More than 15 years ago, while working in market research for a local clothing retail brand, Matthew Goldstein found his passion—not in fashion merchandising, but in volunteering.
On Friday and Saturday mornings, Goldstein gave his time to volunteer for a suicide prevention hotline. The work, he says, gave him a deep sense of meaning and purpose, inspiring him to get even more involved in the community through volunteerism. It wasn’t long before Goldstein started to organize opportunities for his colleagues to engage in volunteer service as well.
“That’s when this light bulb went off,” said Goldstein. “I worked with thousands of incredibly smart, talented colleagues who wanted to give back to the community. They just weren’t sure how.”
“Volunteerism brings people together to meet needs, create bonds, build bridges, and strengthen communities. And that is what we’re focused on each and every day.”
MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN, FOUNDER AND CEO OF BESA
In 2012, wanting to help even more individuals discover opportunities to give back to others in meaningful ways, Goldstein founded Besa, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting people to community service in Columbus. Today, Besa partners with local nonprofits to help spread awareness of ongoing volunteer opportunities, as well as to help find volunteers to support specific service projects.
Besa partnered with 185 nonprofits in 2024 and, since its founding, the organization has recruited more than 100,000 volunteers to support 13,000 service projects. According to Goldstein, these efforts are equivalent to $98 million in impact. Beyond the immediate benefits that volunteers provide to nonprofits—including helping organizations further their missions faster and more efficiently—Goldstein said that giving back through service is also critical to building strong, connected communities.
“Volunteerism is essential to the health and well-being of a community,” Goldstein explained. “It widens people’s understanding and appreciation of the challenges we face as a region. It builds kindness, empathy, and community.”
Many of the volunteers who engage in service projects through Besa are individuals or small groups looking for connection and fulfillment. However, local businesses, both large and small, also work with Besa to help their employees become more active in volunteerism. Through innovative partnerships with the business community, Besa helps mobilize thousands of local employees each year to participate in a variety of volunteer experiences.
The Columbus Foundation, as well as its Supporting Foundations and donors, has awarded numerous grants to Besa to help the organization expand its volunteerism programs, including grants from the Green Funds to support programs that promote environmental stewardship. Additionally, the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation is a presenting sponsor of Besa’s WISH program, an annual holiday gift drive supporting local seniors living on fixed incomes. In 2024, more than 2,000 seniors received holiday gifts that were generously purchased by volunteers throughout the community.
Since 2012, Besa’s WISH holiday gift drive has supported seniors living on fixed incomes with gifts for the holidays.
With volunteer rates across the country at all-time lows, Besa has its sight set on reversing this trend locally. Goldstein believes that, now more than ever, volunteerism plays a vital role in bringing people together to address community challenges and improve well-being.
“I don’t think there’s any higher calling in life than to be of service to other people,” said Goldstein. “Volunteerism brings people together to meet needs, create bonds, build bridges, and strengthen communities. And that is what we’re focused on each and every day.”