CLUB RESOURCES
The Rocky Mountain District has a lot of information, but on this page you can find resources specifically for your own local club, like officer guides, officer awards, and other service project ideas.
training guides
To make sure Key Club is running smoothly, officers must be well prepared for their job. Check out these documents to learn what is expected of you and how you can be successful.
president
vice president
secretary
treasurer
club editor
Class chair
distinguished officer awards
ceremonies
Many times throughout the year, there comes a time to have a ceremony. Whether it's to introduce new members or to celebrate seniors' service before they move on, these guides can help you.
new members
seniors
installing officers
miscellaneous documents
Here are a few more documents that may be useful to you and your club.
service hours log
key club history
point system sample
member recruitment
committee report
distinguished award
service project ideas
The following list of service, social and fundraising projects was generated from a variety of sources. The listed projects are general suggestions, which can be adapted in a way that best suits your club. Use this list of ideas when planning your year and adopting the nine recommended projects. Remember, all projects need good planning, enthusiasm and club support!
Aluminum Cans
Collect cans and flatten them in a race to see who can collect the most for the recycling center. The money from the center can be used to treat contest winners to prizes and to purchase recycling containers for the school.
Aluminum Cans 2
Provide recycling containers at the cafeteria exits so students can throw discard aluminum cans. Once a month, take the cans to the recycling center. Store the cans in a trailer or bin outside the school.
Bake Sale
Key Club members bake food and arrange to sell treats at school or at local events. This project is most successful when planned for the holidays.
Birthday Kits
At the beginning of the school year, send a direct mail order to students’ parents, selling "birthday kits." The Key Club can deliver birthday cakes, donuts, cookies, balloons, or something similar to students celebrating birthdays. If the club does a one-time sale, it alleviates an ongoing problem of accurate ordering. This project would require strong committee organization.
Candy and Nut Sales
Caramels, chewing gum, hard candy, nuts, chocolate and other treats are excellent sale items any time, but especially during the holiday season.
Car Washes
Shopping centers or gas stations usually will provide a place for this sure profit maker. Sell tickets in advance, and promote the event heavily.
Carnival Night
A hall or auditorium can be decorated to suit the theme of the carnival. You can offer a range of activities, such as a cakewalk and weight guessing. Sell refreshments and provide entertainment too.
Chili Cook-Off
These are very popular. Whether your club just participates by being an entry in a cook-off or actually organizes a contest, you can raise funds. Involve your Kiwanis club in the planning of this type of event. These can be fun but will require a lot of work and planning.
Coat Checks
Have members of the club offer this service at high school functions. This project offers 100 percent profit, though one can’t expect a huge amount of money from any one function.
Concession Stands
Many clubs operate concession stands for parades, fairs, festivals, athletic events, plays, or other school functions. This activity can be very lucrative and should be investigated as a possible project. You may wish to divide your proceeds with the sponsor to demonstrate your support and appreciation for allowing you to be a part of its event.
Daffodils
Purchase daffodils from the American Cancer Society in March, and then give them to teachers. Contact the society to see if your club could "sell" the daffodils.
Dances
Your Key Club can sponsor a dance after a sporting event. This is a good moneymaker if it’s promoted well.
Desk Blotters
Many clubs make a considerable amount of money from this project. Ads are sold to local merchants, the school store, or even school organizations wishing to advertise. The ads are printed on a standard-size blotter, along with schedules of football and basketball games, a calendar for the year, class officers, and anything else you want. Ads should cover the cost plus profit, and blotters can be sold at a minimum cost or simply distributed to the students.
Donuts and Pizza
Through arrangements with donut shops and pizzerias, food can be brought in at a relatively low cost when bought in large numbers. Best results have been achieved by selling donuts before classes or during lunch. Pizzas sell well at evening event that draw large crowds.
Holiday Easter Bunnies
Selling chocolate bunnies at Easter time can be a successful project. Contact a local vendor. Selling with a pre-order, pre-pay basis can cut down on surplus bunnies.
Halloween Party
Sponsor a community Halloween party for kids in a local gymnasium. Urge parents to allow the kids to attend the party, and provide an entertaining evening for everyone. Donate your collections to a UNICEF fund.
Haunted House
Work with a mall to see if it has an open room. Choose a theme. Work with your sponsoring Kiwanis club to secure materials, assistance in building and working the event. This makes a great fundraiser around Halloween.
Holiday Bazaar
A holiday bazaar open to the public is a great fundraiser. Secure a location, sell spaces—including concessions area, arrange for setup and take down helpers, decorations and a radio announcement. Local craftsmen count on the same date each year, which seems to ensure a successful turnout. This project has minimal costs to Key Club and is financially beneficial.
Homecoming Flowers
Mums for football games or homecoming weekends usually can be acquired for about $3.00 each and sold for $3.50 or more. Contact a florist.
Jukebox
Work with your school administration on the plan of buying a jukebox for the cafeteria. Not only does this bring in money, but it also provides students with an environment in which to enjoy lunch and socialize with friends.
Key Club/Faculty Sporting Events
Determine an event that would be most popular in your school’s community. Ask the most popular teachers to participate, sell tickets, promote the event heavily, and enjoy your success!
Kiss a Senior Goodbye
Take pre-orders and pre-payments for bags of chocolate kisses and messages for graduating seniors. These can be advertised and sold during lunch periods and before and after school. Parents enjoy sending these to their graduates, so find a way to advertise to them as well.
Lights, Camera, Goodbye
Give each senior 45 seconds in front of a video camera to say farewell. The video can include shots of the prom and graduation. Students can have their one copy if they supply a blank disc. This is virtually a cost-free fundraiser.
