Going into the process of
evaluating nonprofits, I felt confident that I knew exactly which organizations
would appeal to me. However, upon reading through the applications, I found
that almost all of the programs seemed like great causes that I would like to
support. Because I was being drawn in so many different directions, I decided
to narrow down my choices by focusing primarily on the nonprofits that involved
youth programs, as that is my issue area. It is my hope that although I will be
making the case for organizations in this area, others in the class will bring
attention to the many worthy causes I had to decide against. Thus, after
considering the grants with respect to my issue area, I would like to support
the Boys & Girls Clubs of Binghamton, the Family Enrichment Network, and
the YWCA.
In
my research on the Broome County area, I discovered that many economically
disadvantaged students fall behind their peers academically at an early age, and consequently are less successful. In
order to combat this inequality, it is necessary to support organizations that
cater to the early education of underprivileged youth. I selected each of the
organizations listed above on the basis that they provide such opportunities to
children in the area. Specifically, the Boys and Girls Clubs offers services
including homework help and tutoring, which could assist children that are
struggling with schoolwork in catching up to their peers academically. The
Family Enrichment Network offers Head Start and various other programs, such as
those that encourage literacy. Such programs strive to encourage children’s
early development in various areas, while simultaneously promoting parental
involvement, which is crucial to academic success. Finally, the YWCA offers
universal Pre-school, which is a great way to make early education accessible
to all children, thus giving them a better chance to succeed in school.
Although
many other organizations that applied provide various services to children, I
was most impressed by the ones that had a relatively specific plan for the
grant money. Granted, each of the nonprofits that I selected has relatively
large expense budgets, but despite this they still have a precise idea of how
our money could help. For example, both the Family Enrichment Network and the
YWCA would use the funds to enhance the outdoor play experience for children,
through the purchase of new equipment and other improvements. I believe that
supporting such causes is essential, because as the Family Enrichment Network
application states, there is a strong correlation between outdoor play and
improved overall development for children. Similarly, the Boys and Girls Clubs
presented a very specific breakdown of fund utilization. Although several plans
were outlined, I was drawn to the notion of improving the computers. Not only would
these computers be used to further education by assisting with homework, but they
would also help to give children the technological knowledge that is so
imperative in modern society. Thus, I believe that each of these organizations presented
efficient ideas for improving their youth programs, and consequently they
deserve our consideration.
Hi Laura... wow it took me all day to get through those applications. I am probably going to do a short post, but I am encouraged to see that we are on similar lines of thinking that I really appreciated when the organizations had specific plans for the money. I would consider recommending that for next year's class, rather than just 'up to $10,000,' saying 'and provide an estimate for how much your project will cost.'
ReplyDeleteWhat stands out to me about the organizations you have selected is that they encompass multiple issue areas. YWCA encompasses women's issues, poverty, and education. FEN encompasses and BGA also show an intersection between poverty and education, as well as healthcare with FEN.
It will certainly be interesting to see where this conversation leads. Best of luck to our class!
One note... while doing the homework for this week, I noticed that YWCA was on Charity Navigator's "Top Ten" list for constantly being in the red, indicating overspending. Something to keep in mind.
DeleteI actually noticed the exact same thing later, but I thought it was significant to note that the YWCA in specific counties received 4 star ratings. I figured that while the national center might not rate well, I did not want to count out the local organization, which was not rated and thus cannot be reliably judged in that manner. True, at a higher level funds might not be utilized in the most efficient way, but I feel like the experience will be different when we work closely with the Broome County branch. We know that they intend to spend the money on improving their playground, and we have the opportunity to personally find out more about their intentions to ensure that this organization is on track. Therefore, I do not think it is necessarily fair to eliminate a local organization whose mission I support due to circumstances at the national branch that are out of their control.
DeleteLaura, I had the same struggle of deciding which organizations were deserving of the grant. It seemed like each organization made a major contribution to the community, and what made it even more difficult for me to decide is the fact that they provided drastically different services. I probably would have had an easier time if I had chosen your approach and only looked into the organizations that related to my issue area, but I think it’s important to evaluate the organizations equally, regardless of whether they relate to our values.
ReplyDeleteAs expected this proved to be a difficult task, but to make this difficult task an easier one I created a word document that listed all the organizations and noted important facts/points about each organization. I highlighted the organizations that I found deserving of the grant in yellow while the organizations I was iffy about were highlighted green. The organizations that I believed had no chance to receive the grant were highlighted in red. In the end, I had 15 highlighted yellow (a higher number than I expected), 2 highlighted green, and 5 highlighted red. Interestingly enough, even while trying to be unbiased I found that the bulk of the organizations I liked related to youth (e.g. Cub Care Children's Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of Binghamton, and The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier). This then reinforced what we have been learning in class all semester: one’s values and giving are intricately tied. Organizations highlighted red, on the other hand, were crossed off my list not because they were not in line with my values, but because they did not qualify for the grant/were not 501c3 organizations (e.g. Broome County Office for Aging Yesteryears Adult Daycare and Broome County Adopt A Park) and/or had poorly written applications. I found that the applications that provided numbers in terms of how much money was needed to run a particular program or purchase a particular item were among my favorite. These applications tended to be the most explicit in terms of how they have impacted the community and how our grant will further allow them to do so.
Hi Emma! I definitely did not mean to come across as sounding like I completely ruled out anything outside of my issue area immediately. I actually spent a long time going through each grant and I starred each one that appealed to me. I later went back through each one and narrowed them down further. When I am referring to narrowing choices further based on my issue area, that came primarily at the end when I only had a few left. For example, if I was between two organizations and one dealt with the elderly and the other focused on child development, I would tend towards my issue area because I strongly believe the community needs help in that area. As I mentioned above, in cases like this, I would hope that someone focusing on the needs of the senior community in the area could make a more well-informed decision about whether or not the program described is necessary. Therefore, although I considered each grant with an open mind and chose my favorites from a variety of categories, ultimately my firm beliefs in bolstering youth development ended up being the deciding factor in many cases.
DeleteI find it interesting that you guys mention issue areas. My issue area generally is civic engagement/education however when I was considering the application it didn't matter what my issue areas were. I'll admit when I first went into the process I kind of wanted to just pick out organizations which I had worked with or which worked on my issue areas. However, once I started examining the applications I immediately stopped even thinking about my own personal prejudices and looked at each organization. However my process I'm sure was different than some of the other members of the class. I know that we're each going to feel strongly about some of the organizations and I hope that we can understand each other's reasons for picking out organizations (this was specifically directed at myself). It'll be a tough process but I think we can come together to help out these organizations.
ReplyDelete