Sertoma International was founded April 11, 1912 in Kansas City, KA by two doctors and the publisher of the local newspaper. The international organization has established clubs throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Currently, there are over 800 clubs. Existing clubs are responsible for starting new clubs in their region.

Sertoma International is lead by the Board of Directors selected from other local clubs. They generate funding for charities through "Speech and Hearing" and "Sertoma Foundation".

Locally, each club determines their own sponsorships and methods of fund raising.

There are annual national, regional, and district conventions. Individual club sizes run from 10 to almost 200 members.

The name Sertoma was selected in 1950 as a contraction of SERvice TO MAnkind.

www.sertoma.org