Read it here first - my next Outlook column

Back in July The Columbus Dispatch featured a story on their front page which reported the results of a study conducted by federal agency the Corporation for National and Community Service. The study included statistics from Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway and Madison counties. Apparently we here in central Ohio like to volunteer. 33.3% of us volunteer our time, which ranks us at number 12 in the nation’s 50 largest metro areas. Unfortunately the report also concluded that on average we only volunteer 37 hours in a year; the national average is 50. 37 hours – that is 15 hours shy of an hour a week for a year. Can we really not manage to turn off our computer or television long enough to serve our community for a lousy hour a week?

The article went on to report the findings of a separate survey on volunteerism habits conducted by Nationwide. Of those surveyed, more than half said they had no plans to increase their volunteer hours in the coming year, and 40% stated that the reason they don’t volunteer is because they can’t find an organization that matches their “values, skills or desire to make a difference.” Oh, really? I have to wonder how hard these people have tried to find matching organizations. If I had to make a guess, I’d say zero effort considering in this city you can not only support the welfare of say, dogs – but one can even be as specific as to which breed will be lucky enough to earn the attention and money of potential do-gooders.

For some reason I can’t get this article and its findings out of my head. I cut it out and pinned it to my bulletin board. I think the timeliness of the article, just a couple weeks after Pride, was what made me notice it in the first place. Here in the LGBTA community, as in the rest of the world, non-profit organizations live and die on volunteerism. They literally depend on good Samaritans to answer their phones, stuff their envelopes and of course man the booths at Pride. Since we here in central Ohio enjoy the second largest Pride celebration in the Midwest, you would think most people would be willing to give a couple of hours of their day to pour beer or sign people up to vote…yet every year LGBTA non-profits scramble to the last hour to cover all the slots.
Luckily the good people of central Ohio always seem to pull through at the last minute and we all enjoy a great day…but what about the needs of the community the other 364 days of the year?

What the article failed to discuss is of those 33.3% of volunteers, how many of those people volunteer for more than one organization? I’d wager the likelihood is pretty high. Having been a volunteer in the community for four plus years, I tend to see the same faces at local events. You’ve probably seen them too. The truth is that if an organization has 100 members on their email list, you can consider yourself successful if 10 of those people actually volunteer on a regular basis. That’s right – 10 people out of 100! In a small community like the LGBTA, the odds are high that these are the same ten people showing up to hang up your coat at a fundraiser for one group and then reporting for a get out the vote event for another group the next morning. Therein lies the rub…volunteer burn out is high and unfortunately regular volunteers often get taken for granted. These are both serious problems for the organizations that are out there working upon your behalf.

Then there are the “super-volunteers” – they are the people who don’t suddenly need to step outside for a cigarette when organizations seek a person to serve in a leadership role. These rare breed of volunteers are serving as treasurers, board members and presidents of organizations all over town. They are the ones responsible for organizing the many fundraisers and house parties you attend throughout the year. I think it would be a surprise to most people to learn that many – if not most – non-profits which serve the LGBTA community in central Ohio are being run by people not paid to do so. Rare is the opportunity to actually do good in the world and make a decent wage doing it. There is a serious lack of people to fill the shoes of the “super-volunteer” when inevitably the person who has run a group for years must step down to focus on other aspects of their lives. This is a calamity waiting to happen in groups all over town – groups whose names you know and would never assume might suddenly evaporate without the handful of people who are keeping it running day after day by volunteering their time despite their “real” jobs, families and other activities.

Non-profits in the LGBTA community serve us all each and every day – not just when the community is under attack. They work to gain and protect our rights, to educate people about homophobia and to make sure our politicians (regardless of their party) are focusing on our issues. Others work to keep us safe, to provide needed medical services/education and support us when we are at our most vulnerable. They provide a social or spiritual outlet. And finally, they give our youth a safe space and address the growing needs of our elderly. If you can’t find a group among the many who currently serve the LGBTA people of central Ohio to match your “values, skills or desires to make a difference,” might I suggest starting your own? That probably won’t be necessary in the wealth of organizations that central Ohio is blessed with, but that’s exactly what I did when I founded SpeakOUT…the rest is, as they say, history.

So, to the hard core ten people who faithfully volunteer their time again and again – I offer you a heartfelt thank you! To the other 90 people, DVR Project Runway and find an organization out there which you feel best matches your interest. Go ahead and check that little box which asks if you’d be willing to volunteer and then actually go do it! Your community is waiting.


(Information used in this article can be found in The Columbus Dispatch article “Volunteer spirit high but could be higher” by Rita Price in the July 9, 2007 issue.)