Volunteers- who needs 'em, right Capital?

We have been hearing from former and current volunteers at Capital all over this blog. If expanding your donor base is your first priority as a non-profit, then keeping educated, and trained volunteers is a close second. What can be more valuable to your organization than people who work for free? And we're not talking just answering phones and envelope stuffing- in the shelter world we're talking about cleaning dog poop, washing dishes, scrubbing floors, dealing with smell... in short, not exactly the kind of work that people really want to do for free.

The trade off is that if you clean poop you will help save lives. That's why people do it for free. If they do it without taking pay, that's more money that will help the shelter save more lives, feed more bellies, get more veterinary care. Most volunteers who help out at the shelter also take home foster animals. Most volunteers also donate money, and network with people at their real jobs to get them to donate money. They also network at their real jobs to get animals at the shelter homes. Guess what else volunteers do? They train other volunteers so your network of FREEBIES has a ripple effect.

This is what is so fundamentally wrong with the top-heavy Capital Area Humane Society. How many volunteers have been lied to, shoved out of the shelter, told not to come back or denied saving a life? How much of that network is severed every single time Jodi or Rachel send a caring pair of hands packing? If there's one this this past Presidential election taught us, it's that thousands of hands make for an unprecedented effort- 5.00 and 10.00 donations, door knocking, and envelope stuffing helped Barack Obama win the Presidency. What if there was an organization that fostered such good will? A humane society that was listening to the community?

Jodi Lytle Buckman and her executive staff need to learn about grassroots movements and change. We hope to hold a welcome back party for all the alienated supporters the day after Jodi and her cronies clean out their desks- in her office!

Let's hear some commentary from former volunteers who were told to leave and why and what they provided for Capital. Submit them with your name or anonymously- we'll compile it into a letter and send it to the board... and the news!