva, Switzerland.

Excursions in and around Geneva and in other European countries are available exclusively for Kiwanians traveling to convention, to be held July 7-10, 2011.

Discover tour options, itineraries and details within the tour brochure.

Visit the convention website.

The Kiwanis International Foundation website has a new look with key section updates including an expanded and feature-rich virtual giving section. Search planned giving opportunities and recognition programs that suit your style. Read donor stories about Kiwanis leaders who give from their hearts. Make your own contribution securely online or print out a donor form. Sign up to stay informed and bookmark the place to open your heart! Go to www.kiwanis.org/foundation.

The club secretary ensures club operations run smoothly and manages many of the details that make the club experience great. That huge responsibility doesn’t happen by magic, of course. As the new Kiwanis year approaches, club secretaries will find a list of resources just for them at www.KiwanisOne.org/clubsecretary. There is a monthly to-do list, instructions on using the Club Excellence Tool, various required forms, and quick links to several need-to-know documents and Web pages.

The monthly to-do list has been recently updated. This new and improved checklist begins in June for pre-term tasks and now includes repetitive items per month, such as “for every club meeting,” “for every board meeting” and reports due at the end of each month specifically noted. The checklist ends with a few tasks slated for the following October to end the secretary’s term in office.

Here are a few of the August & September to-dos:

• Review liability insurance information
• Schedule necessary planning meetings
• Ensure education of incoming officers (and yourself!)
• Encourage program calendar development
• Attend district convention
• Attend club board meetings & budget planning sessions
• Encourage other club leaders to plan ahead as well
• Review award programs
• Schedule dates of district leader visits
• Plan for the October board meeting

And don’t forget – many of the basics for navigating the member website and online reporting can be found at www.KiwanisOne.org/support. Have a great year!