Hey guys! I hope everyone’s weekend is going well! This morning, David, Max, Mallory, Melissa, and I went to the Soup and Sandwich program at All Saints Episcopal Church. To start off the day, we arrived at the church around 10:15 and we met several of the volunteers. As Debbie mentioned during her visit to our class, all of the people working at the center are doing so without being paid and are rotated with other volunteers so that these individuals volunteer only one Saturday out of the month. The volunteers seemed like a close knit group of people and several of the people appeared to be related in some way. The mood in the kitchen was very friendly and light and everyone seemed to be enjoying him or herself. We were required to wear hats due to the fact that we were dealing with food and after introductions we were put to work! It was a little slow in the beginning but they found various tasks for us to do such as cutting pies and cakes and placing them on dishes as well as making sandwiches and saran wrapping them to keep them fresh. The chairs and tables were already set up prior to our arrival and each table had a centerpiece of flowers.
            There was some down time before the services started but at 12:00 sharp the people began to stream in and sit at the tables. It was hectic in the beginning, but we followed our instructions to go ask each of the attendees which kind of soup they would like along with which type of sandwich. Some of the patrons weren’t very nice but the ones that I came into contact with were pleasant and polite. It was obvious from their attire and some of their mannerisms that a majority of the people at the program were down on their luck. For an hour we served these people their meals including dessert and at the end we cleaned up their place settings. All of the volunteers had different types of clean up jobs: some washed the dishes, some put the dishes away, some mopped the floor, etc. We fell into step with these people and helped in any way we could.
            After the site visit, we all agreed that it was a very interesting experience and honestly most of us were too tired to really think about much else aside from that. Thinking about the organization now, I’m more confused on where I stand than I was going into it. I definitely agree that any allotment of money could be beneficial for this organization, but I am not sure that tables and chairs would be a good investment. The tables were not moved during the cleaning process, so I am confused as to why the organization needs new ones. I could see why the chairs could be an issue, but only when the kitchen is in short staff. Each chair weighed more than eight pounds, so I can understand that carting 70 of them to one area of the room could be difficult for some of the older volunteers. Overall, I know that they are a sincere organization and that the people working there seemed to be full of good, but it almost makes me nervous giving to a band-aid organization. I realize that I was fully for basic needs organizations, but seeing all of the people there today made me really sad. Maybe it’s just because I want better for some of the people and the few children there. I almost wish the organization could do more, like help them upgrade their lifestyles, but realistically, it’s impossible to fix someone’s life without giving them help like this.

A couple reactions to our finalists' presentations

As I’m sure many of you did, I took as many notes as possible during our guests’ presentations last Tuesday to make sure I had a large basis of comparison when each group gives a final, post-site visit analysis of our six finalists. Each of the three presentations impressed me for very different reasons and I’d like to spend this post exploring these differences.

First I’d like to start with Debbie. Oh, Debbie. Out of the three visits of the class, I took down the least amount of notes from her presentation, only about half a page. What drew me to her organization was not the metrics, however, but the passion. You could see that she put her heart and soul into the Soup and Sandwich program and was so excited to tell us about it from start to finish. While we have had a conversation in the past about the value of data in evaluating these organizations, I believe it is pretty undeniable that the soup and sandwich program has a huge effect on the community. This should definitely be taken into consideration when we have a chance to look at all six presentations next week. Also, it’s very impressive that Debbie knew the price of the chairs and tables down to the cent. While the Soup and Sandwich program did not have many statistical facts to share with us, we have many things to look out for on our site visit and a definite amount of money that we know for certain will go a long way.

Family Enrichment Network is the organization I will be visiting next week. In my opinion they were the most prepared to speak to us. The presentation they arranged suited many of our concerns about their organization. The metrics, charts, and graphs they had for us were very informative and clearly outlined their area of need and required donation. While we obviously won’t be able to meet their full budget (that, if you remember, summed up to a little over a full $10,000 donation), I think we should keep in mind paying for some of the items they require. One of the concerns I believe many people would have with this organization is that their budget is already close to ten million. However, we set out on this project to make our money go the furthest in the community. Maybe they have such a high budget because they are really good at making each dollar go as far as possible. Then by allocating some of our money to FEN, we are making the largest impact with that amount of money. This is going to be one of the major things I look for when I visit one of their local sites next week.

