Panel Discussion 2
A Cooperative Response to the Economic Crisis
Joseph Annotti of the National Fraternal Congress:
Annotti discussed the changing role of fraternal organizations in the modern world. He noted how the old lines defining fraternal groups along ethnicity, religion, gender and occupation will soon give way. The “Fraternal Renaissance” will be defined not by who your group is but what your group does and what its mission is. This is promising ground for cooperation among a wide array of charitable groups united in a common mission of compassion.
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Paul Bueker of General Electric Foundation:
Bueker touched upon the important concept of corporate citizenship. The concept translates into making profit but making it ethically, and also making a positive difference in the community and world around you. In certain cities GE donates money, time, resources, and expertise to assist schools district both in terms of organization, efficiency, and in technical upgrades. GE also has initiatives with more global reach. They bring medical equipment and water treatment technology to underdeveloped areas and bring the manpower and technical know-how to train local populations to utilize the equipment. The company also organizes local volunteer efforts in 42 countries, totaling 1 million volunteer hours. Since the economic downturn set in, GE Foundation has focused its charitable activities more directly on food and shelter projects in affected local areas, often partnering with organizations such as the United Way.
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Rev. Mark Farr of the Points of Light Foundation:
Rev. Farr, the Director of Interfaith Initiatives at Points of Light, spoke about the necessity and value of cooperation among charitable organizations along several different lines. He noted that the next 25 years will be a pivotal time in the destiny of America’s religious minorities, and that great opportunities exist for volunteer organizations to build bridges into those communities through service. Along the same lines, Farr noted that in his vision, service is not only a practical activity, but a humane activity designed to connect people with other people across lines of faith and background. Service is also a touchstone upon which faith based volunteer efforts can partner with corporate campaigns in a mutually productive manner. Partnerships among charitable entities can provide both the large organizational power to give the movement momentum and the small locally organized volunteer groups doing more grassroots work, and allow each to complement one another.
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Alex Knopp of Yale University’s Dwight Hall
Knopp discussed Dwight Hall, a student run social service and social justice organization. He talked about cooperation in terms of partnerships between government and nonprofits. He sees the president’s recent national service agenda as representing a sea change for volunteer service. Money, resources, and new programs set forth in the economic stimulus bill are critical and necessary to the continued success of volunteer organizations in addressing social ills, according to Knopp. He noted volunteer organizations cannot continue to do more with limited resources and funds. National and state governments are therefore essential to these social services. Knopp recently attended an Ivy League summit of student service organizations where attendees exchanged ideas and best practices, and laid the groundwork for a New England regional college alliance of service organizations to facilitate even greater cooperation. Read More
Father Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities:
Father Snyder discussed Catholic Charities’ work providing social services for 8 million people a year at over 1600 local offices. The ratio of volunteers to paid staff at some Catholic Charities can be 10 to1. Volunteers can be the most valuable asset of a charitable organization. Providing an infrastructure to support them and a trained, professional volunteer coordinator to manage them are essential. Volunteers are an investment in the mission of the charity, and their retention should be a high priority. Along the same lines, they should be given substantive, rewarding work that involves them in the mission of the organization to keep them committed. Additionally, organizations must remain flexible in accommodating volunteers beyond just individuals, such as corporations, entire families, or even those receiving services wishing to give back. The face to face human interaction between volunteers and those they serve is invaluable to the missions of faith-based organizations and to fulfilling the Gospel command to “Love Thy Neighbor.” Read More
Mei Cobb, Vice President of Volunteer Activities at the United Way of America:
Cobb noted that a focus on money, either from public or private sources, distracts from innovation only possible at the grassroots level. Locally focused organizations can forge creative solutions to social problems through collaboration and the utilization of their own firsthand knowledge of the issues on the ground. We must connect our knowledge of local needs with other organizations to create a systemic movement with an enduring positive impact. Strategies must be people-centered, not program-centered. Money can only fund programs, whereas personal interactions between volunteers and those they serve are the most direct, present, and powerful tactic of a charitable mission. These interactions are what create motivated and committed volunteers.
Many organizations are too small to make significant headway alone, thus a unified effort focused on the most pressing basic human services is necessary to make a measurable impact. In assessing that impact, performance based goals must be set forth, not simply statistics of how much money has been spent and how many volunteer have been amassed. The United Way itself has focused on specific 10 year national goals centered on education, income, and health. Read More
