By John F. Jansen, NPC Guest Blogger

Sometimes it’s useful to see things from an outsider’s perspective. 

If you’re involved in the nonprofit sector, you already know what a valuable resource the Nonprofit Center is because you can take advantage of its workshops, its Volunteer Center, the consulting services and so on. But a few months ago I got a firsthand glimpse of how important it is to people who are not in the nonprofit sector.

A friend in a large city north of Milwaukee called me to say he was having trouble finding a job. I suggested he try something new and explore the nonprofit sector. I didn’t know many nonprofits up there, but I told him “there’s got to be something like the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee in your area that you can call to get some guidance.”

Amazing what we assume.

I went into research mode and eventually found a small assortment of agencies with a variety of services, but nothing that could give him a comprehensive listing of what was available or help him to get involved. I called him back and suggested that he “Google some causes he is interested in and start calling them one by one.” Ugh.

It made me think how amazing it is to have an association like the Nonprofit Center that can quickly point an outsider to any nonprofit in the region and connect them to the Jobs That Serve website where they can quickly scan hundreds of available nonprofit jobs. If the person is more interested in volunteering, they can connect immediately on  the Volunteer Milwaukee website and start making a difference in the community the very same day.

Clearly, there are other entities that make major contributions to our social sector – important local institutes and associations, universities and foundations. They all play critical roles in the success of the sector.

But just think…combined, over 170,000 people utilize Jobs That Serve and Volunteer Milwaukee each year, with a sizable percentage of them using it to gain their very first entry into our nonprofit community. It just makes me wish every city had a Nonprofit Center to serve them.

By Debbie Knepke, NPC Corporate and Events Manager

Each June, Morgan Stanley encourages every employee to participate in the firm’s Global Volunteer Month, with a goal of 250,000 volunteer hours contributed during the month.

In the Milwaukee area, local employees participated in three group events this year:

• Vince Lombardi Golf Classic (volunteering)
  
• Lombardi Walk/Run for Cancer (team participation)
  
• Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (food sorting and a $25,000 company donation)
  

In addition, many of the 160 local employees volunteer on their own through their churches, children’s sports teams, and other activities.

Morgan Stanley has been a corporate supporter of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee and member of NPC's Greater Milwaukee Business Volunteer Council since 2005, and credits the relationship as a big boost to company volunteerism.

“Morgan Stanley does not have a designated staff person in charge of employee volunteer projects in Milwaukee, so the support we receive from the Nonprofit Center’s Business Volunteer Council is invaluable,” said Morgan Stanley Vice President Daniel J. Geigler.

“For example, the Center provides pre-packaged volunteer opportunities that our employees can plug into,” Geigler said. “And, at the BVC meetings, we learn from other local business leaders, share ideas on managing a volunteer team, and hear about new and exciting initiatives in Milwaukee.”

Company policy allows for unlimited paid time off for volunteer initiatives sponsored by Morgan Stanley, an employee matching gifts program that matches 25% as part of an annual appeal, and a Volunteer Incentive Program in which each employee may apply for a $500-$2,000 annual grant for organizations they volunteer at for at least 50 hours per year.
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To learn more about corporate volunteerism and the Business Volunteer Council of Greater Milwaukee, email Debbie Knepke or give her a call at 414-344-3933 x152.