The Kiwanis International Foundation Board of Trustees meets three times per year for official board meetings. Here, grant requests from throughout the world are reviewed. While the funds are limited, the needs are great. Grant applications must be submitted by a Kiwanis club or district, be national or international in scope, serve young children, and are consistent with Kiwanis International objectives. Funding for these grants is taken from the generous contributions to the Foundation's Annual Club Gift Campaign, Kiwanis Children's Fund, and other donations.  

The following grants were approved for the 2004-05 administrative year:

AYUSA International, Key Club Study Abroad (KCSA): To provide 10 to 25 partial scholarships to eligible Key Club members from across Key Club International districts with additional financial support to participate in a semester, summer, or academic year program abroad. From 1999 to 2004 AYUSA has awarded 56 full and partial scholarships to Key Club members.

University of the West Indies Mona Campus Circle K, Jamaica, Gordon Town All Age School Project: To prevent school closure and provide more than 1,000 students between six and 15 years of age a computer, improved learning environment, and various levels of reading material for those unable to read and those needing challenged.      

Kiwanis Club of Capital Hills, Salt Lake City, Utah, Kiwanis Baby Care Cupboard: To serve babies and young children through the Crossroads Urban Center, the only emergency needs pantry in Utah. The center gathers and distributes infant necessities such as diapers, formula, and baby food to low-income families to meet basic survival needs and addresses issues affecting quality of life.

Kiwanis Club of Kiwanis Family House, Sacramento, California: To fully equip one bedroom of the Kiwanis Family House that provides shelter and respite for the families of critically ill or injured children being treated at the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Staffed around the clock by Kiwanis volunteers, it has served more than 11,000 families from all over the world since 1984.

Kiwanis Club of Sebring, Florida, Heartland Horses and Handicapped Inc. Program: To provide individuals who are physically, emotionally, or developmentally challenged free equine interaction to improve motor skills, posture, balance, coordination, and strength. Approximately 50 families take advantage of the program.

Kiwanis Club of Stuggart, Arkansas, Kiwanis Early Learning Program and Early Learning Wing, Grand Prairie Child Development Center: To meet the early learning needs of 87 children ages six weeks to five years by providing quality learning activities to enhance their overall development and prepare them for academic success.

Kiwanis Club of Texarkana, Arkansas, Kidtopia Community Park Project: To provide the ‘Kiwanis Tot Lot’ part of the Kidtopia Playground that will be a picket fenced area containing scaled down playground equipment designed to give children ages six and under an area of their own.      

Kiwanis Club of Escondido, California, YMCA Child Care Enrichment Program: To create an outside play area for 72 elementary students enrolled at a YMCA on-campus Child Care Enrichment Program. The program assists low-income families and single mothers in receiving quality before-and after-school care.

Kiwanis Club of Quito, Ecuador, Integral Care Service for Youngsters: To improve the integral health of urban teenagers, their families, and parents through an ambulatory service of integral health attention to youth.

California-Nevada-Hawaii District Kiwanis Bloodmobile: To purchase a three-bed, self-contained bloodmobile that will be operated by a local blood bank—Houchin Blood Services. The bloodmobile will serve blood donors who are unable to visit an established blood bank.

Kiwanis Club of Hopewell, Hanover, Jamaica, Aunt Laura’s Playground: To provide playground equipment and a pleasant atmosphere for approximately 2,500 children to play and interact.

Kiwanis Club of York-Leicester, New York, Kids in the Park Concert Series: To provide a four-week educational concert series for children up to age five, impacting about 3,500 parents and children. Each program day consists of a live educational children’s performance, community outreach from agencies, free picnic lunch, and the opportunity for families to network, ultimately strengthening families and building stronger communities.

Kiwanis El Salvador Del Mundo, Kiwanis Village Water Management Project: To provide drinking, waste, and rainwater management facilities, including the acquisition of pumping and waste water treatment equipment for a village affected by earthquakes in 2001. Those benefiting from Kiwanis Village are currently living in unhealthy conditions, amid puddles of water that create a great health risk for approximately 600 children.

