Real Work Gives Real Meaning to an Unpaid Charity Job

About 18 months ago, I left retirement to start a terrific job — special projects manager for Access,

a nonprofit group that provides college scholarships and advice on financial aid to students in Boston’s public schools.

I have a title, a business card, regular hours, and an office. I report directly to the executive director.

My salary? Zero. Technically, I guess that makes me a volunteer but I do not use that term. I feel every bit as committed to this job as I did to my law practice of 30-plus years.

A new industry has arisen to cater to the needs and desires of baby boomers as they retire, and it’s hard to avoid books and articles about second careers, “portfolio lifestyles,” and the like. Perhaps my experience can shed some light on one approach that nonprofit groups might consider if they are looking to get high-level help from boomers.

I was just shy of 59 when I retired from my career as a lawyer specializing in financing for real estate and major aircraft in January 2004. The job had become more intense in terms of both time and pressure than I wanted at that age. A good friend had recently died at 60. A real change of pace seemed in order.

I decided to get some much-needed rest and recreation. I developed a program of regular exercise, I upped my reading, I took Italian classes and spent some time in Italy with my wife, I did volunteer political work.

But after about a year and a half, I realized I was getting too comfortable spending a lot of time by myself. I felt like an underachiever. I was ready to re-engage my professional skills and work ethic and become part of a team again.

I knew that I wanted a job connected with the public good. I’ve had a lot of experience serving on nonprofit boards over the years and have liked it. So I started getting in touch with friends and relatives who were involved in nonprofit groups, and more quickly than I would have imagined, I found myself having lunch with Bob Giannino-Racine, Access’s executive director.

Several conversations later, we had negotiated the terms of my engagement. I’d be a senior staff member reporting directly to Bob and have an office of my own. I would work three full days a week, with the possibility of more on an as-needed basis. I would not get a salary.

These terms suited both of us well. For Bob, I was a potentially significant resource, someone who came well recommended and could offer high-level professional skills. Work needed to be done that he could do only by shortchanging other tasks — but his budget had no room for a new hire.

For my part, I could take on something largely new without having to worry that I wasn’t justifying my paycheck or soaking up scarce money needed for program costs. I also figured I could find much more interesting and satisfying work if I offered myself on an unpaid basis — provided I could find someone who’d be willing to risk trying something out of the ordinary.

So, I started showing up every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9 a.m. and staying until 5 p.m. or so. I did this even if I didn’t have anything in particular that needed to be done because I wanted my colleagues to know I could be relied on.

My duties cover an array of things that need to be done but don’t fit within the job descriptions of the program manager, Melissa Sañez, or the development manager, Carla Bennett.

I was the staff leader of a committee that re-evaluated our scholarship program. I have primary responsibility for many aspects of Access’s plan to separate from its parent organization, the Boston Plan for Excellence in the Public Schools, and incorporate as a separate nonprofit group. I work with trustees, members of our advisory committee and representatives of other nonprofit groups.

Most of my colleagues are much younger than I am, which is a real plus. They’re energetic, idealistic, hard working, and fun. They help me feel fully alive, while I can and do provide mentoring for them.

The substance of what I do is mainly new to me, which I like, but it draws on myriad skills I developed as a lawyer — such as listening, spotting critical issues, and solving problems.

I’m used to dealing with complicated documents and challenging people. Anything that has a legal or contractual aspect tends to find its way to my desk. I did most of the work for the filing of our application for tax-exempt status. I also found new office space and negotiated the lease.

Some months ago, I added a fourth day to my workweek. Same pay. As nonprofit groups become more businesslike in their practices, they are more inclined to use paid professionals. For both Access and me, however, my unpaid status was liberating.

There are lots of folks like me who could contribute to the nonprofit world if well deployed. Since every movement needs a slogan, I offer this one: “Commitment is the key to success.”

That means offering a real job with real responsibilities and the promise of real job satisfaction. You should have high expectations, but expect high expectations in return. If you’re trying to get someone to be a chief operating officer, don’t expect to be taken seriously if in lieu of an office and computer, you offer whatever workstation is available at the time. In other words, treat unpaid staff just like paid staff.

The same suggestion applies to people in retirement who are looking for enjoyable and rewarding things to do.

Nobody’s going to be willing to offer you challenging work unless you can make an appropriate commitment and live up to it. Sure, I could have done good work by coming in one or two days a week, but the scope would have been narrower. Likewise, it’s essential that you treat your job as a job. If it’s something you do only when you aren’t otherwise engaged, how can anybody rely on you?

What I’m suggesting isn’t going to work for everyone, of course. But I believe this approach can be a winning combination for far more people and organizations than presently realize it.

William Stone is special-projects manager at the Action Center for Educational Services and Scholarships (Access), a nonprofit group in Boston that helps public-school students go to college. He retired as a partner at the Nixon Peabody law firm in 2004.