Non-Profit Legends for Humanity & Good Citizenship: Comprehensive Reference on Community Service, Volunteerism, Non-Profits & Leadership

Chapter 1

REASONS FOR CARING, GIVING AND SERVING OTHERS

Ihave written several books, on business, entertainment, history and pop culture. This is the one that I have been destined to write, and it has been decades in the making.

I got into volunteering and community service at an early age. I found it heartening to be a good citizen and that community stewardship made me a better professional.

I have worked with more than 1,500 non-profit, public sector, and non-governmental entities over many decades. I interfaced with many on behalf of corporate clients. I conducted independent performance reviews of many. I served on boards of directors, search committees, awards panels, review boards and task forces for many. I have spoken at conferences, strategic planning retreats, symposia, workshops and board meetings for hundreds.

Non-profit organizations are the backbone of modern society. Every individual and business should support one or many. All of us are recipients of their services, community goodwill and worthwhile objectives.

There has never been a full-scope book on non-profit service. There have been books on fundraising and some articles on volunteer management and the business aspects of running non-profit organizations.

This book covers everything non-profit, including such topics that have never appeared in an internationally published edition, such as:

•Public service announcements.

•Categories of non-profit organizations (my own creation).

•The history of volunteering and community service, spanning 300 years. This parallels a chapter in my previous book, Pop Icons and Business Legends, where I covered a 400-year history of business.

•Strategic planning, how-to instructions.

•Pop culture influences of non-profit icons, events and campaigns.

•Communications programs for NPOs.

•Quotes on community stewardship, leadership and related topics.

•Understanding your true service.

Speaking at conferences and board retreats, I was frequently asked for a comprehensive book applicable to all the nuances of non-profit involvement. Here is what I wish to inspire via this book:

•Motivate NPOs to be unique, true to purpose and make differences.

•Encourage dialog on a Big Picture approach to non-profits.

•Inspire new dimensions to corporate philanthropy.

•Amplify discussions on community standards and ethics.

•Encourage greater collaboration and partnerships.

•Inspire a non-profit awards recognition program.

•Inspire more non-profit presence on the internet.

•Inspire more young people into community service.

•Enlighten international audiences on Western world philanthropic tenets.

Heart and Soul Reasons for Humanitarian Service

•Being good citizens.

•Volunteering, as time permits and worthy causes appear.

•Helping others.

•Business supporting communities.

•Non-profit organizations operating more business-like.

•Finding and nurturing one’s passion.

•Working together with others.

•Exemplifying ethical behavior.

•Potlache: feeling happy and rewarded when serving others is appreciated.

•Sharing talents and skills.

•Innovating programs, strategies and methodologies.

•Recognizing and celebrating service.

•Honoring our elders.

•Involving young people in the lifelong quest toward community service.

•Diversity of society is reflected in service.

•Building communities.

•Interfacing with others.

•Learning from history.

•Enlightening others.

•Inspiring the next generation.

•Creating new constituencies.

•Re-involving those who have given, volunteered and participated in the past.

•Understanding the relationship of causes to quality of life.

•It’s good for business, and it’s the right thing to do.

•Community events are fun and entertaining.

•Knowledge is transferable from community service to family and business.

•Injects heart and soul into yourself and your stakeholders.

•Leaders exemplify legendary behavior.

•Serving the under-served.

•Predicting new community needs.

•Benefiting humanity.

•Fostering respect.

•Communicating and developing people skills.

•Being productive and fulfilled.

•Planning for future programs and community service.

•Accountability of non-profit organizations and their programs.

•Learning from failure and success.

•Putting ourselves in others’ shoes.

•Visioning the future of communities and the population.

•Feeding, clothing, sheltering, educating and inspiring the needy.

•Sharing the wealth.

•Advocating for others.

•Learning more about life.

•Understanding conditions and circumstances.

•Discovering new frontiers, with opportunities to master.

•Networking, beneficial for all concerned.

•Growing as human beings and growing as a society.

•Having fun while serving.

•Humanity as the basis for global peace and understanding.