Kiwanis Club Equinoccial, Quito Ecuador, Rural Ambulatory Medical Assistance: To improve the community health system in Ecuador by providing efficiency in ambulatory healthcare services in rural communities of Ecuador. The club and staff of volunteer doctors aspire to improve their services and increase their presence in the future to more than every two to three months.

The following district matching grants were approved for the 2003-04 administrative year:

Montana District, Children of Peace International Orphanage Expansion Project: To expand an orphanage near the coast of South Central Vietnam to accommodate 200 additional children and to create education facilities, which more than 400 children will use.

Alabama District Foundation, Jean Dean Reading is Fundamental Program: Provides quality, age-appropriate books to at-risk young children ages 0-5. Children select up to three books to have in their home. The program serves more than 25,000-plus at-risk young children in 533 sites in Head Starts, Even Starts, state-sponsored daycare facilities, state early intervention centers, daycare homes, housing projects, and some primary schools in every county in Alabama, including several sites in Missouri and Nebraska.

Texas-Oklahoma Kiwanis Foundation, Weekend of a Lifetime program: To provide funding for a leadership conference for the purpose of offering training, education, and leadership development for members and leaders of local Key Clubs within districts.

Nebraska-Iowa District Foundation, Pediatric Trauma Kits: Provides Emergency Medical Service and rescue units with pediatric trauma bags, backboards, and training for use in pediatric emergencies.  

Australia District of Kiwanis International, Timor Leste Dairy Project: The Australia District of Kiwanis International, along with the Timor Leste Dairy Project Group located at the Fuiloro Agricultural College in the eastern end of Timor Leste, aim to enhance and secure a milk nutrition program for up to 5,000 local preschool and primary age children in the Fuiloro area within two years; to consolidate the milk nutrition program at Fuiloro and to have the milk supply integrated into a significant sponsored food aid program for the area; to secure the financial viability of the dairy farm’s operations at Fuiloro; to develop the competency and scope of the college to provide sustainable agricultural training programs and practices for the students in dairying; and to encourage accelerated training in food production techniques and milk handling.

Kiwanis Club of Worcester, Massachusetts, Injury Free Coalition for Kids: Injury Free Worcester is organized and implemented by an interdisciplinary team focusing intervention programs towards decreasing the incidence of pediatric traumas and educating the families and children in prevention techniques. During the five-year intervention period (2002-06), the coalition will strive to lower the rate of fall and transportation injuries by 15 percent. This will be accomplished not only through safety education, but through empowering the communities the coalition works in to create an awareness of and an expectation of safe environments.

Kiwanis Club of Hanover, Pennsylvania, Bulgarian Orphanage and Medical Relief Fund: To provide life-saving medicines and vitamins to as many as 30,000 children in Bulgarian orphanages on an annual basis. Orphanage directors report the overall mortality rate decreased from 10 percent to 2 percent when orphanage children were provided with medicines. The general health of the children has improved each year an orphanage receives sponsorship.

The following grants were approved during the June 2003 Board meeting for the 2002-2003 administrative year: 

“Key Club Study Abroad” (KCSA) scholarship program with AYUSA: To provide eligible Key Club members from across Key Club International districts with additional financial support to study abroad.

Kiwanis Club of Escondido, California-After School Computer Education (ACE) project: To provide tuition funds for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) students between the ages of 13 and 15 who come from economically stressed families. Students gain skills in computer technology that can be applied toward their academic and future career.

Downtown Kiwanis Club of Little Rock, Arkansas-Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp’s Alternative Classroom Experience: To provide a free summer residential camping program for at-risk children between the ages of eight and 14. The objective of the program is to provide youth involvement, help prevent high-risk behavior, and organize long-term follow up.

Kiwanis Club of Madison East, Madison, Wisconsin-Kedzi School Relocation Project, Ghana, West Africa: To relocate and refurbish Kedzi School to an area that is protected from flooding and erosion.

Kiwanis Club of Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute with the Tufts-New England Medical Center’s Floating Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts: To improve and sustain the health of children in the economically deprived Central Balkan region by implementing two educational programs, the American Academy of Pediatrics Neonatal Resuscitation Program and the Perinatal Continuing Education Program. These programs provide critical training in perinatal/neonatal care currently nonexistent in the Central Balkans.

