montara creative

How businesses work with nonprofits for mutual benefit.

Author: Beth Galleto

Remember Gordon Gecko, the character played by Michael Douglas in the 1987 film “Wall Street”? His credo, “Greed is good. Greed is right. Greed works,” exemplifies a popular view of business, particularly in this time of financial meltdown. But business also has another, kinder face.

Businesses and their employees provide money, in-kind products and valuable time to hundreds of nonprofit agencies dedicated to helping the poor, the sick, the disadvantaged, children and the elderly in a variety of ways. They don’t feel this is a sacrifice. They’ll tell you they get back as much—or more—than they give.

Peter Rodgers, a Sonoma resident, is a good example. An artist and brand expert, he was formerly employed as director of marketing at Frank Howard Allen Realtors in Novato. Several months ago, he started working full-time at Montara Creative, an identity and integrated marketing agency he founded. He wanted to have more flexibility and time for volunteering. Frank Howard Allen is generous in giving its employees opportunities and time to connect with the community through volunteer activities. Still, Rodgers wanted more.

“Volunteers get as much out of the experience as recipients,” he says. “It’s hard to explain, but once you’ve experienced it, you realize it’s invaluable. You grow personally, and the appreciation is far more than you anticipate.” He sees many benefits for a business that provides leadership in volunteering. Start with improved recruitment and retention. “You’re better served by the type of person inclined to volunteer,” he says. Employees who want more than just a place to spend the day look for a business that helps serve the community. “Some employees use this as an evaluation of the kind of employer you are.” Another benefit comes in getting to know fellow volunteers. When you know a person’s skill sets, Rodgers says, it makes it easier to make business referrals to that person. Rodgers is a member of the Business Volunteer Council, a group of 25 business leaders that leads by example. Its members share successful programs and policies for managing volunteer programs with each other. “This is vital,” says Rodgers. “Through this group, smaller businesses can benefit from the intelligence of large organizations like Kaiser and Autodesk, with full-time dedicated employees.”

By leveraging information in this way, the member businesses create value for each other. Rodgers has volunteered for Project Homeless Connect of Marin, an event in which 110 volunteers, all service providers, offer a variety of services—including employment information—to homeless individuals and families. With other members of the Volunteer Council, he took people with disabilities on field trips to Angel Island with an organization called Casa Allegra. He says he spent the time playing Frisbee with people and just talking to them. “You learn a lot from the people you’re helping, and they gain so much. It makes it a compelling way to spend time and energy.” Business people can also put their knowledge and experience to work for nonprofit organizations by serving on their boards of directors. Rodgers is a board member for Youth in Arts, an organization that provides visual and performing arts experiences and instruction to youth in Bay Area schools. As a board member, he helps guide brand and marketing for Youth in Arts. A trained artist himself, he’s enthusiastic about the Italian Street Painting Festival, Youth in Arts’ annual fund-raising event in San Rafael. According to Rodgers, studies show that if people start volunteering while they’re still actively working, they’re more likely to continue to do so after they retire. On the other hand, if they put off volunteering until their retirement days, they’re less likely to follow through. He recommends starting now, no matter how busy you may be, to do what you can and establish a volunteering routine.
Promoting volunteer leadership

The Business Volunteer Council in which Peter Rodgers participates is one of the many projects under the umbrella of the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin (CVNL). A merger of a former volunteer center and a nonprofit management support organization, the organization continues the mission of both its components—promoting and engaging people in volunteer service and strengthening the capacity of the nonprofit sector. Located in San Rafael, the CVNL teaches people of all ages—children through older adults—the importance of volunteering, and gives them opportunities to be active and share their talents. It also strengthens the role of nonprofits in the community and promotes professional development, training, peer support and leadership development. Nonprofit leadership is a profession, points out Linda Davis, chief executive officer of the CVNL. “It requires training and skills. Our leadership programs let them step into a higher level.” According to Davis, the business community is vital to the success of nonprofits. “They play a role as a resource and ambassador. They serve as volunteers, board members and funders. We’re all living in this community, and it takes all of us working together to fix the problems we want to solve.”

She says some businesses make it easy for employees to participate in community service. Recently, the center added a category to its annual Heart of Marin awards: Corporate Community Services. The award goes to a business that fosters volunteerism and philanthropy among its employees. One of the ways businesses contribute is through the annual Marin Human Race, in which more than 20 businesses participate by being a sponsor and donating $1,500 and up each. The race benefits about 120 nonprofits and schools throughout Marin County. Davis says that, after sponsoring one year, businesses tend to continue in successive years because of the event’s scope. “Sponsoring the Race helps many nonprofits and schools at the same time, which, to a business, is very productive,” says Davis. “Also, because we have sponsors, we’re able to give 90 percent of proceeds back to the community.” Davis notes that some businesses, large and small, encourage employees not only to volunteer but also to serve on boards. In tough economic times, nonprofits feel the pain. The CVNL is doing what it can to help. For example, it called together economists and strategy experts for a nonprofit sustainability forum in mid-November. Its theme was “How to survive and thrive.”