Recently, we were working with a volunteer from HopeMatch, a nonprofit in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the course of our conversation, we discovered that she’s actually based in San Francisco. How did she end up volunteering with an organization on the other side of the country? We were interested in learning more about who she is and what brought her there. Below is our interview with Anat Shiwak, who has connected with many nonprofits on Roonga over the last year.
Tell us about your background and what brought you into the nonprofit world.
Giving is a value I grew up on, and is very important to me. As a child, I witnessed my parents doing random acts of kindness. Now that I’m older, and have my own children, I make an effort to pass on this value to them. And I do it by making them part of the giving process, where possible. I have also been involved with multiple organizations as an advisor and a volunteer.
As a donor and volunteer, what kinds of projects have you worked on recently?
Like many I witnessed the devastating effects of the pandemic. It is sad to see so many families who are unable to care for their loved ones at the most basic level. Food, shelter, transportation are all such simple necessities, and when you don’t have them then everything else seems almost impossible. I decided to focus my giving efforts over the past few months on supporting those basic needs: sending groceries in Philadelphia, providing school supplies in San Francisco, and other day-to-day essentials. I learned that helping people with their most needed items alleviates an enormous amount of stress. If they don’t have to worry about food for the week, or gas for work, or rent, then they have some peace of mind to tackle other challenges.
It’s amazing that you have been able to work with so many organizations across the United States. How did you find them?
It wasn’t as easy as I thought at first. Many nonprofits I reached out to turned down assistance because they didn’t have the infrastructure in place to support in-kind donations. Many didn’t have a wishlist of most needed items. Others didn’t have the storage space or the resources to process it. And some never answered the phone. I drove to a large and well known facility a few months back- with a car full of items to donate and found out that they are not accepting donations. It was frustrating to know that so many out there are struggling, but there was no way of reaching them directly.
I later joined a few local social media groups and started helping that way, This has been great, but there’s a problem with social media. Not many have the courage to put themselves out there and ask for help publicly. Last year I stumbled upon Roonga, and found exactly what I was looking for. An opportunity to make a tangible and immediate impact directly with people who needed the help. The site laid out clearly families and their stories. I could browse and support the people whose stories spoke to me, select their profile and make a financial or an in-kind contribution. All families are vetted by credible organizations or by social workers, so I knew that the donations get to those who need it most. Strangely, most of the organizations I work with are located thousands of miles away, but at the same time the connection feels very close. And nowadays with the power of technology, anyone can work and give anywhere- so the physical distance doesn’t feel like a barrier. I just wish there were more organizations accessible to donors like me in this way, across a wide range of causes.
Many nonprofits will tell you that they prefer cash donations – it allows them to use the funds where they are most needed. As an in-kind donor, what are your thoughts about this?
I do donate cash sometimes, especially when I know the organization well and have a longer term relationship with them. But I like to know where the money is going and I like to feel the impact of the gift. I certainly don’t discount cash giving, and know that great things are made possible with cash donations, especially on a large scale and in the longer term. But putting a credit card on a website is very impersonal. It takes a few seconds and then you go on with your day and don’t really think about it much afterwards, nor do you get an update of where your money was invested. I believe that there is something very special about making that connection to the family or senior or foster child on the other end. To purchase something for them, with intent, to surprise them with an item that would otherwise be beyond their reach, and to get an update or a note or a picture of them opening that present is simply priceless. A drive is also a great way to engage family and friends in doing good together. It builds and strengthens communities. It teaches our children a lesson: to think about the less fortunate and help them at a time of need. It teaches empathy. The process of spending time on the giving is very powerful in my opinion.
Do you have any advice to nonprofits about how to engage donors like you?
Do not overlook the in-kind donors, who are often willing to spend way more than a traditional donor on projects that are near and dear to them. Many of these donors don’t just give on Giving Tuesday or when it’s convenient for tax season, which is why it’s important to offer options for in-kind giving year round. I’ve seen in-kind donors unload trucks full of products, and give the most generous gifts, provided that they connect to the story behind the cause and have an easy platform to use. These donors would also really appreciate to hear back from you with updates, pictures, and upcoming campaigns.
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