The Zonta Club of Guelph filed its charter application in October 1979 and became an official chartered club of Zonta International in the same year.
Zonta International, founded in Buffalo in 1919, is a worldwide service organization of executives in business and the professions working together to advance the status of women. Zonta takes its name from the Lakota Sioux Indian word meaning "honest and trustworthy." Zontians volunteer their time, talents and energy to local and international service projects that are designed to advance the status of women. In addition to fulfilling this mandate, the Zonta Club of Guelph also organizes tours of historic homes in the city and hosts social events for its members.