Chapter 2

THE HISTORY OF VOLUNTEERING AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

It has always been part of human nature to help others in need. Colonists banded together to survive the new nation, forming support groups to help each other plant crops, build houses and fight disease. Citizens helped neighbors to bring in harvests, build homes for the aged, maintain roads and raise barns.

Early formal institutions of volunteering were the monastic orders of churches. Monastic orders had as their mission to go into needy communities and serve. Franciscans worked with lepers, who were shunned by all others. During outbreaks of plague during the Middle Ages, it was the Franciscan monks who went into victims’ homes and take care of them.

In 1688, after a fire that ravaged Québec City, citizens created the Bureau des Pauvres, an office composed of volunteers, who provided money, food and clothing to the victims.

The earliest volunteers served without pay in militia forces. The original term was coined in 1755, from the French word voluntaire, defined as one who offers himself for military service.

Benjamin Franklin founded the first volunteer firehouse in 1736. He took 30 men and formed the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia, PA. Many small towns and cities still have volunteer fire departments. More than 70% of all firefighters today are volunteers.

During the Revolutionary War, the famous minute men were a volunteer militia. Volunteers raised funds for the war efforts, showing their philanthropic attitude and patriotism. In the 1830s, young people got involved with outreach work through various religious organizations. Churches operated relief programs, helping the homeless and those victimized by unforeseen circumstances.

Volunteers also played a role in the Civil War. Groups such as Ladies’ Aid Societies were created to make bandages, shirts, towels, bedclothes, uniforms and tents. The American Red Cross began during the Civil War, when Clara Barton took care of wounded soldiers. She recognized the need for medical nursing, supplies at the battlefronts and the need for morale boosts. The international Red Cross organization started in 1863 and encouraged Ms. Barton to create the American chapter. In 1881, she obtained formal recognition and served as its president until 1904. The organization’s activities extended to floods, famines, fires and other disasters.

The YMCA was founded in 1844 in London, England, by George Williams, to provide healthy activities for men in cities. By 1851, the Young Men’s Christian Association had spread throughout Europe and to the United States. Continued growth saw sports activities, fitness programs and activities geared at the entire family. In 1977, the YMCA was immortalized in a popular record by The Village People, with its accompanying dance becoming a craze that is still shared.

The YWCA was founded in 1855 in London, England, by Mary Jane Kennaird and Emma Roberts. YWCA USA was founded in 1858 and now has 300 associations serving 2.6 million people. Programs include health, fitness, aquatics, career nourishment, early childhood education, housing and shelter, economic empowerment and leadership development.

The Boys’ Club was founded in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1906, dozens of independent organizations joined as Federated Boys’ Clubs. In 1990, they became Boys and Girls Clubs of America, providing after-school programs via 4,000 member clubs. This is the official charity of Major League Baseball. A former club member, actor Denzel Washington, has been the organization’s spokesperson since 1993.

The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 by William Booth in England to respond to conditions stemming from the industrial society. In 1880, the U.S. branch was formed by George Railton. The Army has worked to serve those most in need, combatting forces of evil.

Volunteers of America was founded in 1896 by Ballington and Maud Booth. They pledged to go wherever we are needed, and do whatever comes to hand. In the early-1900s, they moved into tenement districts to care for people in poverty. They organized day nurseries and summer camps, provided housing for single men and women, and established halfway houses for released prisoners. During the Depression of the 1930s, VOA assisted people who were unemployed, hungry and homeless, establishing employment bureaus, wood yards, soup kitchens and food pantries where every food item cost one cent.

During wartime, VOA operated canteens, overnight lodging and meals for soldiers on leave. Affordable housing and child care were provided for defense industry workers. VOA headed community salvage drives during, collecting scrap metal, rubber and fiber for the war effort. VOA has since developed hundreds of affordable housing complexes. VOA operates nursing facilities, assisted and independent living residences.

Most volunteers of the 18th and 19th centuries found their assignments through churches and other private sector entities. People became sensitive to the plights of the disadvantaged. The late 1800s saw the rise of institutions becoming known for voluntary action. All were created to serve the needs of people in crisis of one kind or another. Some actually specialized in addressing specific causes.