Kiwanis Club of Ramona, California-Romanian Trade School Project for Romanian orphans: To teach orphaned Romanian children trades to aid in job placement upon leaving state-run orphanages.

Kiwanis Club of York-Leicester, New York-Kids in the Park Concert Series: To provide a four-week educational concert series for children up to age 5, impacting about 3,500 parents and children. Each program day consists of a live educational children’s performance, community outreach from agencies, free picnic lunch, and the opportunity for families to network, ultimately strengthening families and building stronger communities.

The following matching grant was approved for the 2002-03 administrative year:

Kidz First Children’s Hospital and the New Zealand-South Pacific District of Kiwanis International: A matching grant to provide needed financial assistance to the Burns Unit of the Kidz First Hospital. New Zealand, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Vanuatu, and other South Pacific children will benefit from the grant.                       

Disaster Relief was approved for the Republic of China District to assist in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic.

The following grants were approved during the October 2002 and February 2003 Board meetings:

Jean Dean Reading is Fundamental Program, Alabama District Foundation: Provides quality, age-appropriate books to at-risk young children ages 0-5. Children select up to three books to have in their home. All books are selected based on literary and artistic merits. The program serves more than 20,000-plus at-risk young children in 450 sites in Head Starts, Even Starts, state sponsored daycare facilities, state early intervention centers, daycare homes, and some primary schools in Alabama. For additional information about the program, visit www.jeandeanrif.org.

Kiwanis Carolinas District with the Kiwanis Family Care Center: Provide sophisticated technological equipment for nine private parenting rooms in the Kiwanis Family Care Center of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Ruth and Billy Graham Children’s Health Center. The parenting rooms are for family members to stay while adjusting to the stressful emotions involved with having a critically ill infant. The rooms provide comfortable, adequate space along with the necessary equipment for families to learn and practice—under professional supervision—the special procedures and techniques needed to care for very small, fragile newborns before taking them home.

Kiwanis International: To provide support for the Children’s Conference, a one-day event on children’s issues during the International Convention in Indianapolis. The conference is designed for Kiwanis-family leaders, nongovernmental organizations, and child advocates who will be challenged to participate in the national and international implementation of action plans devoted to ensuring healthy lives and quality education for children.

Kiwanis Club of Equinoccial de Quito, Ecuador: To provide financial support for the continuation and execution of “Medical Journey Projects.” Each medical journey the club organizes consists of a group of voluntary medical specialists and paramedics from Quito, along with necessary equipment and materials. Specialists travel and serve patients in remote areas of Ecuador who might not receive care otherwise.

Kiwanis Florida District Foundation: Provides materials to educate and train Kiwanis leadership at all levels. This grant will assist the needs of Florida’s young children and fund local club projects, as well as develop partnership lists and contacts.   

Nebraska-Iowa District Foundation: Provides Emergency Medical Service and rescue units with pediatric trauma bags, backboards, and training for use in pediatric emergencies.

Bulgarian Orphanage and Medical Relief Fund: Provides medicines and vitamins to children from birth to seven years of age.

Holt International Children's Services: Helps reduce abandonment of children in Romania through early family intervention and by strengthening parenting skills.  

Kiwanis Club of Calcutta, India: P urchases a microcomputer-controlled intensive care incubator.

Kiwanis Club of Calcutta, India: Establishes a neonatal unit to p rovide a special medical facility for ill newborn babies.

Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kingston, Jamaica: Upgrades, refurbishes, and outfits an old radiography department of a local hospital as a central sterile supply department.

Kiwanis Club of La Hormiga, Colombia: P urchases computers to benefit 350 students.  

Kiwanis Club of Lenoir, North Carolina: P urchases books for the Reading Is Fundamental program to help at-risk students.

Kiwanis Club of New Delhi, India: P rovides artificial limbs to children.

New Zealand-South Pacific District Division 11: Purchases a multi-sensory facility for children with disabilities.     

Also, the following Kiwanis-family members received financial assistance: 

• Circle K and Key Club matching scholarships

• District matching grants 

• World Service Medal

• Five percent grants to districts

• Disaster relief

• Robert P. Connelly plaques, bonds, and expenses

• Kiwanis International Leadership Education

• Builders Club Leadership Awards