Civil Liberties Association relies on volunteers

Re Legal group under fire over unpaid positions,

Jan. 23 When does charitable volunteerism become an exploitative internship scheme? We wouldn’t know.

Our charity and not-for-profit has been freedom-fighting for more than 50 years. We couldn’t do it without volunteers: board members, lawyers and front-line helpers. Complying with labour laws is the easy part. Getting the donors and volunteers is the challenge.

Consider that the median ratio of volunteers to paid staff at the Red Cross is 20:1. Within memory, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association has never had more volunteers than employees. We need more and won’t apologize for asking.

A charity asking for aid to do good works is an ancient tradition, relied upon by such charities as the Star’s own Fresh Air Fund, which solicits volunteers to host fundraisers. I hope the Star’s charities keep asking for volunteers. But stop diminishing volunteerism and charity with gotcha journalism grounded in fantasy. Michael Bryant, executive director, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Toronto