Philanthropy today is much different than it was years ago when people just sent money to a pot and hoped good would come of it. All contributors, including small givers, such as the CRT fund, want to know some basics about the organization to which they entrust their hard earned funds.
“Trust, but verify.â€
That is particularly true in a nation renowned for lining the pockets of managers and executives at the expense of those for whom the funds were intended. Let’s face it, three of the last four presidents have been charged with corruption involving illegal payments. While none have been convicted, it should be noted that one of the former presidents won’t even return to Costa Rica. Additionally, ugly rumors swirl around the current administration.
There are a few things that should be decided on before anything else goes forward.
Peter Drucker, who was one of the best known of all business consultants and is considered the father of modern management, was also keenly interested in meaningful philanthropy (
emphasis on meaningful). Peter wrote five questions that should be asked of every potential charity recipient.
1. What is the Mission?
Does the organization have a clearly defined purpose for being?
2. Who is the Customer?
Whom do they serve? This includes both direct and indirect customers.
3. What does the Customer Value?
What do they need, what do they want, what is important to them? In giving, there has to be a union of what you (the giver) wants and what the recipient wants. That includes the strings that you attach to the gift. For example, my father gave a sizable endowment for scholarships, included in that endowment was a clause which required a member of his family to be present during the formal ceremonies where the scholarships were presented.
That which
El Ciego wrote above is painfully true: “Only a fool gives his help to those who don't want it . . .â€
4. What kinds of Results have they had?
Is this some kind of knee jerk group that wonders aimlessly doing all good to all people and in the end, doing nothing? Or have they examples of both successes and mistakes; have they established a learning loop where they are growing from their mistakes? What have they done? What do they have to show for?
5. What is their Plan?
If they don’t know what they need and want, then walk away because they have failed to do the most basic task of organizational development: they have failed to define their mission, in other words their purpose for being. That is important because everything else flows from the mission. When they do not have a mission, they don’t know who they are, where they are going and what they really need.
Down here, I would add number 6:
6. Is the “charity†recipient a legit organization?
Included with that is the fact that I would never give a cash grant. Down here giving cash is an open invitation to fraud and pocket lining. As
Santa’s Bro suggested, if they need a stove, buy them a stove and make sure you watch it get installed.
If you expect to become a permanent contributor to the charity, then insist on regular inspections. Not formal like a DI in the barracks, but show us what you need now and by the way how is that stove we bought you last year?
It should be clear what you expect and it should be written down as a memorandum of understanding. Not for the recipient alone, but for other mongers who may want to give, they need to know this shit is real and their dollars are actually helping. Photos help document.
I have served on several non-profit boards of directors and have no fear of challenging staff. I told one board who was going to foolishly waste money that I would not only resign from the board but would write a newspaper article about their foolish spending and then seek out every donor I knew and convince them to stop giving. They weren’t going to do anything illegal but they were sure going to spend the money irrationally and unwisely. They were just being stupid and selfish. Had they gone forward, they would have breached their fiduciary responsibility as board members.
When you know where you money is going and you get regular updates then it is usually okay. But just like everyone else, no one wants to fork over hard earned cash to line the pockets of some sleaze ball disguised as manager of a charity.
Santa’s Bro is an honorable man and is working hard to do something good for some needy K*ds. That should never be doubted.
Maybe we could get together and craft some ideas so those of you who do want to give can feel assured that your money is going to actually help K*ds. I will volunteer my time and efforts but only as an assistant to those who have gone before me.
My passion would be helping the orphans of police officers killed in the line of duty. These cops don’t make squat and when they get killed in the line of duty, they are just dead. There is no help, no widows and orphans fund. We complain about the police down here but they have nothing to protect them like the PBA in New York or the memorials in most states across the nation, which focus on helping the K*ds of slain police officers.
Just some thoughts.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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). Anyway, you do NOT have to return my donation. I'm sure the money will be safe in its interest bearing account until such time as you find a worthy and reliable way to put it to use. I'd be MUCH more concerned about the integrity of some of the aid-dispensers if we were to hand the money we've collected out too hastily. That said, I would rather you spend your efforts finding a good way to spend the money rather than to spend it worrying about whether we're second-guessing you.
For the 1st time in a long time - I'm speechless. 
