I appreciate the great [
CEO Roundtable] article [April 27] that addressed the very complex issue of nonprofits. There are so many layers to the discussion. I want to address just a few.
Events are very taxing for nonprofits, especially those with small staffs. However, if the events are aligned with the organization’s mission, they educate new potential donors about the organization, which opens the door to future requests for donations. Most businesses demonstrate their support for nonprofits by sponsoring events through their marketing budgets with dollars that would not become available otherwise. A valid concern: How many events can this community support?
Donor fatigue, another issue, is a very real concern for all nonprofits. We are blessed to have a number of extremely generous, wealthy donors in this community who support as many nonprofits as possible. We also see support from the business community. However, the burden should not fall exclusively to these families and a few local businesses. Nonprofits in other cities see great corporate support, not just through sponsorships. As we see small local businesses being purchased by larger corporations with headquarters outside of Springfield, the local nonprofits lose support. We find ourselves, at best, competing with limited corporate funds spread out through many states, with requests requiring much paperwork and going through a larger bureaucracy to secure smaller donations. Sadly, some businesses with local headquarters don’t begin to match the percentage of dollars given by smaller businesses. Everyone has a stake in ensuring the continuation of vital services provided by nonprofits in the community.
Another important topic for further discussion is stopping the duplication of services. A careful look at the services provided by many nonprofits reveals overlapping efforts. People continue to start new charities that are basically providing the same services with a slightly different twist, i.e. food banks, clothing, shoes, etc. Bart Brown at Ozarks Food Harvest has demonstrated very well how much more effective a larger organization can be in leveraging dollars to provide the services from one agency and then taking them to multiple sites for distribution.
The answer is not simple, but it begins with promoting an attitude of philanthropy from those who are able to give only a small amount to those who can give larger amounts. We need the generosity of the entire community to ensure the critical needs are met.
—Karen Scott, executive director, Lost & Found Grief Center
