Volunteer Profile:
John S. Nolan, Chapter Chairman

John S. Nolan is a top lawyer at one of Washington, D.C.'s most prestigious law firms. The windows of his office present him each day with a panoramic view of the District's downtown, including the Department the Treasury, where he once served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy.

High above much of the city, it would be easy to forget the problems of people below and focus only on the demands of work and personal pressures. Mr. Nolan, however, remembers being a ten-year-old boy whose South Florida home was ruined by the flood waters and winds of a hurricane. He remembers being a sailor far from his family and feeling homesick. He remembers undergoing surgery at a local hospital and needing emergency blood. And he remembers that it was the Red Cross that came to his aid during each of these difficult times in his life.

Touched by the Work of the Red Cross

"The Red Cross has touched my life in a number of ways," he recalls. He has been both a recipient of service and a provider -- during his younger years he was trained as a lifeguard through the Red Cross and actually saved people thanks to his training.

"I've always been interested in the work of the Red Cross," said Mr. Nolan, "because it's hands on vital social service."

"It's helping people under extreme circumstances," continues Mr. Nolan, "People to people -- hands across the table -- that's the way to do real charity. It's to get people to help other people. Volunteers get a sense of purpose in their life and it certainly helps those who need their assistance."

A Leader, A Businessman, A Volunteer

Mr. Nolan is a very special kind of Red Cross volunteer.  He is a business leader and a community leader -- and he's taken on another important leadership role: Chairman of the National Capital Chapter. 

As Chairman, he is a volunteer who will lead other volunteers on the chapter's Board of Directors and shape how the Red Cross serves the people of Washington, D.C., Falls Church and Fairfax County.

One does not accept such a position of responsibility lightly. It is Mr. Nolan's dedication to helping people through the Red Cross that brought him to the chapter.

Spreading Word of Our Good Work

When people learn of his work with the Red Cross, most often he finds that they "recognize the value of the work we do. They know we're out there, but they don't know the magnitude of the work we do." Mr. Nolan then tells his listeners a few facts to put things into context. In one year the chapter has served 1,425 disaster victims, launched nearly 150 disaster operations, served 13,188 disaster-related meals -- and that's just in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County. Then he'll tell them of the other services the chapter provides: health and safety training, emergency assistance to military families, HIV/AIDS training, and more.

Mr. Nolan says with pride that "no other charity I know of offers the range of services that we do. It's not done by the city and it's not done by other charities." He believes successful organizations like the Red Cross are particularly good at providing social services because the work of a small paid staff is multiplied by a corps of committed volunteers. 

The ratio of volunteers to paid staff at the National Capital Chapter is ten volunteers to one paid staff member. "That's the most efficient kind of charity I know of," said Mr. Nolan. "It's what I like to think of as lessening the burdens of government by voluntary action," he said.

Making the Work of the Red Cross Possible

Of course, it takes more than a dedicated staff of volunteers and paid professionals to provide these services. "There's no automatic funding of the Red Cross. The federal government doesn't fund us. We have to fund ourselves."

"For many years, United Way funded us, but that's largely disappeared. Therefore we are making a determined effort to make people understand what we do in the local community and how they can help us by supporting us financially. We are dependent upon them for support." 

While at the Department of the Treasury, Mr. Nolan was instrumental in writing the 1969 Tax Reform Act, which tightened rules regarding the use of charitable funds -- so he is also aware that to attract financial support the chapter must be a trustworthy steward of the public's contributions.

Mr. Nolan began his service to the National Capital Chapter as General Counsel in 1982. In February, the Federal Bar Association presented him with one of its highest honors, the 1995 Taxation Section Award for Distinguished Service. 
 
 

(NOTE: Mr. Nolan passed away earlier this year. He is missed by all his friends in the Washington, D.C. area and especially those at the National Capital Chapter.)

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