Golden – an Easier Way to Give Back to Your Community

Episode: 042

Sam Fankuchen has created an app that makes it easy to volunteer for the causes you care about the most.

Introduction:
Sam Fankuchen is the founder of Golden, a company that makes it easy to volunteer as well as helps non-profits manage their volunteers. Golden now has an app you can download directly to your phone where you can work for a non-profit that is aligned with your mission and purpose. Sam says that 25% of Americans volunteer every year, but the impact could be much greater if there was an easier way to manage the gap between non-profits and volunteers. Find out more about Sam’s story in today’s episode.

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Key Takeaways:
[0:30] Connor and Roger welcome Sam on to the show, the founder of Golden.
[0:35] What is Golden? An app that helps to make volunteering effortless.
[2:10] Why is Golden so important? We all want to give back
[2:50] What was a defining moment for Sam?
[5:10] Sam explains what Golden is.
[6:25] Why would a non-profit need this?
[6:45] Staffing is the most costly expense for a non-profit.
[8:05] There’s only a few core things that help drive our happiness. Volunteering is in that list.
[9:15] Why did Sam want to help the volunteering space?
[10:55] Volunteering is surprisingly complicated.
[12:30] 24-25% of Americans volunteer every year.
[13:25] There are tremendous benefits to volunteering.
[15:00] How can someone volunteer most effectively?
[18:00] What do volunteer coordinators need to do to make sure their volunteers feel valued?
[21:40] What’s one piece of advice Sam would give to companies who want to be more active in the community?
[24:45] What does Sam see in the future for non-profits and charities?
[25:50] Sam shares a case study.
[29:00] Where does Sam see Golden being in the next five years and how can people help?
[32:00] What kind of legacy would Sam like to leave behind?

Mentioned in This Episode:
www.mantalks.com/
www.goldenvolunteer.com/

Music Credit:
Parlange & Latenite Automatic (jesusparlange.com – lateniteautomatic.com)

Tweetables:

“In the United States, there are about 1.5 million non-profits that contribute to a 1 trillion a year economy.”

“There are only so many core drivers of happiness in our lives: exercise, spirituality, family, and volunteering.”

“I couldn’t imagine how the thing that seems like it could be the easiest in the world to do, could be so complicated.”