Time is more valuable than money

M. Munson

Marcia Munson, a feminist, gay rights, and environmental activist for the last thirty years, has chosen to reserve a significant portion of her life for doing volunteer work by living simpIy and working part time at the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). While choosing to retain the simple lifestyle of the '70s in order to pursue her activist dreams, the author recognizes that the '70s model of self-funded activism no longer works today. During the 1970s, volunteers were often able to support their projects with funds from their own pockets, or could scrape by on small salaries provided by CETA grants and work-study money. In the 1980s, fundraising events to raise money gained popularity. By the 1990s, many non-profit organizations operated primarily with paid staff, and the main volunteer activity had become raising money. Looking back at '70s activism, Munson points out that the services of a skilled, experienced volunteer can be as valuable as money to an organization.