Finally, there were many things I liked about Hope Dispensary. Primarily I was impressed by their holistic approach to meeting their need. They have taken into consideration everything from the importance of their location in terms of accessibility to ensuring collaboration with other local organizations that their patrons would benefit from. Their emphasis on systemic change is an aspect of philanthropy that we have spoken about extensively and it was very nice to know that that is part of their philosophy. It seems that they have a great grasp on how to work with their patrons and an effective strategy of gathering support from every resource. I believe that those who will visit Hope Dispensary should focus on this strategy and make sure that it is as good in practice as it has sounded thus far in our evaluation.

These were the things about each presentation that really impressed me, but what do you think the “devil’s advocate” response to these presentations would be? We heard from three very different organizations that cater to different areas of need with different strategies and philosophies. Which were out of your donation comfort zone? Also, what are some things that struck you in the presentations that you think we should keep an eye out during our site visits next week? I am looking forward to hearing from the other finalists and discussing all of our reactions next week!

Who's Phony, Who's Fake?

            In the wake of tragedy, some people may try to take advantage of other’s financial sympathy. As discussed in past readings in class, charitable giving is increased in times of need, especially when a tragic event has happened in our own country. For example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina millions of dollars were donated to charity. However, events like these bring about many groups posing as charitable organizations, to scam people out of their money.

            Fake Red Cross websites, for example, existed during the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. The way these websites fool people is by using the same graphics and typeface as the real websites of major charitable organizations. With only a quick look at some of these websites, it’s easy to see how an average person may fall victim to one of these scams.

            This works especially well because the Red Cross is such a well-known organization. Most people may not think twice before donating since they see familiar symbols and templates. Before this class, I probably would not think twice about fake organizations. However now that I am more aware, it makes me more careful.

This is even more important to consider now with the Boston Marathon Bombings. I am certain these types of websites will come up again. But as we talked about in class and as the CBS article stated, CharityNavigator.com can be your best friend!

Just some questions to think about:

Have you seen a fake charitable organization online or on a social network?

Have you or anyone you know fallen victim to one of these organizations?

The links to the websites below give more information both on past scams and also how to identify them.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/04/17/police-warn-of-boston-marathon-bombing-charity-scams/

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1106006&page=1#.UXArj795nzI

Continuing the Debate...

     So after today’s presentations, I think it is hitting me a lot harder that we are in a position to make a decision that will really affect other people’s lives. Seeing the presenters’ dedication and enthusiasm for what they do, and seeing how happy they were when we complimented them on the strengths of their presentations made this decision seem much more real, and not a contrived experience to employ the theory we’ve learned all semester. With that said, I’d just like to reflect on the things I heard today and maybe continue the discussion we all so eagerly wanted to have at the end of class.

     I’ll start with the Hope Dispensary. I thought it was a very well thought out, comprehensive presentation. I loved that they took the time to explain the healthcare system to us, and explained to us that not all low-income individuals qualify for government assistance. I think they are a one-of-a-kind organization, unlike the many food pantries, children centers, etc., that serves a very basic community need. They are focused on systemic change, not just providing temporary relief. Although this was not the most charismatic duo, they seemed just as passionate and chose to work in this field instead of making a larger salary in the for-profit sector. Also, as for operating costs, I don’t think this should dissuade us from donating, but I do think a more concrete breakdown of their expenses would be nice. However, we can’t expect them to continue the good work that they do if they can’t afford to pay their talented staff, their rent, or their electric bill, etc. Lastly, I wish they had more information on their outcomes, such as the number of people that have “graduated” from their programs. I would also be curious to know how many people they serve, or have served overall.

     I liked how the Family Enrichment Network focused on numbers and they were very clear with the breakdown of what they were asking us to fund. The prices of individual toys make it very easy to see exactly the impact our donation can have. They seem to serve a significant number of kids and are based in many locations, serving a wide area. It also looks like they have a solid structure and competent management, considering their growth from decades ago to now. I think it’s great that they collect data three or four times a year depending on the program, but I wish they were better able to work with the schools or the parents to collect data from children that were no longer using their services. They seemed to have a good system in place for keeping these toys in good condition and usable for a long time.

