Volunteering in the Puppetry Arts

Executive Director of Puppetry Arts Theatre Tim Young had a $500 problem. But with the help of Elaine Grogan Luttrull, what began as an hour or two to complete a tax return evolved into an ongoing business volunteer relationship that helps this small arts organization continue delivering on its mission—to offer creative outlets and cultural exploration through puppetry.

Tim's organization wasn't legally required to file a tax return, but he hoped that filing a Form 990 would catapult Puppetry Arts Theatre into a new world of grant eligibility and professionalism. Unfortunately, the local tax return preparation company charged $500 to complete the form, and Tim knew that diverting $500 from the vital community work in which Puppetry Arts was engaged was not feasible. Tim turned to the Business Volunteers for the Arts Program for help, and the Arts & Business Council of New York introduced him to Elaine, an accountant with a public firm who was seeking opportunities to use her technical skills to a more rewarding end.

Over two years, Elaine has volunteered with Puppetry Arts to complete tasks as varied as preparing budgets with accompanying charts and graphs for Puppetry Arts' annual report, reviewing text for grant proposals and press releases, and selling tickets and accepting donations during Puppetry Arts' annual Halloween Carnival.

Elaine continues to find fulfillment in volunteer work with a variety of arts and other nonprofit organizations. She said, "Through volunteerism, the output of an effort always exceeds the value of the inputs, and all parties—the volunteers, the organizations, and those served by the organizations—win."

Photographer: Tim Young.