Causes without Controversy

Last month, a report by Convergence Center for Policy Resolution made a bold proclamation about an old-fashioned idea.

Called “No Greater Mission. No Greater Means,” the white paper posited that volunteering might be the ultimate bridge-building tool, and a salve for the deep wounds our nation is suffering from our painful polarization.

Called to my attention by an opinion piece in Philanthropy Today by Eboo Patel , founder and president of Interfaith America , it got me thinking.

I did a quick mental scan of my current volunteer engagements and realized that three of mine did exactly what Mr. Patel and the working paper suggested -- they gave me exposure to and interaction with people whose political ideology is different (or unknown) to me:

• Serving on the board of Students Run LA and Dipsea Race Foundation, I am surrounded by people who care about running (as the names suggest), kids health, and preserving an old-growth forest as a place or respite and recreation. Nothing controversial about that.
• Similarly, as a donor and volunteer spokesperson for the American Heart Association, I lend my voice and money to support research and education that has saved my life -- and countless others.

Over the last few years, side comments during Zoom calls, board meetings, luncheons opinions about masks, vaccines, racial justice, and Presidential politics have slipped out (of course they have), but they've gained no traction and rarely distract us.

We know what we are there to do. We know our common purpose. Having volunteered to serve the same cause, we can easily overlook more divisive topics.

In my two other board roles, the political ideology of the group is more aligned with my own, which I enjoy. But in the context of this discussion, I see that it’s not as likely to challenge my assumptions or expose me to people with whom I might disagree:

• One, serving on the Nominating Committee for my local ACLU affiliate, is highly rewarding and feeds my progressive spirit, but it does not as often expose me to people with wildly different political perspectives.
• And a new role as Advisory Board member for an international nonprofit start-up focused on gender equity through menstrual education and empowerment, is not necessarily controversial (should not be) but is still likely to have me rolling up my sleeves with more like-mindeds.

In his opinion piece, Mr. Patel notes the headwinds, notably that volunteerism is down and "66 percent of Americans believe the opposite party is a serious threat to the country, and 20 percent believe people from the other party aren’t fully human."

While it might seem Pollyanna to believe that ladling soup together or signing up for a walk-a-thon for heart disease and stroke awareness can bridge these divides, but it is certainly worth a try.

Kristine Michie is the Managing Partner of?ImpactFull, Inc. and the host of?The PlayFull Podcast: Bringing Fun to the Serious Work of Changing the World