Too few at CaDance performance
At our local high school theater, I attended two magnificent
performances of the CaDance Festival performed by national,
award-winning dancers. I'm still reeling from the beauty of it all.
This was a rare opportunity for the residents of Laguna Beach, and
what a shame the theater was less than half full. We sat third row
center for $35. Would our residents rather go to New York City or
Aspen, where I have seen them at triple the price? Where were you?
GRACE BRIGGS
Laguna Beach
Nonprofits benefit in many ways
As a high-profile member of the environmental community in Orange
County, I was distressed by the completely misleading headline "No
benefit for nonprofits" and the article that accompanied it.
Benefits to nonprofit organizations can be measured in many ways.
One way benefits are measured is specifically related to this
headline and story. It is the increased memberships that are the very
momentum that drives organizations like the Laguna Beach chapter of
Surfrider.
The Laguna Beach chapter is one of the oldest Surfrider chapters.
Despite this history, the chapter suffered from poor member
recruitment in the 1990s and was reorganized in 2001-02.
In 2004 total new memberships numbered approximately 30 for the
year. During the 2005 national membership drive this summer, the
Laguna Beach chapter gained a paltry six new members, a 1% gain. The
results of these two membership drives can best be described as
anemic compared to gains during the same period at the Newport Beach
and South Orange County chapters.
On February 5th at the Blue Water Festival 250 new memberships
were gathered for Surfrider chapters in Orange County, approximately
150 of these new memberships were for the Laguna Beach chapter. This
bested the previous years membership drive by 500% and the national
membership drive by magnitudes. In fact, had the Blue Water Festival
taken place during the national membership drive the Laguna Beach
chapter might have won this years Surfrider title for most new
members.
New memberships are the life's blood of any vital volunteer
organization.
Without new members organizations tend to stagnate from the
tremendous effort it takes to keep on the front lines of activism.
New ideas and points of view are reaped from new participants along
with renewed energy to carry out programs and events. Professionals
from all walks of life are included in new memberships. Professional
that may hold the key to allowing the organization to prosper.
