A silver lining of the recession?? |
Sep 18, 2009 |
Leafing thru the Aug 20 edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, it hit me again that the recession could well afford unknowing nonprofits – not just Christian ones, mind you - a great opportunity to embrace transformational giving concepts.
‘Volunteering on Vacation’, highlights Earthwatch Institute, a 20.6$M international environmental organization, which annually enlists the help of nearly 4,000 volunteers who travel on their own dime to various locations to work side by side with scientists to track lions in the savannah, dig for mammoth bones, and monitor the health of coral reefs, among other environmental research projects. In fact, about 30% of Earthwatch’s $20.6 M budget comes from volunteers who pay to participate in such research projects.
Here’s what I notice so far: passionate volunteers are willing to contribute significant time and dollars to work side by side with experts to advance a cause. James Fry, international director of volunteer programs at Earthwatch Institute, confirms this observation:
‘It causes them to think about the way they live their own lives and how they can do that more sustainably. .. After returning home, most volunteers share their experiences with friends and family members, get involved with local environmental efforts, and, in some cases, raise money to support the research projects they participated in.
Interestingly, this volunteer experience dovetails nicely with a new report – highlighted in the same August 20 issue of Chronicle of Philanthropy - about volunteering in ‘recession-strapped’ America. The findings of the report, released by the Corporation for National and Community Service, can be found HERE.
Here are some highlights:
- The volunteer rate in the U.S. remains steady - 26.4 % of Americans, or 61.8 million people, volunteered thru a nonprofit in 2008 – about one million more people than in 2007
- With a growing demand for services, charities need time and financial support of their volunteers more than ever
- 48% predict they will increase their use of volunteers this year
- 34.2% have an increased reliance on contributions by volunteers
- Volunteers were much more likely than non-volunteers to donate to a charitable cause in 2008, with 78.2 percent contributing $25 or more compared to 38.5 percent of non-volunteers.
If you are a ministry, do you see the importance of offering your volunteers opportunities to do hands-on work which excites them and allows them to make a difference in the cause? If you are a volunteer, do you understand how much nonprofits will be relying on your time and dollar contributions in the future to help advance the shared cause?
