Monthly Archives: September 2011

Lessons from Marie Claire on Breast Cancer Awareness Lies and Cheating Nonprofits


Posted by ajlovesya

From Marie Claire

Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Marie Claire published an article exploring the $6 billion breast cancer research and awareness industry and the unscrupulous behavior of some charities. Of course we know that just because your organization may have 501c3 status, it does not automatically mean that you are operating for the benefit of the public. Yet the article explores something else that many social change makers may not consider: what happens when your cause becomes too popular?


What might seem like a dream—your cause being championed across sectors, nonprofits doing great work in this area are celebrated, various ways of engagement exist to allow better connection with the public—can quite easily become a nightmare. Specifically, you have folks simply jumping on the bandwagon of the cause du jour with the desire to make a quick buck. Whether in the form of outright stealing or clever financial accounting, the goal for some is to capitalize on the public’s good will, landing many nonprofits—including even the most diligent ones—in trouble as folks lose trust and take back their support.

However, while this problem is serious and can harm the public’s trust in both the cause and organizations working around it, it is not inevitable. Indeed, there are conversations happening throughout the sector that are forcing us to be more deliberate and transparent the potential for scamming and are important to examine as we push for greater public support of our causes:

The drawback to buying cause related goods

It has become all too easy for folks to simply sell pink items with no intention of giving proceeds to organizations that focus on the disease. Additionally, what may seem like cross sector collaboration and new ways of engagement are actually easier ways to deceive the public or have your cause co-opted (remember the KFC-breast cancer fiasco?) Some of this cannot be controlled, but some of it can in the form of more thoughtful corporate partnerships. How should nonprofits select corporate partners?

The growing ease of checking nonprofits

Better Business Bureau, Guidestar, Charity Navigator, GiveWell, and others all serve a similar function: to help the public make better choices about where their donations should go. While the process of measuring the effectiveness of nonprofits is constantly being tweaked (Charity Navigator just launched a new approach to assessing nonprofits) the rise of these types of organizations signals a shift in how we view nonprofits: not just as warm fuzzy places that do nice things, but as organizations with responsibilities that need to be held accountable. GiveWell in particular talks about “room for funding” in that some nonprofits and causes they examine do not need more money. Will more nonprofits embrace greater transparency?

The need for easier financial reporting and understanding

The article points that since 990s are prepared by nonprofits themselves and don’t always disclose key financial information (like how much is paid to consultants) they may not always be reliable. Of course, 990s are not always the easiest to read, can be a pain to complete, and some information may not be as necessary as the author claims. However, maybe the push for this information can spark a larger conversation on what information is necessary and how this information should be presented. For example, focusing on overhead is simply not the best way to measure a nonprofit’s effectiveness. We, in the sector, know this, yet how can we start working with the public to understand this and why this matters? How can we make nonprofit finance interesting and easy to understand and share?

Articles like the one published by Marie Claire may make us feel defensive and may make us hesitant about our attempts to raise awareness.  However, they are actually opportunities to clarify misconceptions,  talk about the work we do, and brainstorm solutions to do it more effectively. Isn’t that the point of raising awareness in the first place?

What’s your take on the article?


Advice for Young People Waiting Out a Bad Economy


Posted by ajlovesya

In a recent article in the New York Times, we are introduced to Generation Limbo:  “…highly educated 20-somethings, whose careers are stuck in neutral, coping with dead-end jobs and listless prospects.”

While it is not new that young people are being hit hard by the recession, what is new is the exploration of the emotional toll it is taking on young people and the effect it is having on how they see their futures and choices.  The article notes:  “And so they wait: for the economy to turn, for good jobs to materialize, for their lucky break. Some do so bitterly, frustrated that their well-mapped careers have gone astray. Others do so anxiously, wondering how they are going to pay their rent, their school loans, their living expenses — sometimes resorting to once-unthinkable government handouts.”

What we are witnessing isn’t just a few folks out of work, but rather an unraveling of what it means to be an adult and the shock of trying to move forward.  In addressing the challenge of becoming an adult in a shaky economy, how can young people find the work and support they need to thrive?

Read the rest in my guest post on Brazen Careerist


Is Social Change Supposed to Be Easy?


Posted by ajlovesya

I’m trying something new on my blog: conversation starters. I’ll highlight quotes or articles that have me buzzing and hope you’ll chime in.

In his book, Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals, Hal Herzog frequently revisits the activists’ paradox: “ The greater your moral clarity, the harder it is to be morally consistent.”

For example, he notes that as folks see how horribly animals are treated and they want to avoid using animal products all together. However they find this to be extraordinarily difficult and may not be able to act in a way that their understanding of this particular issue requires.

This made me think of two questions:

As we seek truth and justice is there a level of sacrifice that is required? I’ve talked about how young people want to integrate social change into their lives but what also strikes me is the expectation that social change should be easy. That no level of sacrifice or deeper thought beyond buying something or starting something is required. Is this hiding the amount of work that is involved or making complex issues far simpler than they are?

What is the right balance of local and national change and action? The food justice issue a great place to start with this question. Not everyone can afford $8 for a dozen eggs or $3.50 for a pound of peaches. But does that mean they can’t help out in other ways? Indeed, going back to the first question above,do we need to create different ways for individuals take action at kinds  so more people can be involved?

At the same time, does this mean that we should be pushing for new systems and structures that make it easier for people to live in ways that have a less harmful effect on the environment and on their own health? Cheryl Dorsey once argued that too many social entrepreneurs view themselves as alternatives to government instead of seeking to work with government to really bring about change. Should this be a priority?

I’d love to get your input on these questions. Share your thoughts below.