Doing Good in the LBC is a weekly newsletter where we’ll share news about nonprofits and how you can volunteer or give back in our city. Want it in your inbox? Sign up at lbpost.com/newsletters.
People who work and volunteer for nonprofits tend to be warm and optimistic; they are people who felt a calling or saw a need, and walked toward it.
I’m always curious why and how they began to care enough to do something about lonely seniors, drug addiction, or overcrowded animal shelters. I know there’s probably a good story behind it.
Few of them, however, know how to brand, market and sell that passion, both to the public and to donors.
I’m in the story business, and as the head of a new nonprofit, I’ve struggled with it, too. How do you describe quickly — “in one sentence,” fundraising experts say — why a person should give their money to fix a problem that matters to you?
What we do at the Post is tell stories about the consequential happenings of any particular day in Long Beach. Along the way of this daily churn, we notice things that seem off, or interesting, or curious. We ask questions and gather bits of information here and there — from public records and sources who often would be better off not talking to us — that may turn into a story that enlightens or adds nuance to a problem that may get fixed or improved.
We spent nearly a year digging into how the city had managed the Queen Mary. Two years after the series was published, a source at city hall said our coverage played a role in renewed oversight of the historic ship (which is now in the black).
I know — too many sentences.
I’ll end with this, which buoyed my spirits after a tough week: In the midst of brainstorming around a story about railway regulations, one of our reporters said, “I want to write stories that have an impact.”
We in the news business fit right in with the nonprofit crowd: What we all share is hope that our work will make things better.
Now, give!
Your inboxes this week and next will be cluttered with emails and graphics in red, white and gold, emblazoned with the Long Beach Gives logo. The team at The Nonprofit Partnership, the Miller, Gumbiner and Munzer foundations, and many others do a fine job of prepping, rallying and equipping more than 250 nonprofits with sample emails and social posts that will drive home the message (or drive people nuts).
The LBG crew will also be recognized at Tuesday’s City Council meeting (5 p.m. at 411 W. Ocean Blvd.). If you’re a nonprofit and want to join in, meet outside at 4:30 p.m., and RSVP here.
The official day of giving is Sept. 19, but donations open Thursday (Sept. 12).
Here’s a list of causes to choose from. We’d be very honored and grateful if you’d consider a donation to the Post.
Come say hi
One last bit on Long Beach Gives (for now): Dozens of participating nonprofits will gather at Long Beach Gives Live! Expo and Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Recreation Park Bandshell across from Wilson High (Seventh Street and Park Avenue).
The event includes performances from arts organizations, food, and more. I’ll be there with sugary treats and a Wheel of Fun with prizes!
Mark your calendars
Long Beach will celebrate California Coastal Cleanup Day from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 21 at Junipero Beach, Belmont Pier, the Peninsula, Mother’s Beach and the Seal Beach Yacht Club. Just show up, and bring gloves, buckets and bags. New this year: Organizers are launching a youth art and naming contest for the newest piece of debris fighting equipment, the Jellyfishbot, which can remove up to 100 pounds of debris in a single mission.
Pathways to Independence, a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform the lives of single, young women from disadvantaged backgrounds, is hosting its annual fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 5. The event is at CSULB, which will be transformed into a “tropical paradise” with music, drinks and food from 35 local restaurants. To purchase tickets or donate, click here or contact Lisa Mais at [email protected].