May Baskets
Accept pre-orders/pre-payment for delivery (in-school or to area elementary and junior high schools) on May Day. Decorate jumbo drinking cups and fill them with candy (buy it in bulk or from a vendor), balloons, coupons, gum. Try to get as much of the materials donated as possible.
Miracle Mile of Quarters
This is an easy project to do on a daily basis in a high school setting or for a district project/district convention. Determine the charity or receiver of funds and advertise this well. Make "paper quarters," and for every $.25 donated, post a paper quarter, perhaps by beginning in the lunchroom or corridor. Determine a goal and end date.
Movie Parties
Acquire recent, full-length motion pictures for showing at the high schools. Charge prices for admission and arrange the setting for the showing, either a standard auditorium or a more informal venue. Consult your Yellow Pages for motion picture distributors.
Pancake Breakfast
A pancake breakfast can be a high profit fundraiser. It also can be fun, easy to organize and an excellent joint Key Club-Kiwanis project. Don’t overlook the sale of placemat advertising. The income derived from ad sales often exceeds the breakfast receipts.
Parking Cars
Park cars for school events. Check with your school’s administration on how to proceed with this project.
Peanut Day
Involve all club members by accepting donations on street corners in exchange for a bag of peanuts. Some clubs attach small handbills to the bag, explaining the purpose of the club and how the money will be used. For complete information on organizing such an event, contact: Kiwanis Peanut Day Inc., 900 Jorie Blvd., Oak Brook, IL 60521.
Powder Puff Football
The girls put on uniforms and play a football game, after first modifying the rules. The boys lead the cheers! The novelty of this idea, if well publicized, will attract a large crowd. Money comes from gate receipts and refreshment sales. This is an ideal homecoming week activity.
Prom Flowers
Take orders for prom corsages and boutonnieres. Work with a florist for a profitable situation.
School Bazaar
This kind of activity can be a joint effort with all the clubs in your school. The Key Club, along with other interested clubs and homerooms, can operate various booths throughout the day. All proceeds can go to a charity or to a school improvement need.
School Dances
Take any opportunity to sponsor a dance on school grounds with the school’s permission. This can be an easy way to make money. Hire an inexpensive deejay, or produce your own playlist and find someone with a great stereo system. Also, approach area junior high principals to see if they would allow you to sponsor a dance for junior high students. Check for your school’s rules in regard to dances.
Scooping for Money
Host a "Make Your Own Sundae" event. Schedule this project during lunch.
Singing Christmas Cards
Set up a booth at a fall parent-teacher conference, sporting events, or after church services to sell "Singing Christmas Cards." People pay a fee to have carolers go to someone’s home and sing Christmas carols. A card would be given to the recipient with the giver’s name.
Spirit Sweats
Sell sweatshirts and pants—printed with the school name, logo and colors— to students. Work with a local vendor to ensure the best price.
Sports Programs
Publish basketball game programs for your varsity team. Sell ads to local merchants, and have the programs printed in the school’s commercial office. Distribute the programs at the door free of charge.
Sport Tournaments
Host a sports tournament in conjunction with homecoming, spring flings, etc. Many sport tournaments make money, and they can be a lot of fun at the same time. Some suggestions are basketball, baseball, table tennis, golf and pool.
Spring Sales
A successful springtime fundraiser is a garage sale. Collect items door-to-door for the sale. Also make advertisements and hand them out at grocery stores.
Students and Faculty Arrested
"Jail and Bail" is a popular fundraiser. Build the jail out of any available materials like cardboard. Hold students, teachers and administrators during two days of "arrests." Sell arrest warrants for one dollar. Charges can range from skipping class to imitating a student. On the third day, warrants are served during homeroom. "Criminals" must raise $5 bail or spend their free period in the jail, which can be located in the cafeteria.
Sweetheart Ball
Host a sweetheart ball around Valentine’s Day. Rent the ballroom of a local hotel. Make sure the event receives adequate publicity, decoration planning and pre-event ticket sales.
Talent Shows
Host a talent show in conjunction with Key Club Week, homecoming, spring fling, etc. With good promotion throughout the school, a successful show can be organized. Have a Key Club emcee introduce several acts from the school, including Key Club skits, for a successful variety night. Key Clubbers usher, serve as doormen and sell refreshments.
Thons
Sponsor a dance-a-thon, rock-a-thon, bowl-a-thon, game-a-thon, swing-a-thon, teeter totter-a-thon, etc. Donate the proceeds to a charity.
Traffic Safety Week
Sponsor a Traffic Safety Week in your school and town. Arrange for a speaker from the police force at the first of the week. After the kickoff, he can show a movie. The rest of the week can be filled with a "driver road-eo." Sell back seat drivers’ licenses and arrange a contest for safety posters.
Turkey Grams/Ghoul Grams/Bunny Grams
For a small fee, sell "grams" during various holidays. These grams can be a card with some candy or something similar. Singing telegrams also can be used for a fun project.
Turkey Teacher Competition
For teachers who are willing to participate, students bring in money or canned food and place it under the name of their favorite teacher. The teacher with the most money and ounces of food wins. That teacher either wears a turkey costume or carries a stuffed toy turkey all day. He or she also wins a turkey dinner. The canned food and money is donated to the Salvation Army.
Ushers
Some organizations will pay very well for ushers at ball games, plays and other events.
Valentine’s Day Kisses, Flowers, Cookies
This holiday provides many opportunities for fundraising. Selling bags of chocolate kisses (and delivering them in school) is an easy project. Also, taking orders for red, pink, or white carnations with delivery (in-school) on Valentine’s Day can be a successful project. Selling Valentine cookies during a lunch period or before or after school also can raise funds.