In response to the social problems caused by World War I and rapid industrialization, a Chicago businessman named Melvin Jones invited business associations from all over the country to a meeting where the Lions Clubs Association was formed.

Just three years after its founding, with the establishment of the Border Cities Lions Club in Windsor, Canada, the Lions Clubs Association became international. At that time, Lions were active in 23 U.S. states and had 6,400 members.

Helen Keller gave a speech to the Lions at the International Convention of Lions Clubs in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. As is well known, she challenged the Lions to become the "champions of the blind in the crusade against darkness."

Lions and other representatives from 46 nations met to establish the United Nations NGO section, underscoring the Lions' commitment to "secure and lasting peace in the world." Today, Lions continue to collaborate with the UN on annual events.

The Leo Clubs Program gives young people around the world the opportunity to develop as individuals through volunteering. Currently, there are 175,000 Leos worldwide.

The Lions Clubs International Foundation was created with the mission to "support the efforts of Lions clubs and their allies to serve communities locally and globally, give hope and make an impact on people's lives through projects.

The Lions reach a historic milestone by welcoming our one millionth member, Barney Gill, from Virginia, USA. We now have more than 1.4 million members worldwide.

LCIF awards its first major disaster grant of $50,000 to help victims of the earthquake in Mexico. Today, we continue to step up in times of crisis by offering grants to support our disaster relief efforts.

The Lions Club is launching a global campaign to help restore sight and prevent blindness. More than 488 million people have been impacted in the last 30 years.

At the Lions Clubs Centennial Convention held in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the same city where the association began, the Centennial of service to local communities and the world was celebrated.

LCIF surpasses its goal for Campaign 100: LCIF driving service forward. During the campaign, the organization's most ambitious fundraising initiative to date, a total of $325 million has been raised.

LCIF is proud to be a founding member of the Choose Kindness project, a coalition in the United States with the nation's leading non-profit organizations that promote bullying prevention, intentional inclusion, and youth mental well-being.