goodwill is often looted while companies -- who boost sales, gain new young customers, and burnish tarred legacies -- make out like bandits.
The Occupy movement serves as a stark reminder of the severe harm caused by Wall Street
companies that collaborate closely with nonprofits. Recent social campaigns
harnessing technology have achieved almost immediate policy shifts. This
dynamic, complex world presents huge opportunities for organizations to
pursue visionary outcomes with like-minded partners.
Yet many charities' bias towards growth undercuts their impact. Two
weeks ago, the Human Rights Campaign appointed Goldman CEO Lloyd
Blankfein as their national corporate spokesperson for same-sex
marriage, prompting widespread reactions of disgust including Matt Taibbi's. Soda
machines still man school hallways, and environmental organizations
embrace companies that wreak ecological devastation. Nonprofits say
shrinking government support and glowing goals justify such
partnerships. But neither trump the need for community and character to
lie at the heart of their mission.
Only a small percent of the nonprofit sector are in social change (or social justice) philanthropy, described in December's Stanford Social Innovation article
as one measured "by its capacity to question the dominant development
model, to seek the root causes of inequality, and to engage in a process
of self-reflection that also seeks to expand its accountability to the
broader public that it seeks to serve." The traditional domain of
industrial titans expanded as diverse groups created charitable forces of broad stripes. But many nonprofits bloated by oversized assets and new investments narrowed previously innovative, high impact programs.
resulted from companies' masking product costs
and effects, weakening regulatory protections, and diminishing worker power; leaving Americans with stagnating wages, bigger waistlines, and a high risk of homelessness. The Great Recession slowed progress towards the Millenium Development Goals, with 80 million more jobs needed to regain 2007-level employment. And the planet hurtles towards an environmental point of no return due largely to profits taken at the Earth's expense.
Time for the powerful nonprofit sector -- devoted to health, sustainability, and economic opportunity -- to dump the Vichy water
and rejoin the fight for justice alongside newfound and newly committed partners. Yet many are closer to settling down for a nap after their Black-Card-funded
lunch than answering the call to action.
Why? They ignored the fact that something as small as a kind
gesture prompts reciprocity. Three pertinent examples: an institution where the
name of Philip Morris is etched on a wall in gold is unlikely to put on
Christopher Buckley's brilliant take on lobbying "Thank You for
Smoking". And it is the rare development organization that would partner
with Pepsi then highlight soda's harmful health effects internationally, or take banking money then lobby hard for taxes on
financial transactions and hedge fund managers. More likely it would pivot to change constituents, eliminating nutrition programs or anti-bank/anti-soda campaigns.
Advice for how an individual nonprofit can avoid such awkward situations is here. More promising is a nascent trend across sectors to question how best to achieve transformative impacts and visionary programming.
The environmental group 1Sky, which includes Bill McKibben, issued this letter
that gives more credibility to community organizations. Mainstream nonprofits rallied hard behind national climate change legislation that was slashed to ribbons before failing to pass. Yet smaller organizations
reached out to minority populations, scoring a huge win with the defeati of Proposition 23 that kept California on target to meet aggressive
greenhouse gas goals. A recent report argues that the
last decade of enormous environment spending brought minimal achievements, and agrees progress requires more grassroots activism.
Arts organizations are beginning a dialogue about the scarcity of
political theater, according to Woolly Mammoth Theatre Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann. Their provocative and often political DC playhouse has tackled AIDS, gentrificaton and political comedy among other topics. In fact, the Woolly helped birth "The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs".
Mike Daisey's prescient monologue based on his investigation into
FoxConn has since been followed by an explosion, audit and campaign
involving Apple products. The play virtually
sold out in DC last year and returns soon, demonstrating its contemporary
relevance and enduring social value.
The downside to supersizing has been known for some time, the pitfalls
of bad partnerships even longer. Nonprofits have traditionally been respected for achieving near-miracles. It's time for them to renew
their vision, roll up their sleeves, and work on issues critical to
their communities. As for any inspired leader, both company and
collaboration will come.
