Nonprofits are back in the news starting today

Clarissa Lundeen

Portrait by Gloria Towne - Town Studios

Editor’s note:  Today, we’re welcoming Clarissa Lundeen as our new columnist focusing on nonprofits in Thurston County. She adds this to her ongoing role as our volunteer coordinator.

Growing up, I volunteered with many nonprofit organizations, from Girl Scouts to the American Red Cross.

My volunteer work slowed down when I entered the workforce. My career brought me to Thurston County, where I was a communications specialist for the state of Washington for almost 40 years, from public affairs to public records. When I retired last year, I wanted to give back to our community and start volunteering again. But where?

Earlier this year, I attended the first-ever Local News Day event at St. Martin’s University, sponsored by The JOLT and the League of Women Voters of Thurston County.  I am, admittedly, a news junkie, so I expected it to be a day to celebrate, but this was not a happy event.

Several people spoke about “news deserts,” counties that have no local news source. Unfortunately, the number of news deserts in our state is growing as more local papers fold, merge, or go out of business. (Note: This event was videotaped by TVW, and it's available here!)

The final speaker at Local News Day was The JOLT’s publisher, Danny Stusser, who invited people who want to get involved with this local news source to contact him directly. Voila! I found my new volunteer opportunity, so I contacted him the next day. 

Since my first meeting with Danny, my duties at The JOLT have grown and changed. I’ve helped recruit people to staff our table at events, including the FIFA World Cup and Olympia Harbor Days. At those community festivals, I’ve enjoyed meeting people, finding out what they want from local news, and helping them sign up to receive The JOLT’s headlines in their email inboxes — if they aren’t already receiving them. I’ve also hosted board meetings and have started sending out letters of appreciation to donors.

Recently, I’ve had a few opportunities to represent The JOLT at workshops for nonprofit organizations. At these workshops, I learned more about attracting and keeping volunteers, and about fundraising. I’ve also met a lot of great people who care deeply about our community and want to give back to it.

At one of these workshops, I met Mary Beth Harrington, who works nationally as a consultant to nonprofit organizations, and who for two years wrote “Thurston County’s Hidden Sector” in  The JOLT, which focused on our local nonprofits. I mentioned this to Danny, and he asked me if I wanted to take on the column. Of course, I said yes.

Bringing back the nonprofits

That brings me to today, and the start of this column. I should be starting it now. November is already a special month for some people. For those of us in Western Washington, it is the start of our rainy season; for some it is a month to be thankful, or to make gratitude lists, and both shoppers and businesses are planning for the holiday season. This month is special to me personally because it was in 1994, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, that I moved into my house in Thurston County — during a light snowstorm.

November also brings Give Local, the annual fundraising campaign hosted by the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound. This year, the campaign celebrates 10 years of inviting the public to support community causes that add so much to our lives.

Almost two years ago, the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound posted an article on its website warning that local nonprofits were stretched thin. The foundation described a climate of rising needs in our community amid shrinking budgets at nonprofit organizations. Federal, state, and local governments are cutting back on support for nonprofit programs, and private donations aren’t increasing at the same rate.  

At a recent workshop, I asked Mary Lam-Witcher, philanthropy and communications officer with the foundation, if anything has changed since that article was published. Unfortunately, she said nothing has changed. For nonprofits, the demand for services is still increasing, and funding is not increasing at the same rate.

I will have more about Give Local next week, when the campaign officially begins. Today I start searching for the individuals and groups who give more of themselves so that others in our area can benefit. I look forward to meeting them and introducing them to our readers. If you are one of these people, or know someone who is, please reach out to me at clarissa@thejoltnews.com

After briefly working in radio and television, Clarissa Lundeen joined the public sector as a spokesperson, and later public records specialist, for the state of Washington. She has lived in Lacey for over 30 years, and today shares her home with three cats. She often says the cats run the house; she just pays the mortgage.