A dying cause

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

If tourism is the lifeblood of a community like Sandpoint, philanthropy clubs are its heart and soul. Most of us don’t realize the importance of institutions like the Lions Club, Kiwanis, Angels Over Sandpoint or the Rotary Club — especially in a rural community like Sandpoint. They quietly do the work that keeps us ticking. They put on Fourth of July festivities, fund childhood reading programs, feed the elderly and ensure kids have school supplies, to name a few acts of service.

However, as members of these clubs continue to grow older, they’re noticing an important indicator that is causing some alarm: New members and volunteers are growing more scarce.

The call to serve

Nate Rench knew he wanted to give back from an early age. 

“My dad is a Rotarian,” he told the Reader. “He has been ever since I was a little kid.”

Members of Boy Scout Troop No. 308 participate in a cleanup day at Camp Stidwell with the Kiwanis. Courtesy photo

Rench remembers driving around with his dad and, after looking at a pedestrian overpass the Rotarians helped build near Chuck Slough, he asked what else Rotary does.

“I remember he told me, ‘There are a lot of things we do, but it’s hard to show them sometimes because we don’t do it because of the publicity; we do it because the community needs it,’” Rench said.

That short civics lesson planted a seed, which eventually led to Rench finding his own philanthropic cause by sitting on the board of the Kiwanis for the past 11 years. He also serves as the vice president of the Bonner Community Food Bank.

When he first started with the Kiwanis, he wasn’t entirely sold.

“My first experience at 23 years old was, to be completely honest, ‘What the hell did I get myself into?’” he said. “There is a sense that the practice itself is outdated. I mean, we start our meetings singing, ‘My Country, ’Tis of Thee,’ and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.”

As time went on, though, Rench started seeing the importance of clubs like the Kiwanis. For example, the organization is responsible for starting the Bonner County Fair. Members still scoop ice cream at the fair, and donate all the money they raise to student scholarships and other causes. As Rench said, “If we see the youth doing something good, we’ll give money to help that.”

One aspect that always impressed him is the Kiwanis’ ownership of Camp Stidwell, a 176-acre property beside Mirror Lake that youth groups use, thanks to a Kiwanian named Bob Angel, who owned the property and left it to the club so that youth from Bonner County would always be able to enjoy the untarnished outdoors.

“Growing up in Bonner County and seeing Camp Stidwell and how much of an asset that is, that’s a big reason I keep coming back,” Rench said. “To have kids see how Idaho was when I was a kid, with crystal-clear lakes, clean camping, land that’s been cared for and loved … I want to give that back to the next generation.”

Looking to the future, however, Rench is concerned that the next generation won’t be able to experience the benefits of clubs like the Kiwanis. In the 11 years since he joined, Rench has seen membership numbers decline. 

“We see young people who are philanthropic, but they’re more willing to spend time on a centralized thing they’re active in,” Rench said. “Like if you’re into mountain biking, you’ll join the Pend Oreille Pedalers. But a service group is spread out over larger areas.”

Rench said he’s tried to get his “beer-drinking buddies” to join Kiwanis, and some have followed through and attended a few meetings, but the majority drift away. 

“There are always 10,000 reasons why it doesn’t work,” he said. “But I come back to the idea that if I don’t do it, who will? These clubs need to survive.”

Shared problems

Membership decline is a problem that affects all local service groups.

Many in the community were surprised to hear the Angels Over Sandpoint would not be hosting the annual fundraising variety show The Follies in 2025, sparking fears that the event was done for.

Between The Follies and an annual charitable golf tournament, the volunteer-led Angels raise funds for the Back to School program, local grants, scholarships and other community assistance programs that aim to ensure local students have as much of a leg up as possible.

“In the past few years, we have seen a small decline in membership,” Board President Olivia Luther told the Reader. “Recruiting new members is always a challenge. As a small nonprofit, we prefer to divert 98% of our fundraising dollars back into the community. This means we have a very small marketing budget, and mostly rely on social media and word of mouth for recruitment.”

Luther said the median age of Angels volunteers is 55 to 60 years old, but she’s eager to involve new voices.

“The majority of our members are of the same generation,” Luther said. “Without new and younger energy, AOS will age right along with them.”

Luther said new voices bring ideas, passion and perspectives that help organizations like the Angels thrive. She also acknowledged that having tech-savvy volunteers will help recruit new members, mainly through social media.

“We could also tap into our relationships with local faith-based organizations and high schools,” she said. “But recruiting them is only half the battle. We need to make sure we are inclusive of their ideas, talents and passions once they join.”

Luther believes in the power of philanthropy.

“At the end of the day, I believe our community lives by the old adage: We are only as strong as our weakest community members,” she said. “There are so many vital organizations all doing their part to make our community stronger, healthier and supported.”

Changing demographics

In her fourth year as president of the Sandpoint Lions Club, Janice Rader knows something about giving back to the community. She has also taken notice of declining membership numbers.

A few years ago, Rader began a campaign to recruit younger members to join the Lions, which takes on everything from the Fourth of July festivities in Sandpoint to Easter egg hunts at Lakeview Park to supplying eyeglasses and vision testing to local students.

“We recruited probably 15 new members under the age of 40,” she told the Reader, “but the biggest issue is people love to volunteer for events, but they don’t want to join these clubs and run them.”

Rader said that’s disheartening, because the Lions were instrumental in Sandpoint’s history. 

“I mean, we built City Beach, and yet I’m just having the hardest time getting people involved,” she said. “There’s a reason I’ve been the club president the past four years. Let me tell you, I don’t want to be anymore, but my fear is, what if something happens to me? There’s nobody who will step up. I can’t imagine the Sandpoint Lions Club dying. Every morning I wake up and say, ‘OK, what are we doing to help move this club forward?’”

Rader has been with the Lions for 10 years and with the Girl Scouts for 15 years. She’s trying to reverse the shrinking numbers of volunteers by putting a spotlight on all the important things clubs like the Lions do in Sandpoint.

“Every time we have a big event — like we just finished up the Toys for Tots — so many people are impassioned,” Rader said. “Then, as soon as the program is over, they disappear. This is an ongoing effort that is year-round, not just two weeks.”

Rader said it’s not just the younger generations’ reluctance to join service clubs, but also the changing mindset of new arrivals in North Idaho.

“They move here and don’t mind using the resources, but they don’t understand how much we need the help to make those resources available,” she said “Half of our commissioners are new to the community and don’t even know our history. That’s another mark against us. Most people who retire nowadays just want to stay home, make sourdough bread and garden.”

For Rader, it’s important to keep spreading the message that the Lions — and other clubs — need help.

“Please volunteer if you can,” she said. “Don’t think this is your grandpa’s organization. This is an important resource to this community and we need help. We need help maintaining it and keeping the history alive. There are so many changes in this community, it’s scary. I don’t know what it’s going to look like in 10 years if we keep up at this rate.”

Please consider joining a local service group. Find information about them online.