Chris Boland

As a youth, Chris Boland participated in a program of reading to younger kids, he helped teach kids that vandalism was not cool, and he was a role model for DARE, the nationwide Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

In 2003, Chris’s volunteerism got very personal; he took on a role in the Great Lakes Run Foundation, which his family established to honor his mother, a breast cancer survivor. Foundation funds pay for mammograms for uninsured and underinsured women.

“Our first fundraising effort was launching the idea of taking a significant trip on our Sea Doos,” he says. His parents, sister and a handful of friends drove Sea Doos from Duluth, Minn., to Watertown, N.Y., touching all of the great lakes along the way. “Donations came from people who thought it was a crazy thing to do,” Chris says.

Some repeated the run in 2006, but in reverse — from Watertown to Duluth.

More recently, the Great Lakes Run Foundation has participated in Green Bay’s Art Spectacular, teaming with the Marti Spittell Ziegelbauer Foundation to generate money from art sales and donations at the event. “We’re involved in one event a year with a goal of raising $20,000–$30,000 to keep our foundation funded,” Chris says.

Volunteerism extends beyond family charity
Chris’s volunteer efforts are not limited to his family’s foundation. He has been a member of the Green Bay Preble Optimist Club since 2006, where he is a board member and chairs the Operations Committee. The group’s theme is providing positive activities for youth. “Investing in youth is investing in everyone’s future,” he says.

He also is involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin, an organization that matches volunteers with kids who need positive role models. Chris joined last year and began serving as a board member this year.

And he is part of the Green Bay chapter of NeighborWorks, a national group that supports financial health and homebuyer education. “This is a great way to incorporate my daily job in my volunteer work,” says this North Region vice president-mortgage lending manager who works out of our Ashwaubenon office. “We help people get into homes they can afford, in turn bringing depressed neighborhoods back to life.” Chris has been a member since 2008 and now serves on its board.

Investing time yields personal and professional rewards
Fundraising is a primary activity of all charitable organizations. On average, Chris spends 2–3 hours a week volunteering, although he admits, “Major fundraisers can require extensive time.”

That’s why he advises people who would like to become volunteers to choose carefully. “Pick something you’re passionate about,” he says, “and don’t get over-involved right away. Every little bit you do helps.”

He also cautions, “Don’t be afraid to say no sometimes. If management is your strong suit, don’t tackle trying to install a sink. You can’t be an expert on everything.”

Volunteering has introduced Chris to people from all walks of life, and some of his contacts have brought in bank business. “I have established strong relationships with many of the business leaders in the community, and many people within the organizations have become clients of mine or other areas of the bank,” he says.

But the bottom line for Chris is this: “Volunteering is the right thing to do. There is great satisfaction in knowing you have helped even one person. That is the true reward.”