Continuing our Creating Magic stories, today we are very pleased to have Chas Grundy, a nonprofit leader and marketing professional at the University of Notre Dame. Today Chas shares with us the story of "camperships" and the value of spending time helping others. To read more of Chas's work, visit his blog, Non Profit Chas. Enjoy!

For the last few years, I have been volunteering for our local Camp Fire USA council. Last year, I joined the board of directors. As a 20-something, I was always the youngest person on the board. Like a small business, there’s a lot to do and nobody to do the work. That’s where I come in.

I ran my own web marketing business for a couple of years, but we made it up as we went along. So while I have absolutely no experience in fundraising, strategic planning, or finance, nobody else really has that experience either. So I stepped up. I’ve always been one to try something new and take on intimidating challenges.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve worked hard to learn all I could about these things. I started my nonprofitchas.com blog to share what I learned, as well as make connections that would help me in my journey.

Investing in Yourself

When I talk about fundraising I use the word “investment.” I tell donors that a donation isn’t a gift, it’s an investment in a cause. When you make an investment, you are looking for a real return—something you can see. We’re talking about a non-profit, so you don’t get a financial return. But you should expect to see the return on your time and money.

In the non-profit world, it doesn’t take long to see the returns.

We had a camper whose grandmother paid for him to come to camp for a week. At home, he had a rough life. His stepfather and stepbrothers were abusive. He had terrible self-esteem. So when his mom picked him up, she was surprised to see all these other campers giving him hugs and exchanging addresses with him. They really liked him. In just a week, dozens of campers and staff saw he was a really great kid.

When they got home, the contrast was clear. An hour earlier, he was a hero. At home, he was a target. So his mom finally decided to divorce the stepfather. She wanted to get him and his brother out of the house during what would likely become a messy divorce, but they couldn’t afford another week of camp.

It didn’t take long for his story to spread through camp. We had counselors offer to give up their paychecks to pay for their registrations. We had some campership money that hadn’t been allotted yet, and with a couple of phone calls we raised the rest. He and his brother got to come back to camp the next day. When he left at the end of his second week, he hugged the camp director and said “this must be heaven.”

For all the challenges and stress and demands of such work, it’s all worth the effort for that one smile, hug, or thank you. This summer we brought more than 60 kids on camperships. As one camper put it, “camp is the best place on earth.”

I tell this story to donors when we talk about how camp can make the world a better place. It’s not about helping a single child. It’s about making an investment. The difference between giving a man a fish and teaching a man to fish.

The same is true for Gen-Yers who itch to find direction and create value. By taking on new responsibilities and moving outside your comfort zone, you learn a lot of things that you wouldn’t be expected to know. With a marketing and technology background, I helped rebuild a struggling organization and preserved an experience for future generations. How? I stepped up and volunteered where nobody else wanted to take the lead.

Plan a Return on Your Investment

Like many professional investments, you have to take risks. You have to be careful not to take on too much or accept responsibilities that you cannot meet. You’ll hurt your personal brand by letting people down. But if you can rise to the challenge, it’s worth it. And the professional payoffs are rarely immediate: your dividends slowly come back in the form of new relationships, new skills, and professional opportunities.

I highly recommend volunteering for a non-profit. It can be difficult to find a lot of fulfillment through your career, especially when you’re starting out and have to take on responsibilities that aren’t particularly challenging or glamorous. But many non-profits will be happy to accept your help, even if you’re not entirely qualified for the work you want to do.

Through my work with Camp Fire, I have increased my value at my day job as well. I’ve positioned myself as someone who can take on challenges that intimidate others. I have used my fundraising skills and strategic planning experience in our department. I’ve made new connections which have led to consulting gigs. And I’ve developed personal and professional relationships which are far more valuable than anything I could put on a resume.