Nonprofit organizations regularly rely on the generosity of volunteers. Befriending these organizations often results in mutually beneficial relationships, yielding monetary and in-kind support for organizations and personally rewarding experiences for those wishing to give something back to their communities.
Since 2004, the Social Development Foundation (SDF) has served as a catalyst to bring volunteers to the Social Development Commission (SDC). The experience of Dr. Julie Ferris exemplifies the positive impact one volunteer can have on an organization and a community.
When Dr. Ferris accepted a professional opportunity that brought her to Milwaukee four years ago, she wanted to get connected and actively pursue her new community. It turned out that volunteering became her conduit to embracing Milwaukee.
Involvement with the Milwaukee branch of the American Association for University Women (AAUW) introduced Dr. Ferris to Angela Strelka, SDC’s Director of Community Relations. Dr. Ferris’s desire to cultivate fund development skills ultimately led to the prospect of serving on the SDF Board of Directors. While Dr. Ferris has regularly engaged in smaller scale volunteer efforts, it was in the role of SDF board member that she nurtured a broader perspective on volunteering, a perspective that is worth sharing and promoting.
First, making a difference through volunteering need not require an overwhelming commitment that is separate from everyday life. Whether one participates in a 5K run to raise money for an important cause or volunteers on a non-profit board – it all counts. Choosing a cause with personal meaning makes volunteering that much easier. For Dr. Ferris, serving on the SDF board means spending time with a group of other people “who can’t stop coming up with great ideas.” The chemistry and energy created in the group had her immediately committed to SDC’s mission. As a result, Dr. Ferris incorporates her commitment to SDC as part of her regular work. For example, she encouraged her artist colleague to donate a piece of her art work to support SDF’s silent auction. At work, she used her “turn” at asking coworkers for United Way pledges as an opportunity to showcase SDC, resulting in 100% giving by people in her division. And as a public relations / marketing professional, Dr. Ferris uses her skills to manage SDF’s social media efforts, which allows more time for SDF staff to focus on fundraising.
Secondly, volunteering yields benefits beyond good heartedness and altruism; serving others also serves oneself in positive, tangible ways. One of the first ideas Dr. Ferris expressed was how volunteering led her to meet some amazing people in Milwaukee. Volunteering, she says, amplifies the number of connections one can make and, in turn, the number of services one can perform. “The more I serve, the more it serves me.”
Volunteering can foster personal and professional networks that transform serving into infectious group activities, which then expands the potential benefits for others, and makes the work of “asking” easier and more fun.
The SDF is just one facet of the organization that benefits invaluably from the effort and energy of generous volunteers. In 2010, SDC logged over 125,000 hours of volunteer time across the agency’s programs.
Those hours logged include the work of people doing what they enjoy to enrich the lives of others – like Rosemary Pearson, an art therapist who has spent three days a week for several years leading art therapy sessions with young people in the Youth and Family Development Program – and Linda Kaehler, who works in the accounting department but spends part of her free time tutoring students in the GED program. From Head Start parents assisting in the classrooms, to Senior Companions helping fragile elders live independently, SDC would not be what it is without its volunteers. Whether mentoring a young person or stuffing envelopes for a special event, every hour of volunteering makes a difference when all that time spent culminates in helping an organization carry out its mission.
If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities at SDC, please visit the SDC's volunteer interest page. You can also find SDC volunteer opportunities, as well as other opportunities in the community, at the Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee
Lorna Dilley
Policy Analyst