Any business entity, with its productive capacity as in manufacturing or service sectors, is established and structured to create more capital from profits generated. Such businesses are managed and run by individuals or group of individuals compensated financially and materially for services they are rendering as board members, managers or employees. These businesses are just categories of “for profit” organizations whose stakeholders for its success include individual, public or government owners and shareholders.

On the other side of the spectrum lie institutions so established with an objective of socially, economically or politically empowering their core members or some social group. They do not have shareholders to raise capital nor do they strive for any profit making venture. Their success is measured by how extensive and deeper their empowerment venture has touched the lives of those beneficiaries to whose benefit the organization was initially created.Simply, they are “not for profit” with their financial outlay limited to budgets covered by members contributions, funds raised or grants obtained from different sources including charities, government and philanthropists.

How would a nonprofit institution expect to succeed or achieve its set objectives with donations secured from various sources? It is unimaginable from the outset that creating and running a non profitable institution with just aid money which is strictly program specific. We have seen lots of short falls and imbalances of budgets approved against projects meant to be completed. It is absolutely heart wrenching for boards and managers to ensure that such mishaps could be somehow mitigated.One way for a nonprofit institution try to avert or minimize crisis in their financial records is, by systematically using the service of volunteers.

Volunteerism entails the rendering of ones talent, time and effort for the benefit of some group of individuals or members. There is no financial or material gain for a volunteer to participate in the affairs of the nonprofit organization whose objectives are in line with the interest of the volunteer himself or herself. Non profit institutions cannot operate without the leadership role of volunteers, who are always there to give their share of kindness in pursuit of comfort and success to others. Similarly, volunteers undertake to sacrifice their time and energy, share their knowledge and skill for gainful purposes on the lives of individuals in a society. They are continuously encouraged by the level of satisfaction they acquire from positive changes their volunteer activity has produced over time. They feel they are discharging their moral obligations by participating as volunteers in some NON PROFIT institution they feel their contribution is more valued and also can make a difference.

The Ethiopian Association in Toronto had about 3 decades of life as nonprofit whose primary objective is empowering the immigrant Ethiopian community. Easing up settlement and integration of new comers, securing employment opportunities, social counseling , preserving and promoting heritage, expose the plight of refugees , voicing for human right concerns and abuses can be cited as the main tasks that our Association has been engaged over those years. The immense social benefits volunteering helps has been witnessed over time when educators, health practitioners, sportsmen and other professionals contributed their skills and expertise in empowering the community they belong to . Obviously, no amount of money would replace the contributions each volunteer is availing every day.Take, for example, the Associations board members,over the last 3 decades,have tirelessly laid down a rather solid foundation and created a strong community. They did it without being motivated by any financial or material gain from any source, what so ever. That was all about building a very cohesive and stable community recognized all over for its industrious capacity.

In light of the ever growing size of our community, we continue to realize more programs have to be addressed. Consequently, we expect our volunteer base to grow and to include all age groups; male and female alike. It is with this strong belief that the composition of the board is showing a different image now. We would continue to draw more professionals to strengthen our volunteer base. No artificial barrier would obstruct us from reaching out for volunteers with great potential. The future of our community will not be short of skills and expertise in any field as we are witnessing more and more volunteers showing great interests to join ranks. We realize it is the responsibility of the board to inculcate the principle of volunteerism in the minds and hearts of all and try to accommodate everyone who comes forth to contribute in any capacity

Volunteerism is indeed a corner stone of community empowerment. Our Association will flourish at all levels within our community and it will be instrumental in promoting understanding.Our goal is to make sure the efforts of guaranteeing a strong community for the next generation which recognizes its identity and social values, preserve its culture and promote its heritage within the CANADIAN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY to which we all belong.