Cleveland’s Give-Back Bucket List: Ways to Make a Difference

Greater Cleveland’s nonprofit community offers countless ways to get involved. Mentor a young person. Pack food. Build something. Give blood. Get your hands dirty. Share a skill. The trick is finding what inspires you.

“Identify what you’re passionate about or what piques your interest,” says Stacey Langal, vice president of philanthropy, Kaulig Companies & executive director, The Kaulig Foundation. “Do you want to volunteer with an organization that helps pediatric cancer patients? Do you love animals?”

Langal helps lead the philanthropic work of Kaulig Giving and the Kaulig Foundation, which focus primarily on children and families across Northeast Ohio. Kaulig Giving encompasses direct giving, community impact and nonprofit partnerships, while the Kaulig Foundation serves as Matt and Lisa Kaulig’s private family foundation.

From that vantage point, Langal sees firsthand what makes nonprofit organizations — and their partnerships — work. Resilience, she says, is part of the DNA of a strong nonprofit: staying true to the mission through the inevitable ups and downs while keeping the people it serves, donors and supporters connected to the work.

Partnerships grow stronger, too, when organizations are willing to “think bigger” and more creatively about how people can participate. “Out of partnership grow connections,” Langal says.

So, do a little digging. Look at an organization’s website and social media. And consider what you can bring to the table.

“Think about how you want to be involved,” Langal says.

That’s the spirit behind this Cleveland nonprofit bucket list: Discover something you care about. Here are a few places to start.

Find Art Near You . Catch a concert. Wander through an exhibit. Take in a play. But why stop there? Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC)funds about 300 nonprofits each year, creating plenty of ways to experience Cleveland’s creative side — and get in on the action.

Be a doer. “People, of course, will always value taking in amazing art,” says Jill Paulsen, executive director. “But increasingly, people want to be the doers.” Join an adult choir or Pride band. Take a class. Volunteer. Try something completely new.

Find your thing. CAC-supported organizations span theaters and museums and cover interests that include science, history, nature and neighborhood arts. Last year, more than half of the 6.5 million visits to funded organizations were free.

Get involved. Those organizations also offered more than 16,000 volunteer and board opportunities last year. “Public funding is for everyone,” Paulsen says. “We want to make sure residents know this is … arts and culture in their neighborhoods.”

Create a Home Comfort Zone. Zelie’s Home provides free housing and support for pregnant women and mothers of young children experiencing homelessness or instability. Its two homes in Garfield Heights and Lakewood offer more than temporary housing: They provide a community and the support to help moms build toward independence. Why Zelie? The organization is named for St. Zelie Martin, a parent of nine whose story of motherhood inspired the name. The two homes even carry the names of her daughters: Therese’s Nest and Celine’s Nest.

Lend a hand. Teach financial literacy. Lead a knitting or workout class. Grocery shop. Paint. Cook a meal. Volunteers can even babysit, giving a mom a couple of hours to herself. “Little things … become the really big things, honestly,” says executive director Erin Hathaway.

Do your thing. Volunteers bring their own interests and expertise to the home, from parenting and financial education to enrichment classes and one-time projects. Others become regulars the moms can count on. “A lot of people want to hold babies,” Hathaway says.

Make yourself at home. That sense of home is intentional. Zelie’s Home serves up to 10 moms in each house, creating a smaller community where women can stay through pregnancy and up to a year after their babies are born. “We build a sense of community with everyone doing their part, and we have those big-picture conversations and take a look at the whole family throughout their life cycle at Zelie’s,” Hathaway says.  

Find Your Volunteer Match. Want to volunteer but have no idea where to start? Greater Cleveland Volunteers has been playing matchmaker for more than 50 years, connecting people with meaningful opportunities at more than 140 nonprofit organizations.

Dip a toe in. “There is a volunteer opportunity for everybody,” says executive director Kevin Gross. Help with Meals on Wheels. Pitch in at an arts organization. Support a school. Volunteer remotely. Not ready for a regular commitment? Try a one-time event first.

Let them play matchmaker. Create an account online and browse opportunities by interest or connect with Greater Cleveland Volunteers staff for guidance. “For folks who are unsure of all the possibilities, that is where we come in,” Gross says.

Catch the bug. Volunteering often leads to new connections and another cause to explore. “Once you get that first endorphin kick from volunteering and you’re increasing your social circle, usually folks want to find another opportunity.”

Build a Dream Room. Paint a wall. Assemble furniture. Organize a closet. Create a mural. Special Spaces turns those everyday skills into one-day dream bedroom makeovers for children with cancer, creating  places where they can rest, recover and simply be kids.

Bring your talent. Volunteers do nearly everything, from carpentry, painting and decorating to photographing, cleaning and organizing. Corporate partners get involved, too. Kaulig Giving, for example, recently brought nearly 20 employees to help transform bedrooms for a child and her sibling.

Make some magic. Each room is designed around the child, with themes ranging from gaming and Hello Kitty to a library castle complete with hidden cats. “Anything a child can imagine, we can do,” says Cleveland Chapter director Erica Matisz.

Be there for the reveal. Matisz remembers one father who broke down when he saw the finished room. “I’m just so happy to be crying good tears for once,” he told his wife. For volunteers, Matisz says, the impact is immediate: “You can see it.”

Get in the Game. Golf may be the vehicle, but First Tee – Greater Akron is teaching something bigger. The youth development organization uses the game to help kids ages 5 to 18 build confidence, tackle challenges, set goals and connect with one another.

Level the playing field. Kids whose families belong to country clubs can find themselves learning alongside kids from some of Akron’s most underserved neighborhoods. “We serve everybody,” says CEO Jeff O’Brien. If cost is a barrier, First Tee – Greater Akron provides scholarships and equipment.

Watch confidence grow. O’Brien has seen shy kids arrive “talking down to their sneakers” and grow comfortable making eye contact, introducing themselves and shaking an adult’s hand. “We’re having kids become better golfers, but they’re really becoming better people.”

No golf game required. Want to coach or mentor? First Tee provides the training. Volunteers can give their “time, talent and treasure,” O’Brien says — and become part of what he calls the “First Tee – Greater Akron family.”

Stay for the Journey. This Present Hope began with sidewalk chalk. After Katie Piazza’s daughter, Colette, died from brain cancer before her second birthday, Piazza’s 3-year-old son suggested making his sister a birthday card she could see from heaven. That family tradition grew into an art festival and fundraiser called Colors for Colette — and eventually something much bigger.

Keep showing up. Piazza knew firsthand that families facing a child’s serious illness need more than one beautiful gesture. “Our goal is not to be in and out,” she says. “Our goal is to say, ‘As long as that journey lasts, we are here.’” Today, This Present Hope provides meals, Parent Packs, care packages, handmade blankets and other support for patients, parents and healthcare providers.

Use what you have. Crochet a blanket. Assemble Parent Packs. Write encouragement cards. Drive deliveries. Take photographs. Help with events or communications. The volunteer list goes on. 

Roll Up Your Sleeve. Here’s one of the simplest ways to make a potentially lifesaving impact: Give blood. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood for everything from cancer treatment and surgery to traumatic injuries and chronic illnesses. American Red Cross operates donation centers across northern Ohio and holds blood drives throughout the community. Find a drive near you, check eligibility requirements and make an appointment.

Be a Good Neighbor. North Coast Community Homes creates and maintains homes for people with developmental disabilities. However, building community takes people, too. Volunteer opportunities range from yardwork and house cleaning to helping with moves, delivering food, becoming a pen pal or lending a hand with resident programs and activities. The common thread? Helping make homes nicer, days brighter and connections stronger.