Step-by-step guide for Lions Club secretaries on submitting service hours to MyLCI. Covers what data you need, how to enter it, and how to fix common problems.

How to Submit Service Hours to MyLCI: A Step-by-Step Guide for Lions Club Secretaries

Every month, Lions Club secretaries face the same task: gathering service activity records and submitting them to MyLCI, the Lions Clubs International reporting system. For many secretaries, this means hunting through notes, emails, and spreadsheets to pull together the numbers before the deadline. If that process sounds familiar, this guide walks you through exactly what MyLCI requires and how to submit it cleanly.

HoursServed is not affiliated with or endorsed by Lions Clubs International. MyLCI is LCI's official system, and the steps below reflect how the platform works based on LCI's own documentation.

What Is the Lions Portal (MyLCI) and Why Does It Matter?

MyLCI (accessible at mylci.lionsclubs.org) is Lions Clubs International's web-based reporting platform. Club secretaries and presidents use it to submit membership changes, service activity reports, and officer information. Lions Portal is the updated name LCI now uses for this system, though many secretaries still refer to it by the older name.

Reporting service hours through MyLCI matters for several reasons. Clubs that report service become eligible for LCI awards and recognition. Accurate reporting also contributes to Lions International's global impact numbers — the data that shows donors, governments, and partners the scale of Lions service worldwide. According to LCI's official service reporting guidance, clubs that report service are better positioned for awards and recognition programs.

What Information You Need Before You Start

Before logging into MyLCI, gather the following details for each service activity you plan to report. Having this ready before you start saves significant time.

Activity name and date
Activity type (from LCI's list of global causes and project types)
Number of Lions who participated
Number of non-Lion volunteers (community members who helped)
Total service hours contributed
Number of people served or benefited
Any funds raised or donated

The Lions Portal also accepts photos with your service reports, which LCI encourages. These are optional but strengthen your club's submission record.

How to Submit a Service Activity in MyLCI

Log in at mylci.lionsclubs.org using your Lions username and password. If you have never registered, you will need your LCI member number to create an account. Contact your district if you have lost your member number.
Navigate to Service Activities. From the home page, look for the Service Activities section. On the updated Lions Portal interface, this is typically accessible from the main navigation menu.
Click Add Activity. A form will appear with fields for each piece of service data. Fill in each field carefully — activity type, date, participants, hours, and people served.
Review before saving. Once all fields are completed, review the numbers against your records. Corrections are possible after submission but require additional steps.
Click Save. The activity should now appear on your club's summary page and is immediately visible to district officers.
Repeat for each service activity held during the reporting period.

LCI recommends reporting each service activity as soon as it occurs, rather than waiting until month end. The Lions year ends June 30, but June activities can continue to be entered through July 31.

The Monthly Membership Report

Separate from service reporting, secretaries must also submit the Monthly Membership Report (MMR) each month. This covers any membership changes — new members, dropped members, address changes, or transfers. LCI's official guidance is clear: even if there are no changes, report "No changes for the month." Skipping the monthly report disrupts billing and award eligibility.

Membership reports received by the 20th calendar day of the month are processed for that same month. Reports submitted after the 20th may roll into the following month's processing cycle.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Several issues come up repeatedly for Lions secretaries working with MyLCI. Here are the most common and their solutions.

Cannot log in. Email mylci@lionsclubs.org or call the Member Service Center at 1-630-468-6900. Support hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm CST. Have your member number ready.

Wrong activity type selected. Activity types correspond to LCI's global causes. If you select the wrong type, edit the record before submitting or contact your district officer if already finalized.

Missing prior months. Backdating is accepted up to two months. For records older than two months, a paper MMR form (c23a) must be submitted to the Member Service Center by mail.

A Faster Way to Prepare Before You Submit

The most time-consuming part of the process is not the submission itself — it is assembling the data. Secretaries who track service hours manually often spend the last week of the month reconstructing who attended what, how many hours were served, and how many people benefited.

Clubs using HoursServed for service reporting track attendance, service hours, and Lions Portal fields throughout the month as events happen. You can see how HoursServed compares to manual Lions Portal entry or review the workflow from event to report.

If your club is preparing for the July 1 changeover and wants to start the new Lions year with a cleaner system, you can start a free 30-day trial with no credit card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who in the club can submit service hours to the Lions Portal?

Club presidents and secretaries have standard access to submit service activity reports. LCI also allows clubs to appoint an administrator to handle service reporting. District IT chairpersons may assist clubs that are having difficulty. Check LCI's "Who Can Report Service" resource on the Lions Portal updates page for the full list of eligible titles.

What counts as a service hour for Lions reporting purposes?

Service hours include time spent by Lions and non-Lion volunteers directly engaged in service activities — setting up, running, and cleaning up from events. Planning meetings and administrative work are generally not counted as service hours for MyLCI reporting purposes. When in doubt, refer to LCI's Service Activity Information resource for guidance on what qualifies under each global cause category.

What happens if I miss the monthly reporting deadline?

Missing the monthly report affects billing accuracy and can interrupt award eligibility. MyLCI allows backdating of membership changes up to two months. For service activities, LCI recommends reporting as soon as possible after the event. If you have missed multiple months, contact your district cabinet secretary for guidance on how to catch up without creating reporting gaps.

Do I need to report months when the club had no service activities?

Yes. LCI's guidance states that clubs should report even when there are no service activities for the month, indicating no activities to report. For membership, the rule is the same — report "No changes for the month" rather than skipping the submission. Consistent monthly reporting keeps your club's record clean and avoids triggering flags in the district reporting system.

Can I edit a service report after I have already submitted it?

Yes, service activity records in MyLCI can be edited after submission. Navigate to the activity on the summary page and select the edit option. Note that your district officers can see submitted activity data, so corrections should be made as promptly as possible if you discover an error.