Kiwanis was founded in Detroit, Michigan, on January 21, 1915. The name "Kiwanis" means "we trade" or "we share our talents." It was coined from an American Indian expression, Nunc kee-wanis. In the early years, Kiwanis clubs focused on business networking, but even then, members were serving the needs of the poor. By 1919, the organization had changed its focus from business to service.

Kiwanis became an international organization in 1916 with the organization of the Kiwanis Club of Hamilton, Ontario. Kiwanis limited its membership to the United States and Canada until 1962 when worldwide expansion was approved. Until 1987, Kiwanis was a male-only organization. But after years of debate and growing support, women’s membership was received overwhelmingly. Today, there are about 8,000 clubs in 96 countries, more than 260,000 adult members and approximately 320,000 youth.