Why Volunteer?

Sometimes I'm asked why I "bother" with my nonprofit boards and other volunteer work. After all, I am not a "lady who lunches," although I have met many such women and admired what they do for their causes. Nor am I "between jobs," during which volunteer work can be used to supplement networking. In fact, I actually match the profile of a person who doesn't have time for nonprofit boards and other volunteer work!

I came to admire the nonprofit sector through my business, and have now devoted my business to the sector. Like many an executive search consultant, I started out serving the lucrative financial services sector. One day, I received a fluke referral: someone had recommended my firm to a very prominent foundation. Foundations were less in the public eye then -- this, after all, preceded Bill Gates' creation of his own. Up to then, my sense of foundations was, like most people's: a set of names that rolled in the credits on public television.

I came to learn how many innovations in America were spawned by foundations. For instance, the group known as Doctors against Handgun Injury, which seeks to prevent gun violence rather than merely treat its effects received seed money from foundations. Clearly, then, many ideas emanating from this sector have better longterm impact than some of the innovations emanating from the private sector -- subprime mortgages, for example.

Moreover, we all know there are dedicated people working hard in the sector for far less than they could earn elsewhere. But that awareness understates the presence of true genius. Accordingly, the MacArthur Foundation's so-called Genius Grants (no-strings financial awards) have recognized many leaders in this sector. There are truly inspiring innovative "geniuses" in nonprofits who find and fill niches the rest of us don't even see.

For instance, Marisa Weiss, a physician in Philadelphia, figured out that there was great research coming out about breast cancer at the same time most doctors were forced to spend less and less time explaining it to patients. Her realization spurred her to work nights and weekends to create the organization, BreastCancer.org, which supplies the best medical information, for free, to women worldwide. (Full disclosure: I first encountered the organization's website as a user and later joined its board.)

Similarly, with limited resources, many nonprofits are, of necessity, highly efficient. At Bottomless Closet in New York -- with a budget of under a million dollars and a full-time staff of only three -- women who opt to go off welfare for work are outfitted in suits and coached on interview skills in only 60 minutes. (More full disclosure: I started there as a volunteer and later joined its board.)

The private sector has discovered nonprofits: More company retreats now include volunteer work such as building a home through Habitat for Humanity or painting a school through Publicolor. Many celebrities seek associations with nonprofits. True, it boosts their own images, but it also builds awareness of the nonprofit's issue or cause.

But, while most companies have mission statements, nonprofits are all about their missions. Missions are more than just signs on the walls: every employee - from mailroom worker (when there is one) to president knows the mission and why it matters. It is this sense of clarity and not just an impulse towards charity that led to my involvement.

Comments

[tedbear]

I returned to school after many years! and had to take a class "Proposal Writing," which introduced me to the world of non-profits. It is amazing, and anyone who is interested should just google foundations in their city and check it out.