The Recession and Volunters

Times are tough on Main Street USA. The line of the unemployed is growing every day. At the same time the squeeze on America's sizeable nonprofit sector is getting tougher and tougher putting more and more pressure on it. The financial squeeze is forcing nonprofits to follow the same path to survival as the corporate world has taken. Nonprofits are looking to cut operating costs so they are reducing staff, cutting hours, and forcing staff to cut the number of hours they are working--voluntary unpaid leave time. Many executives in the corporate world are finding themselves unemployed and exploring what they might do next. There are many talented individuals in this group. Some of them are wondering how can they take their skills and transfer them to the nonprofit world. The answer is to volunteer. Many former execs have made the journey to the nonprofit world through volunteering. Nonprofits need to examine how and where they might use volunteers, especially those with business skills.