Kiwanis began in 1915 with the establishment of the first Kiwanis club in Michigan, and the organization soon expanded to other locations. Dedicated to fellowship and community service, Kiwanis became an international organization in 1916 with the addition of a Canadian Kiwanis club. Membership was extended to women in 1987. As of 2006, Kiwanis has become a worldwide service organization encompassing more than 8,400 clubs in 96 nations.

The Kiwanis Club of Walla Walla was organized in 1922 and received its charter later that same year. Activities of the club have generally focused on youth and community service projects, such as involvement in youth baseball teams and scholarships, Special Olympics, and Walla Walla Frontier Days. The first large-scale effort of the club was involvement in the development of the Whitman Monument grounds during the 1920s.

Since 1925, an important project of the club has been maintaining and running Camp Kiwanis. The camp property was donated to the Kiwanis Club by the Reynolds family and is sponsored by the Camp Kiwanis Foundation through the Kiwanis Club of Walla Walla. The camp is primarily used as a youth camp, and also as a retreat, recreational location, and meeting place for other organizations.