     Lastly, as we all agreed, I found Debbie from the Soup and Sandwich Program very engaging and energetic. I think she told her story well and very effectively illustrated the effect her organization has on their “guests” and volunteers. However, and this is a big however, I do not think that we should get too carried away by her likability. The presenter’s personality is not indicative of the organization’s effectiveness, responsibility, or importance to the community. I personally am not a fan of anecdotal evidence. It certainly has its place, especially when trying to get a feel for an organization, but I think the numbers and outcomes are most important. Anecdotes are not necessarily representative of all people served. Debbie didn’t have any numbers for the impact they had on the community, and granted I’m not sure how one would quantify their impact, but I think this is much more persuasive than a feel-good story. Overall, I think this organization is providing temporary relief for a systemic problem. This organization is not taking steps toward solving poverty or hunger, but providing one meal a week to anyone who stops by. I also think it is very telling that their funding was recently cut by donors who decided to donate to other, larger food providers in the community.

     In conclusion, I think the most important organizations are those with solid results reporting and those working towards systemic change in a certain issue area. I think the Hope Dispensary is the closest to fulfilling these requirements, despite the fact that they need improved results reporting. I think we can expect this from them in the near future and we should be slightly forgiving right now since they are a newer organization. What do you think?

Tweet of the Week Decision

Hello Everyone!

For Tweet of the Week, I decided to give the money to an organization that is very close to me and my family. This is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF for short. As many of you already know, my brother Tommy was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes about a year ago, which was a hard transition for us to make. With diseases like this, there’s the question of whether or not that person will be able to lead a normal life. Tommy is doing great though, because he is managing his blood sugar and becoming more mature because of it. Frankly, I don’t think that we could’ve made it to the place we are now if not for the overlooked benefits of JDRF. The most obvious thing about the program is that they donate money to research Type I Diabetes and hope to eventually find a cure for it. But this organization also creates a community of people and families who are all affected by diabetes, who are able to give each other advice, or to be just a general support system in general. We learned so much from the people there and all tested our blood sugar to have a better understanding of what is necessary to be healthy. Since they’ve helped my family out so much, I would like to have the opportunity to help other families who are struggling with these problems.

I would’ve liked our class to consider JDRF a little bit more, but I didn’t fight for it in class. This is because I think that people need to have a personal connection to the organization before they would want to donate to such a specific organization like this.

Thoughts on Finalists

Hello everyone. As I was looking through the list of finalists, I found it interesting that both Hope Dispensary and the Soup and Sandwich program were in the top three votes for finalists when they initially only had as few as two votes. Why were the initial votes so low whereas the final votes were largely for these organizations? What was our class thoughts that led to the big change in heart toward these organizations? Were the one or two accounts that were for these organizations so persuasive that our entire class decided to vote for these organizations? Or were these organizations just overlooked due to a large amount of applications? These were some of the questions that I asked to myself as I was looking at the list of finalists. Another interesting observation that I had was how many people spoke out for VINES, but how the organization received overwhelmingly less votes than both the Hope Dispensary and Soup and Sandwich program.

As we go into choosing the finalists for the grant, I believe that we should not forget what we learned the past few weeks on efficient philanthropy. We might be inclined to donate our money towards organizations that sounds like they are supporting a cause that we are inclined for, but we cannot forget that our money is limited and it should be distributed to meet the needs of our community most effectively. To do this, we need to allocate our money to organizations that have a set plan on how to efficiently meet the needs of our community. I understand that there are several organizations that may not have the funding to support collection of data to determine their results, but I hope we keep in mind that results are what is important when we assess these organizations. As we make these site visits, I hope that we can balance our emotions and rational thought because impulsive decisions are not the most efficient decisions.

Are we entirely prepared to just give to one?

It is true, the time is nearing in which we as a team have to make a decision on where our grant money will go. We have spent more than 10 weeks preparing ourselves for this very day, but how prepared are we to make our decision? From all the readings that we have done, the presentations that we have observed etc. that was assigned to "prepare" us, I personally still feel a little uneasy on whom I would decide to give the money to. I believe that our site visits may bias each and everyone of our decisions on who the money should go to and with this being said, it will definitely make it hard for us to come to a concrete decision, don't you think. Also, I firmly believe that our grant money should be stretched as far as it can between the final organizations. First things first, they have made it thus far out of all the organizations that we had to chose from and secondly their missions are definitely near and dear to our hearts. We can definitely fund at least one program or need that each group has asked us to help fund. (aside from going to the site visits and hearing the remaining presentations, this is how I would decide to divide the grant money. I actually think the biggest challenge is deciding what specific need we will fund for these organizations, but I am not sure if anyone agrees with me.)

Seen anyone with a shaved head this weekend?

