Who Needs Another Volunteer Organization?

“What does the Thinker’s Party do that other volunteer organizations don’t do already? This is a fair question all nascent organizations should ask themselves as they begin, and which they should be able to answer when asked by others. Given the Thinker’s Party’s desire to surpass the work of its predecessors, this is particularly pertinent for us.

There are a few different aspects to the answer, but the short version is that the Thinker’s Party is dedicated to self-sustaining solutions to social needs and problems which are implemented Independent of government help. We do not narrow our work to any particular area, though as we begin to sponsor projects we will develop specialized expertise in some things. A more detailed answer follows.

What are we doing now?
Right now the Thinker’s Party is building a base of motivated and dedicated people who are willing to handle the infrastructural needs of the party including building a web presence, wide-spread recruiting efforts, gathering of knowledge about community organizing, and seeking out projects suitable for support from the party. The results of these efforts will be seen over the next few weeks as recruitment ads go out and we announce our first projects.

One of the most important things we are working on now is networking ourselves so that we will be a beneficial place for others to gather. Today’s preliminary launch of our Facebook Page is just the beginning.

What are our next steps?
As the party grows and begins to support projects we will put a web community that includes documentation on planning a project, ways of finding the resources needed to implement a project, and people willing to help with advice, time, and labor. We will use contacts with charitable, volunteering, and community organizations to support our members in their efforts. Where these other organizations have already found a workable solution, we will support them and throw our own resources behind their project. Just because an effort was started as a Thinker’s Party project does not mean that the Thinker’s Party cannot support it. Our goal is to accomplish social change, not to make the Thinker’s Party the answer to all problems.

The Differences
Ultimately, the difference between the Thinker’s Party and the myriad other organizations out there is our flexibility, our focus on an ultimate goal that encompasses all social issues, our ability to address multiple issues in an integrated way where appropriate, and our ability to connect these other organizations on the ground and in the world. Membership in the Thinker’s Party does not necessarily replace membership in other organizations – we are all too small to manage this alone. That’s why we’re here.