Working for a non-profit organization is one of the most rewarding things a public relations practitioner can do. Whether the cause be children or puppies it is truly a way for a person in our field to make a difference in the world. While most non-profits are truly nobel, there is a dark side to these organizations.
It is not uncommon to see stories on the news about corruption in non-profits. Some CEO's have been caught taking money off the top or having overly generous wages. And while any organization is bound to have overhead costs (supplies, wages.. etc) there are some non-profits that are better than others at efficiently distributing donations.
Choosing a non-profit to either work for or to donate to should be considered carefully. Do some research and some online listening. A big factor is to look up the overall reputation. Are there any recent scandals? Is the head of the organization passionate about the cause?
Another key thing to find out is what percentage of donations actually go to the cause you are donating or working for. Non-profits such as American Cancer Society donate only around 26% of the money they make to cancer research. The Susan G. Komen Foundation was recently in hot water about cutting the money they used to donate to planned parenthood. These are the types of things you should find out before you pick a charity.
Although some have tarnished non-profits reputation, there is still a lot of good done by these organizations. So pick a cause and an organization worth fighting for and make a difference in the world!
For more information on non-profit fraud click here
No comments:
Post a Comment