Florence Nightingale was a nurse who helped improve hospital practices which improved patient survival rates. She worked in voluntary action from the Crimean War through World War I. Florence Nightingale’s force of skilled nurses brought attention to needs of soldiers and affected healthcare in general.

The Salvation Army focused on unmarried people and alcoholism. The YMCA concentrated on improving men’s economic opportunities. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul developed voluntary services for the poor and homebound elderly.

In the 20th century, mainstream volunteer organizations began to flourish, shaping volunteer and non-profit organizations with the sole purpose of helping other organizations find their way. America was full of volunteers functioning in every region, giving others the chance at better lives.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters started in 1902 when Ernest Coulter, a clerk in New York Children’s Court, befriended kids in need of positive influences. It was chartered in 1904, with each of 39 volunteers agreeing to befriend one child each. In 1934, President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt became patrons of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Foundation. In 1958, the Big Brothers Association was charted by Congress. In 1970, Big Sisters International was incorporated. In 1977, both organizations merged.

The Boy Scouts were founded in 1907 in England by Robert Baden Powell. The American scouting program was founded in 1910. Its purpose was to teach patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred values. Learning for Life is a school and work-site subsidiary program of BSA.

The NAACP was founded in Baltimore, MD, in 1909 by by Moorfield Storey, Mary White Ovington and W.E.B. Du Bois. The NAACP has addressed segregation, disfranchisement, social barriers, desegregation, civil rights, equal employment opportunities and educational initiatives, building coalitions worldwide.

The Girl Scouts were founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low. That first chapter in Savannah, Georgia, has grown to 3.6 million members throughout the U.S. In 1917, a troop in Oklahoma began selling cookies at their local high school. In 1922, Girl Scouts of the USA recommended cookie sales, and a chapter in Philadelphia organized the first drive. Since then, each council has operated its own sales of cookies each year to raise funds in support of programs.

Camp Fire Girls was formed in 1912, as girls in Thetford, Vermont, watched males participate in outdoor activities through the Boy Scouts. The organization tried to merge with the Girl Scouts but continued as an independent entity. During World War I, Camp Fire Girls sold Liberty Bonds. They planted millions of trees and supported orphans. The name was changed to Camp Fire Boys and Girls in 1975, then in 2012 to Camp Fire.

The United Way was founded as Community Chest in Cleveland, OH, in 1913. There were 1,000 Community Chest organizations in 1948, when they were combined to form the United Foundation. The name United Way was adopted in 1963, modified to United Way of America in 1970. It is an umbrella organization, providing funding and support to thousands of non-profit organizations nationally.

Volunteer organizations drawing from business and citizenry include Rotary International, the Association of Junior Leagues, Kiwanis International, Lions International and the Exchange Clubs.

The first Volunteer Bureau was founded in Minneapolis, MN, in 1919 and became part of the Volunteer Center National Network, reaching 170 million people in thousands of cities across the nation.

Disabled American Veterans was founded by Robert Marx in Cincinnati, OH, in 1921. Marx had been injured during his World War I service. A women’s auxiliary was formed in 1922. DAV was given a federal charter in 1932. DAV provides benefits assistance, outreach, research and advocacy.

Environmentalism also found its place during the 1930s, as President Franklin D. Roosevelt raised awareness by creating the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC planted 3 million trees in a single decade. Many green initiatives flourished over ensuing decades, a monumental event being Earth Day in 1970.

During World War II, volunteers were active in the military and on the home front. Volunteer organizations collected supplies, cared for the injured, entertained servicemen and supported civilians in a variety of ways.

After World War II, people shifted the focus of their altruistic passions to other areas, including helping the poor and volunteering overseas. The Peace Corps was founded in 1960. President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a War on Poverty in 1964, and volunteer opportunities expanded.

AmeriCorps is a national and community service organization. It has programs that address community needs in the areas of education, environment, public health and safety and disaster preparedness and response. It operates the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program, initiated by LBJ’s Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, the domestic version of the Peace Corps. Said Johnson: Your Pay will be low. The conditions of your labor will be difficult. But you will have the satisfaction of leading a great national effort. And you will have the ultimate reward, which comes to those who serve their fellow man.

