The examples of Rotary International and Kiwanis International highlight the challenges of classifying organizations. While both of these organizations are often thought of by the general public as "service clubs" (S80) their missions (as found on their websites) are, arguably, different. Kiwanis International, for example, focuses on "support[ing] children and young adults around the world." Should they be classified in human services, where other child-serving organizations are found? Among international organizations?
ROTARY
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 30,000 Rotary clubs ...
KIWANIS
Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kiwanis International is a thriving organization of service- and community-minded individuals who support children and young adults around the world. More than 500,000 Kiwanis-family members in more than 80 countries make their mark by responding to the needs of their communities and pooling their resources to address worldwide issues. Through these efforts, Kiwanis International truly is "Serving the Children of the World."
Guided by six permanent Objects, Kiwanis clubs view their role within their respective communities with a great deal of foresight. Key aspects to operating an effective club include:
Evaluating both children’s issues and community needs on an ongoing basis
Conducting service projects to respond to those identified needs
Maintaining an active membership roster of professional business people who have both the desire and the ability to serve their community ...
Club meetings traditionally are conducted once a week and offer an atmosphere of fun, learning, and fellowship. In addition to attending the meetings, the typical Kiwanian volunteers each month to assist with club service projects.
The NTEE is an organizational classification system capturing, first and foremost, what an organization is and not what it does. Service clubs, Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs being two examples, should be coded in the S80 level grouping.