Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Sandra S. Swan, a senior-level executive with thirty-five years of experience in international relief, economic and social development, and management, is former president of The Junior League of the City of New York; retired president of Episcopal Relief and Development, and a former board member of InterAction, the association of major U.S.-based international relief and development organizations.

Jay Sidebotham serves as Director of RenewalWorks, a ministry of Forward Movement. A graduate of Union Seminary, New York, and ordained to the priesthood in 1990, he has served in parishes in New York, Washington, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Illinois. Throughout his ministry, he has had a deep commitment to making the Bible accessible to people of all ages, and cartoons have been one of the primary ways he has accomplished that.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

The NEW OUTREACH

Church Publishing

Contents

Acknowledgments..........................................vIntroduction.............................................viiCHAPTER 1 Approach.......................................1CHAPTER 2 Basics.........................................15CHAPTER 3 Choices........................................57CHAPTER 4 Decision.......................................111CHAPTER 5 Evaluation.....................................161CHAPTER 6 Familiarity Breeds Success.....................175For Further Reading......................................179

Chapter One

In this chapter we will look at the current situation in outreach programs (or philanthropy or charity—the terms are interchangeable here). We will look at the three critical components of a good program: accomplishment, action, and advocacy. We'll learn why we need to concentrate on why, not who. And we'll learn why we are not trying to "help" anyone.

The better way of doing good. Sounds like one of those TV infomercials that promises a magical tool that will fix your car, weed your garden, and clean your house, all using only one AA battery, doesn't it? A bit too good to be true. A bit pie-in-the-sky. We smile, don't we, remembering the old adage, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Well, in this case, the better way to do good is not too good to be true. We want to reach out to those in need in effective ways. We want to make our philanthropy count. We want our outreach programs to make a real, measurable difference. We want to fix the wrongs of the world. But we know that our current way is not really making much of a difference.

We want a new outreach plan that is effective, long-lasting, respectful of the environment and peoples' dignity. We want a new philanthropic model that capitalizes on the best we have to offer and avoids, so far as possible, any potential pitfalls. And we want a new charitable strategy that does all of this at a lower cost in time and resources. In short, we want to be caring, but careful. We want to be both compassionate and competent. If we can come up with a program that does all this, then we will have found the better way of doing good.

A new approach to doing good would have to be different from the programs we have become accustomed to in the past. The past isn't good enough any more. If we are going to find the better way, we will have to stop thinking in the old way. We are going to have to stop jumping on any program that professes to address some problem. We have a moral obligation to do the right thing, in the right way. We must open our minds to a new way, a better way.

This better way is built on an understanding of the elements essential to lasting change. It incorporates the lessons learned from previous programs. It is based on the expertise of those with years of experience in economic and social development—on what are now called "best practices." It is practical. It is a better way.

The principal differences to this new, better way may seem to be pretty ordinary at first glance. They may not seem to be particularly momentous or earth shattering. But believe me, this shift to a better way will make a huge difference in our effectiveness. It will change how we chose our battles, construct our strategies, and carry out our campaigns. It will help us eliminate ineffective tactics. This new approach will enable us to describe clearly what we expect to achieve—and how—and enable us to engage others in the program with us. It will enable us to stay on track, make necessary corrections midstream, and know when we have reached our goal. This seemingly minor shift in focus will have enormous payoff in the end.

We need to pause here and clarify an important issue. In this book we are going to look primarily at setting up outreach programs—not on individual voluntary activities. We are going to assume that you are reading this book because you are thinking of starting a new program, or revamping an old one. We hope that you are also a volunteer in already existing programs. Volunteers are incredibly important—today, tomorrow, and always. You know that your volunteerism has had wonderful benefits—for those you've worked with and for, and for yourself as well.

As the former president of a large Junior League, I am a huge proponent of volunteerism. I firmly believe that volunteers have, throughout history, made life a little easier for millions of people. Our country was built through the efforts of people helping their neighbors, whether by caring for the ill, teaching coping skills and a new language to new arrivals, or through the old-fashioned barn-raising. Volunteers are the most valuable resource we have—and have had.

And volunteerism has been a hallmark of our country since its founding. The Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville traveled around the United States in the early nineteenth century, observing how Americans lived and thought. He remarked on the amazing volunteer spirit he saw everywhere. He attributed it to the frontier spirit. These intrepid pioneers did not feel coerced or bound to serve, so they could volunteer with pluck and pride. Americans felt themselves equal to all others, so they could be generous with their time and their resources. That is, American volunteerism emerges from a foundation of ethical and political independence.

And that spirit of volunteerism still exists. It is amazing and wonderful and responsible for a staggering amount of good work that has been done throughout the world with few resources except willing hands.

A church in a poor section of Ketchikan, Alaska, was concerned about family breakdown, particularly among the most destitute families in the community. They were also concerned about the children's school success and the number of adults in the community who were chronically unemployed or underemployed. So volunteers from the church formed the Ketchikan Resource Center. Every Thursday night, needy families are invited to a free dinner called "Crock Pot Luck." The volunteers cook a simple, low-cost meal in crock pots and rice cookers. Families eat the meal together (that the entire family attend together and eat together is the one requirement of the program). After dinner, volunteers help the children with their homework, while the parents participate in special sessions on topics such as parenting skills, resume preparation, health topics.

These volunteers saw a problem, figured out a program to address it, and made it happen. The cost was small, but the benefits were great. In this case, as with most development programs, volunteers were a primary resource.

In fact, most of the information you'll find in this book comes from my own experience working with and observing volunteers in action. I have seen volunteers become aware of an incredibly tough, complex problem with no easy answer. These conscientious folks came up with a plan to solve the problem. They employed every resource they had at hand to implement their plan, and they reached their goal.

If you are a volunteer now, or have been one, or plan to be one, thank you. You are part of a vast army, unpaid in cash but reaping huge compensation in the lives you have enriched.

This book is designed to build on your volunteer...