Well, here we are, barely into September, and already we’re invited to order our Christmas cards – although I see that it’s in line with the timing last year. We’ve greatly cut down on the number of cards we mail out each year, given the availability of other technology, but we still send some. So I’ve placed an order.
I think that for many of us, charitable giving is often an emotional decision: we look at the “hard luck” stories in the handouts or are impressed by the presentations. Other people make decisions about which charities to support on the basis of loyalty, personal connections, or faith. I read that in the US, $427.71 billion was given to charities in 2018 but of course not all of this is from the general public (a lot came from the big foundations that they have there).
But some people are more analytical, and so there are “metrics” available such in the list compiled by Forbes. There are also sites like GuideStar and Charity Navigator. Into this mix comes GiveWell. But who or what are they?
They’re US based (of course) and describe themselves as “a nonprofit dedicated to finding outstanding giving opportunities and publishing the full details of our analysis to help donors decide where to give”.
Wikipedia gives them a good writeup, and notes that their point of difference is that they evaluate charities on the cost-effectiveness of the organisations that they evaluate, rather than traditional metrics such as the percentage of the organisation’s budget that is spent on overheads. The latter assumes that a charity’s overheads ought to be kept low although this is regarded by many as very arbitrary (in that it fails to allow for the funding of effective systems and training). Moreover, I suspect that “effectiveness” also involves a degree of judgment about overheads.
But GiveWell goes further. We all know about intermediaries in the travel industry. Instead of booking directly with a property or airline, you use an intermediary who gets a slice of the takings. GiveWell not only advises Americans on what charity they should support, but donors have the option to send their donations to them, and allow GiveWell to pass them on, through their Maximum Impact Fund.
In fairness, they state that they don’t get a kickback or cut from the charitable donations but are separately supported. However, I notice that they retain funds that are donated through them for a few months, so perhaps they get benefit from having the use of the funds for this time.
Philanthropy is big business in the United States (there was $1.7 trillion in the endowments of nonprofit organisations in America as of the end of 2017), so I suppose organisations such as GiveWell will exist (on the “follow the money” principle). Just the same, they don’t sit comfortably with my view of the world.
I attended the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal breakfast launch once again this year. It was on the same day as this year’s launch by Uniting of its winter Breakfast program, so I couldn’t attend that this year.
As in previous years it was all quite slick. There were quite a few “introductory” remarks before we got to the Grace, but eventually it was said. And there was a benediction, too. Of course, there was also a “Welcome to Country”, and most of the speakers included an “acknowledgement” to the traditional owners. There was a great deal said about how the Salvos work with people who need help. Obviously, all very predictable, but there was a lot of emphasis on how the Salvos take an “all round” or “holistic” approach when dealing with people. Perhaps they see this as a point of differentiation from other charities? Just the same, do their programs really cost $79 million/year? This is the figure they’re asking for. I wonder where it all goes.
In this respect, the Salvos were very specific that attendees were expected to make a donation: table hosts handed out donation cards and envelopes, and there was an EFTPOS machine on each table! But there were Salvo socks to take home.
Prahran Mission’s Winter Breakfast launch is an annual event. This year, there was a good turnout, notwithstanding the early morning start on a chilly foggy day! Not as many as at the Salvo breakfast, but the arrangements all ran smoothly.
The keynote speaker was Kevin Sheedy, well-known footballer and coach, who spoke entertainingly of his early upbringing in the Prahran and Malvern areas, as well reminding us that mental health issues affect footballers at times, and it’s an issue that coaches (and others) need to be able to live and deal with.
Still no Grace (is it a cringe or just overlooked?), but also no coffee until after the breakfast service had finished. Those of us with an early-morning caffeine addiction were nearly panting for it by the time it came! But in the meantime, the food was good.
I’ve been to the breakfast launch of the Salvation Army’s “Red Shield” appeal each year for a number of years now. It’s well-attended (600+ people this year) mainly by “business types” (ought I be flattered that I still get invited?), and has a slick program.
However, this year, the program was a lot more “authentic” than on at least one occasion in the past (when I commented that aspects of it seemed to be taken from a standard script with blanks to be filled in so as to “insert local content”). Perhaps this message got through, as this year the speeches were quite good, and the interviews by the officer in charge of the Salvo’s Bourke Street facility were excellent.
But you don’t go to these events for the “content” (with all due respect, it’s “predictable”), or for the food (not that I’m complaining, mind you). Nor was I swept off my feet the socks that everyone received! It’s really about contributing a little towards society’s needs.
Musings and Mutterings 