Service and Priorities - In conversation with Pam Gerber, Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas
-How do you define an ideal service project – objectives, impact etc?
"IDEAL" WOULD BE THAT THE SERVICE PARTNER (THE BENEFITTING NONPROFIT AGENCY) HAS A BUDGET TO PROVIDE THE MATERIALS AND THEY WORK WELL WITH VOLUNTEERS. THE OVERALL PROJECT WOULD BE "TRANSFORMATIONAL" SO THAT THE VOLUNTEERS WOULD SEE AND FEEL THAT THEY MADE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT. THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS AT THE SITE (E.G. MULCHING A PLAGROUND, PAINTING A MURAL)WOULD REQUIRE A TEAM (VERSUS ONE PERSON) SO THAT THEY COULD PROBLEM SOLVE AND IMPLEMENT TOGETHER. BEST CASE SCENERIO, THERE WOULD BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE VOLUNTEERS TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE AGENCY IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS AND EXPAND THE PARTNERSHIP (E.G. MENTORING, DEVELOPING AND HOSTING ACTIVITIES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, ETC.)
-What do you think are the primary objectives of companies/employees when they participate?
- TEAM BUILDING
- MORALE BUILDING
- POSITIVE CORPORATE IMAGE
- IT FEELS GOOD
- IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO
-what is your opinion about the desire to have direct contact with the recipients – or do you find that service projects are normally geared more towards building, painting, planting for a specific reason – i.e. volunteer preference versus actual Non Profit needs?
THERE IS NO "RIGHT" ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, ALTHOUGHT THE TENDENCY IS TO DO PHYSICAL/TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS. THEY HAVE TANGIBLE AND VISIBLE OUTCOMES THAT PROVIDE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. THAT SAID, OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE EXPRESSED VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCES WORKING ON "PEOPLE PROJECTS" LIKE TAKING SENIOR CITIZENS ON NATURE WALKS OR CONDUCTING EASTER EGG HUNTS WITH KIDS LIVING IN TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS "they felt like they were actually helping people and not just landscaping."
- Do you find that some kind o relationship typically gets sparked post a service project between the company and Non profit or are the interactions mostly event based?
ABSOLUTELY. JUST A FEW EXAMPLES -- WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS CONTINUING TO WORK WITH DALLAS FIRE-RESCUE'S BOX 4 PROGRAM, SEVERAL COMPANIES WILL BE DEVELOPING MENTORING PROGRAMS FOR THE CLIENTS AT GIRLS INC., AND ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS HAS SIGNED UP TO BE A COUCH AT THE PARK SOUTH DALLAS YMCA. AND I CAN'T EVE GUESSTIMATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS - BOTH CASH AND PRODUCT - THAT HAVE STREAMED INTO THE PROGRAMS AFTER WE HAVE HOSTED A PROJECT THERE.
-How many of your members are more interested in sustained service versus event based service?
MAYBE 10%
In other countries especially in India there seems to be a push towards sustained, ongoing connectivity – would you say the same for company employees here? Put another way, what are your thoughts on event based versus sustained service?
OUR COMPANIES HAVE A CLEAR PREFERENCE FOR "EPISODIC" (EVENT BASED) SERVICE. IT'S CONCISE, MEASURABLE, AND WRAPPED UP AT THE END OF THE DAY SO THAT THEY CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEIR ACCOMPISHMENTS, THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE TEAM, AND CAN THEN GET BACK TO WORK.
-what in your mind are the key elements of a good service experience for all parties?
- THE AGENCY WORKS WELL WITH VOLUNTEERS
- THE TEAM HAS FUN
- THE TEAM LEARNS ABOUT THE BENEFITTING AGENCY AND THE ISSUE IT ADDRESSES
- THE TEAM GETS SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED
- THE VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICE
- THE COMPANY VALUES THE EXPERIENCE AND ENCOURAGES/SUPPORTS MORE SERVICE DAYS TO HAPPEN
Any other thoughts?
I LOVE MY JOB.
Culture and Context in Service
For Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi, the operative term is 'culturally-sensitive'. Being a highly-respected and long-serving professional in the field of geriatrics, Dr. K [as she is fondly known to many] has been a close witness to services provided to seniors. The government, the health care industry, a multitude of service organizations - all were providing a whole spectrum of services to seniors of Indian origin in the borough of Queens in New York city. But Dr. Kalasapudi, a geriatric psychiatrist, and being the highly perceptive and empathetic person, saw a yawning gap between the services offered and the 'real' needs of the senior citizens. It was the lack of a culturally appropriate setting and understanding the context of those being served.
This epiphany led to the birth of India Home. [www.indiahome.org]. Today India Home runs weekly senior day programs at various locations in Queens and Long Island. These daily programs are specially tuned to fulfill the needs of this particular demography. Yoga sessions, Bollywood dance lessons, free vegetarian lunches, brain puzzles and other cognitive exercises - all this and more is offered at multiple locations. More importantly, these programs serve as a time and place for the seniors to meet, socialize and reaffirm their sense of self and build kinship in a milieu that they are comfortable in.
It is said that all politics is local. But the social entrepreneur Dr. K has discovered and demonstrated that all service has to be contextual and cultural!
Venkatesh [Venky] Raghavendra
Trends
Trends
I’ve recently conducted a lot of research into US business schools and their initiatives related to India. At this point, I think that I have visited over 50 university websites. It is interesting to observe the themes in website content. It is encouraging to note that, in the year 2010, ideas like social enterprise, study abroad, and “greening” are clearly an emphasis across business school curriculums. I can’t imagine that this was the case ten years ago.
As a social worker and now as part of a social enterprise, I’ve been asking myself questions related to this idea of “business solutions for social problems”. I’m both excited and a bit cautious about the energy that this idea is gaining. I think that my mixed feelings have to do with the scale and impact at which the private sector can influence society.
The impact that microfinance has on helping to raise people out of poverty is incredible and market-based approaches to supplying people with safe drinking water are exciting innovations. However, these types of solutions won’t necessarily solve social problems such as abuse or discrimination. I do believe that an increase in income or an increase in education can help alleviate physical abuse or substance use. Yet, we know that discrimination, abuse, and alcoholism, all exist in financially-secure educated people and societies.
I’m inspired by how markets and business may generate mass improvement in health, education, and poverty- these seem like areas that are an excellent match for intensive private sector involvement and market- based solutions. Yet, I’m worried that issues that are more psycho-social in nature may be overshadowed by the excitement over market-based solutions. Also, I’m wondering about any examples of social enterprise or examples of scale that address human healing and happiness at the interpersonal level… Please let me know!
Joy Mischley