Nonprofit organizations and business volunteers need each other, but sometimes they speak different languages or don’t hear each other’s needs and assets.
Companies have a broad set of tools – Time, Talent, Treasure, and often goods and services. Charities are doing a better job at educating their clients, donors, sponsors, and volunteers about what they need, what they don’t need, and why. Please know they’re not ungrateful for your involvement and support, but efficiency matters for charities with limited budgets. (Ex. Goodwill has adopted standards for what items they can and cannot accept; this is good.)
NONPROFIT SECTOR IS BIG BUSINESS
There are 2.6 million NGO’s in the United States; 25% of the population is working for pay in these groups. Charities are a significant portion of our GDP. There are 32.5 million businesses in our country, directly employing 35% people. Note: many businesses and charities sell products and services that are often paid for via government contracts, grants, or loans.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the world’s awareness of the inter-dependence of the three sectors is getting a lesson in its true power – for better and for worse. Let’s dive into a best-practice used by savvy nonprofits and businesses: Strategic Partnerships.
EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING & MANAGEMENT
Hands-on direct service, donating physical items, serving in leadership roles on boards or committees, pro bono work, skilled labor, and bringing expertise to NGO’s.
Employee Volunteer Management – often a role shared by charity and company, but the lion’s share of the work is led by the subject-matter experts, i.e. the nonprofits. They know best what their cause needs, but most have a hard time getting funding for critical overhead: office and service spaces and their maintenance; travel; staff for administration and HR; financial fundraising and accounting; and IT. The role of volunteer recruiter and manager is critical.
2020 – 2021 COVID, UNEMPLOYMENT, VIRTUAL SCHOOL and REMOTE WORK
This year there’s been a boom in efforts to provided food and rent to the increasingly large population with no ability to provide for themselves because of the loss of school and jobs. As of this writing, it appears that government funds are likely to be less available than in 2020.
If you’ve been to a meal-packing project, think about all the work that happened before your arrival and the tasks that follow your departure. There was food, boxes, bags, lines of tables, instructions, PPE, etc. After your service, there was distribution, which was informed by the school or charity’s caseworkers. They work every day on who needs food and how to get it to them. Larger organizations may have routing software; others may put dots on a map.
Who funds that infrastructure so you can be an important and appreciated part of the solution? When you can, it’s a great idea to donate where you serve, in addition to other causes (ex. cancer research) where your expertise and skills are less likely to be useful.
VOLUNTEER AND DONATE
It’s a challenge for everyone – companies, employees, non-profits, caseworkers, and volunteers – especially in the distanced, masked, and virtual reality that will continue into 2021 – to take care of profit, people, and planet – all three of which are important. Now, GO VOLUNTEER – and DONATE!