VISTA strives to fight poverty with passion. Programs address illiteracy, health services, housing opportunities, community collaboration and efforts to break the poverty cycle. VISTA members complete the program with lessons learned in teamwork, leadership, responsibility and other life skills, carried with them for the rest of their lives.

National Volunteer Week began in 1974 as a way to recognize and celebrate the efforts of volunteers. Since then, the emphasis has widened to a nationwide effort to urge people to participate and volunteer in their communities. Every April, charities and communities reinforce the week’s official theme (Celebrating People in Action) by recognizing volunteers and fostering a culture of service. National Volunteer Week is sponsored by the Points of Light Institute, which began as a foundation, created in response to President George H.W. Bush’s inaugural speech in 1989, urging volunteers and community activists to become a thousand points of light.

Habitat For Humanity was founded in Americus, GA, in 1976. It has assisted more than four million people in the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of more than 800,000 homes. It is the largest non-profit building organization. Programs include A Brush with Kindness, mortgage assistance, Global Village Trips, RV Care-A-Vanners, Women Build, youth programs, recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast and Haiti, Collegiate Challenge and AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon.

In 1987, New York City launched CityCares, a program to get young professionals involved in volunteer service. The name was changed to the Hands on Network in 2004. It includes more than 70,000 corporate, faith and non-profit organizations, delivering 30 million hours of volunteer service each year.

Volunteer Match, a non-profit organization, was launched in 1998, a merger of Impact Online Inc. and Volunteer America. It utilized the newly emerging internet as an opportunity to match citizens interested in volunteering with organizations in their localities. It bundles enterprise tools with local, regional and national non-profit organizations, facilitating easy connections for those interested in serving. It has won awards as a useful resource and inspired greater usage of the internet by the non-profit sector. Worldwide Helpers is a comparable organization in the U.K.

VolunteerConnections.org was launched in 2000, later becoming 1-800-Volunteer.org. It features an online search for volunteer opportunities for individuals.

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation was created in 2007 by six women veterans and ever since has been helping men and women who have been wounded while on duty or have become sick during or after their service change their lives for the better. The DVNF provides services to disabled veterans and their families, collaborating with various organizations that can provide direct support. They have specific interest in helping those who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as other brain injuries.

The Corporation for National and Community Service calculated in 2012 that 64.5 million Americans gave 7.9 billion hours of volunteer service.

Chapter 3

VOLUNTEERS, THE ART OF VOLUNTEERING

All good citizens want to get involved with worthwhile causes. Volunteers are the lifeblood of non-profit organizations and the causes they exemplify. The art of volunteering is in aligning with the community and investing one’s time for maximum impact.

Volunteering has the power to improve the quality of life and health of those who donate their time. People must be performing the good deeds from a selfless nature. Volunteering improves not only the communities in which one serves, but also the life of the individual who is providing help to the communities.

Volunteering involves these types of investments:

•Time.

•Knowledge, skills, expertise.

•In-kind reciprocities.

•Political capital.

•Stakeholder relations.

•Social resources.

•Intellectual capital and heritage.

•Financial, directly or indirectly.

People volunteer because they believe in their communities and in specific causes. They want to give back, as time permits. They want to make a difference. Many volunteers get to utilize skills that their jobs do not allow, thus rounding them out professionally. There is a personal fulfillment that comes in unexpected ways. Plus, volunteering constitutes socialization, while doing good work on behalf of important causes.

During the course of each year, 26% of Americans regularly volunteer in their communities. So said the Current Population Survey of approximately 60,000 households that obtains information on the nation’s civilian non-institutional population. Volunteers are defined as people who perform unpaid work (except for expenses) through or for an organization.

Volunteering is a core value of citizenship. By giving back, volunteers gain new skills, expand professional networks, stay connected to their community and enjoy physical and mental health benefits.

Categories of Volunteers

Community volunteering embodies those who work to improve their local quality of life. This activity occurs through non-profit organizations, local governments, churches, recreational groups, sports groups and community associations.

Service learning comes from travel to other lands. It involves students, Peace Corps workers and missionaries the opportunity to serve others, learn applicable lessons to bring home and serve as international goodwill ambassadors. Volunteers who travel to assist may learn foreign culture