I’ve been following the “scandal” about Three Cups of Tea author and Central Asia Institute founder Greg Mortenson – the 60 Minutes report, various articles and blogs. I’ve been mulling it over, wanting to write a post here, and then my friend Jayne Cravens wrote pretty much exactly what I wanted to say myself.
The only thing I would add is something I wrote last year. In a post on giving the wrong way, I also wrote about giving the right way.It’s hard for everyday folks to know what organizations are reputable or not, where to give money and for what. Do a Google search for Peace Corps, United Nations or Doctors Without Borders Volunteers in a country or region you are interested in. They are living in the middle of the toughest, neediest places and situations on the planet and they have blogs and email. Ask them what are the local needs and who is best addressing them. Ask how long an organization has been working in that country, and how many local partners they have. The group that just showed up yesterday in Haiti cannot help nearly as much or as effectively as the organization that has been working there for a decade. Don’t be turned off by “overhead”, administrative expenses or staff costs. You absolutely should give to organizations that have staff, especially local staff. They know what the hell is going on, where the need is and how to get the aid to the neediest. The biggest conundrum for NGOs is that donors want to give money for projects, but they don’t want their money to pay for people, places or things. You need people to implement projects. They need a place to work, and they need to pay rent for that office. They need computers and internet and telephones and paper and printers and ink and other supplies and equipment. The administrative aspects of any project are critical and have to be done right, and donors need to understand that some of their donation must be spent on the NGO’s infrastructure. They aren’t stealing your donation, they aren’t lining their pockets and getting rich. Most NGOs and aid workers are surviving on a shoestring budget and they want your donation to be as helpful as possible to the people in need. Sometimes your donation is best spent making phone calls to raise more funds. Sometimes your money is best spent paying a qualified accountant to keep clear and organized records so the NGO doesn’t do something wrong and get shut down (and who is helped by your donation then?). Sometimes your money is best spent so a person sitting in an office, at a computer, with internet connection, can write press releases so the world might hear about a genocide happening in Rwanda, or an ecological disaster in the Amazon rain forest, or an utter lack of security in the post-earthquake camps in Haiti leading to unprecendented rates of women being raped. Your small donation (which, let’s face it, is what most of us can give) is most effective when LOTS of people are giving small donations and the funds are used together, and raising awareness is an important aspect of raising funds. Donors need to help pay for people, places and things that are all part of the projects being implemented.
Clearly I was right on the money (no pun intended) that paying for a qualified accountant is essential for NGOs/non-profits, which seems to be Mortenson’s major flaw. And I was also on target about the money that needs to be spent to raise awareness, which is the main thing Mortensen is being criticized for, it seems.
Anka in Kyiv 