            Originally I planned on giving to an educational non profit organization but then I received this message from a friend on Facebook,

“*NYC Panhandler Voice*
 Good afternoon everyone. If I could please have a moment of your time, I am not trying to raise money for my basketball team and I am not looking for money to buy drugs. I am simply trying to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a nonprofit organization that collects money to fund promising research in hopes of finding a cure for childhood cancer. Every dollar counts and is greatly appreciated. Thank you again for your time and have a wonderful day. *Walks through train staring at you uncomfortably until you drop change into my hat. *”

I found this message extremely hilarious and proceeded to ask him more about the event he was fundraising for. It was an event in Binghamton where people shaved their heads in support of those children who lost their hair during cancer treatments. This past weekend, I even saw some volunteers with shaved heads and it reminded of the class’ money, I had the opportunity to donate.

The money goes towards a variety of things, including child hood treatments to finding cures to lifelong prevention.  Even during treatment, kids face all kinds of side effects, some very uncomfortable, others life-threatening. That’s why St. Baldrick’s also funds research to improve supportive care for patients.

Lastly, “in the 1950s, almost all kids diagnosed with cancer died. Because of research, today about 85% of kids with the most common type of cancer will live. But for many other types, progress has been limited, and for some kids there is still little hope for a cure.”

For more information or if you would like to donate, I’ve listed the link to Charity Navigator and also the link to St Baldricks

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12540

http://www.stbaldricks.org

Thriving in Tumultuous Times

In Forces of Good, the reading assigned this week, the author spends a lot of time focusing on resiliency of non-profit organizations and their adaptability to change. Chapter 10 is appropriately titled, “Thriving in Tumultuous Times.” All of us can relate to this on some level; we have lived through the 2008 Recession. Only, when times do get difficult, spending tends to decrease, and wallets are tighter- understandably. Why would you donate to an organization when your stock portfolio has just plummeted? Or when you can't even afford to put dinner on the table? Yet, not only did many organizations outlined in the book survive the “Great Recession,” they thrived.

What makes the difference between an organization that has the capability to survive tough times? Personally, I think that the right leadership and sound decision-making are the key ingredients. My grandpa once told me that people who become President of the United States are cut from a different cloth than most people. Well, the non-profits described in the book, like City Year and Feed America, are cut from a different cloth also. People are the ones who make that slight difference between sinking or swimming. In non-profits, in my opinion, having high quality employees, donors, and volunteers is much more important than in other sectors.

How does this tie into what we are learning in class? How are supposed to quantify the quality of the employees of the finalist organizations? That might be an impossible question to answer. But, there are other numbers we can look at as well as the history of these organizations. For example, in 2008 when the Recession began, how did some of these organizations react? I don't want our money going to an irresponsible organization that was frivolous with their spending and has little foresight. I would also like to see if these organizations have shown their ability to think out of the box. Take a look at City Year. Despite plummeting graduation rates around the country, City Year managed to turn these numbers around in very high-risk high schools “by shifting its focus to educational outcomes than on various kinds of community service.” Then there's Self-Help, an organization that helps people with housing loans, which was hit hardest by the housing bubble burst. Instead of crying by themselves in a corner, they “ramped up their advocacy efforts.” They took the crisis and turned it into an opportunity. They advocated for new housing legislation in Congress and their CEO and other leaders in the organization were a vital part of the team behind the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, considerably the most important example of economic reform legislation since the Great Depression.

So what, the organizations we are working with are a little bit smaller and we have a little bit less money. That isn't a reason to belittle the work and the impact they have on the community. We are living in Binghamton in a time when Binghamton needs it's community to work together and help heal itself since industry left, leaving behind a semi-ghost town. We can't spend our time and energy on organizations that don't spend their time and energy on Binghamton.

P.S. I did some research to see what these organizations did around 2008. I think their actions are very telling of their resiliency and creativeness.

1) The Boys and Girls Club moved to their current location at 90 Clinton Street in 2009. (WOW!)

2) July 1, 2008: The Broome County Urban League was awarded a $1 million grant from ATTAIN, an organization that helps people further their technology skills. (Definitely important. This shows that they were economically healthy enough, showed the need, and that they proactively applied for a grant when funds were dwindling across the nation.)

My favorite line from this chapter is about how organizations need to play offensively and defensively. Share Our Strength CEO Bill Shore said, “You have to be willing to take risks... But when you're financially unstable, literally every $200,000 decision can preoccupy the board for hours. If financially stability is a football, when you have it, you call your own plays. When you don't have it, you're in a defensive crouch.”

Both the Boys and Girls Club and the Broome County Urban League played defensively. Let's keep that in mind when we're making our final decisions.