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GIVING BACK

It’s true that LGBT groups relying on grants and donations are struggling these days, like most nonprofits. The need is extra great. My friend and colleague Jim Key, chief public affairs officer at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center says that the center’s donations are down by nearly 20 percent this year. He says one way you can help is by turning your birthday party, commitment ceremony, or wedding reception into a fundraiser for your favorite nonprofit by asking guests to make a donation in lieu of bringing a gift. But he also says volunteering some of your time is an excellent alternative way to contribute. “Sometimes having a hardworking volunteer show up,” Jim told me, “is just as valuable for organizations like ours as receiving a check or monthly pledge.”

Not to mention the benefits to you. Volunteering exposes you to new experiences, and don’t be surprised if you find new friends – or even dates.

Where to begin? Start by giving some thought to what you enjoy doing and what you’re good at: Do you know your way around a kitchen? (Think about a food bank.) How’s your writing? (Help with a newsletter or other outreach.) Speak foreign languages? (Reach non-English speaking groups.) Are you good at organizing events or setting up orderly offices? (Most nonprofits can use their own “Martha Stewart.”)

Next, contact an organization you can imagine helping—and whose mission you believe in—and find out if they have a volunteer program that suits you, and vice versa.

I’ve always appreciated this statement from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve ... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love ...
[is all you need].”

So, here’s a short list of some of the LGBT and HIV/AIDS groups that I’ve been involved with over the years—and that are in need of contributions, both financial and in-kind. Let me know how it goes for you.

 

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