Stewarding your resources well.
Photo by Cameron Clark
Almost everyone I know includes some form of nonprofit involvement in their definition of success. If one of your New Year's resolutions is to "give back" or get more involved with charity work, here are some things to keep in mind as you determine where to focus your efforts:
Generosity is a muscle
Like any muscle, it grows stronger with use and atrophies if left unused. If you're not used to giving and feel overwhelmed, start small – donate $1 from every sale you make this year.
It’s impossible to give to everyone who asks
Decide which causes you're truly passionate about and focus on those, not necessarily the ones that bring you the best PR.
The two areas I focus on are orphan care and eradicating systemic poverty. For you it may be animals or kids with cancer or finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis or something else entirely. This doesn't mean that you don't care about the other issues, it just means you are recognizing that you can't do everything and are strategically focusing on what you can do.Do your homework on the organizations you get involved with
In the US, all nonprofits are required by the IRS to have their Form 990 on their website. The 990 shows who is on a nonprofit's board of directors, the vendors they work with, donations, staff salaries, and more. It is a good snapshot of fiscal stewardship.
Overhead isn’t a dirty word
It is trendy in non-profit marketing to say that "100% of donations go to programs." This means that these non-profits have separate donors who contribute specifically to cover overhead costs.
While this is a valid way to manage a nonprofit, not all charities have the luxury of overhead-only donors. Overhead costs go to the salaries of people doing the daily unglamorous work that running a nonprofit requires. Nonprofit staff often take a pay cut, but it's in a charity's best interest to pay competitive to corporate salaries in order to keep talented people. In areas where cost of living is higher (NYC, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc), salaries will naturally be higher.
Overhead isn't evil and the 990 shows where overhead is spent so you can decided if that nonprofit aligns with your values. Don't not donate because of overhead.Dignity matters
Too much charity work is done with a "you get what you get, so you should be grateful" mentality, but dignity always includes choice.
Look at the language the nonprofit uses in their communications. Does it strip people of dignity? Does it treat people like projects? Does it focus on the giver as the better person and the receiver as lucky recipient?
Every life has equal value. How a nonprofit talks about the people it serves will tell you a lot about how their leadership views things.Look at the leadership of the nonprofit
Are the founders or leaders of the non-profit more concerned with their own "fame" and PR and networking? There are seasons in a leader's life where the spotlight can be helpful, and maybe even necessary, but leaders lead – regardless of spotlight.
What does the nonprofit actually need?
People tend to prefer giving hard goods over money because it makes them feel connected and like they did something “real.” While it's not wrong to have these feelings, this puts the focus on you rather than what's in the best interest of the people the charity is serving.
A lot of times nonprofits have better buying power than you do – through things like wholesale partnerships and discounts – and they can stretch the money you give even further. They may also not have the warehouse space or budget to store tangible donations. In a similar vein, many soup kitchens and shelters are overwhelmed with volunteer requests at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but desperately need volunteers in July.
Ask the nonprofit what they need and don’t get offended if it’s not what you had in mind.What’s the nonprofit’s end game?
Almost every nonprofit's goal should be to eventually go out of business – because they solved the problem. What’s the exit vision for the nonprofit you’re considering?
Written by
LIENE STEVENS
Liene Stevens, the founder and CEO of Think Splendid, is an author, speaker, and award-winning business strategist. Armed with $2000, a healthy work ethic, and an undeserved dose of privilege, Liene bootstrapped Think Splendid from a scribble in a notebook to a successful wedding business consulting firm with a client list spanning 94 countries
