Book Review: The Generosity Plan

Have you ever read a book and would like to share your thoughts on it with others in the volunteerism industry? Well, here is your chance! We are encouraging MDVAN supporters to send us book reviews. Helen Beamer, Volunteer Coordinator for St. John Hospice and past MDVAN Board of Directors Chair, shared the following with us:

The Generosity Plan by Kathy LeMay (Beyond Words, 2010)
Reviewed by Helen Beamer

The basic premise of this book is that anyone can be a philanthropist. Philanthropy is not just for the wealthy.  It is doing what you can, where you are, with what you have, but doing so with intention, focus, and action.

Author Kathy LeMay, the founder, president, and CEO of Raising Change, a fundraising social change organization, carefully takes the reader through a step-by-step process to define and develop more effective ways of giving.  The key is to focus your time, talent, and treasures on those causes which are most important to you.

LeMay convincingly argues that we cannot make as much impact on the world when we try to financially support or volunteer for many charitable causes. Noting that there are 1.5 million different charitable organizations in the United States, LeMay suggests selecting a few causes to support wholeheartedly.  While LeMay has her own personal philanthropic preferences, she avoids promoting or valuing any cause over another and freely shares examples of how others came to define their own passion, giving levels, and volunteer efforts.

LeMay provides lots of thought-provoking questions in this book and suggests the use of a journal.  If you follow the steps and take time for reflection, you should be able to develop your own giving plan.  She explains how a generosity plan will enable you to become a better philanthropist and that knowing your reasons and motivation for giving will enhance the sense of personal reward.

MDVAN recently received a complimentary copy of this book and my goal in reading it was to glean its value for leaders of volunteers.  In her visionary, upbeat style, LeMay states that readers who have never volunteered before will find the exact right commitment and those who are no longer inspired by their volunteer activities will find a way to reconnect with their personality and interests.  Although she offers good suggestions in her book, I do wonder about the wisdom of promising readers a perfect match.

To determine the focus of giving efforts, LeMay begins with looking at one’s roots.  This is achieved by asking questions such as: In the past, what people did I see helping others?  When was the first time I volunteered? What was the underlying motivation to volunteer?  How did I feel about volunteering?  When have I given to others with no expectation of return?

The author presents a very simplified view that distinguishes only two types of volunteering: informal (such as helping neighbors and family) and formal (in organizations).  For formal volunteering efforts, she emphasizes the importance of finding an organization that is a good fit with one’s passion, but neglects to mention any of the steps (application, interview, screening, and training) that a prospective volunteer might be expected to complete in a more structured setting.

While the author views volunteering from the perspective of the individual, she does bring up certain questions which might be helpful for a volunteer manager to ask prospective volunteers.  Interview questions recommended by experts Steve McCurley and Rick Lynch in *Volunteer Management: Mobilizing all the Resources of the Community* include: What attracted you to our agency?  What would you like to get out of volunteering here? What would make you feel like you’ve been successful?  In similar fashion, LeMay asks: What will be fulfilling for you?  What will have you feeling that your time was well spent? What types of activities are you clear won’t be fulfilling for you?  What would be your ideal volunteer experience?

To her credit, LeMay recognizes that giving time is philanthropic and urges readers to be as careful in giving time as in giving money.  I especially appreciated LeMay’s recommendation for individuals to set a time budget for their giving efforts, in order to prevent themselves from becoming overextended and/or burned out.  As volunteer managers, we may unwittingly exploit the eagerness of a new recruit or the dedication of a more seasoned volunteer.  Establishing realistic and rewarding time commitments for each individual would be beneficial both to the volunteer and to the organization.

LeMay emphasizes the importance of enjoying volunteer activities, in order to stay involved and to continue making a difference. LeMay advises that saying yes to a task because no one else will do it and volunteering  just because you “should” are not very rewarding ways to give time.  While LeMay does not mention motivational theory, volunteer managers can infer the underlying truth that the intrinsic rewards of interesting, enjoyable, and fulfilling work are what help keep volunteers engaged, motivated, and involved.

In this book, LeMay inspires and challenges all of us to give our very best and to reach beyond our seeming limits to create a better world.  As she says, “We cannot create the possible until we practice and live the
improbable.”

More information about the author and this book is available at http://www.TheGenerosityPlan.com