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We know the stories; time for numbers
By Cam Tait
December 11, 2006
Ouch, this one hurts. Remember those reminders from charities that told us so many cents of a dollar goes toward the cause? I, for one, thought that could be filed under the department of useless information. Those were numbers, I thought, and we don't need numbers. We need stories, darn it - human stories of people who are trying to turn their lives around with help from a charity. Save the numbers for the financial statement at the annual general meeting.
We need those numbers back. Big time.
If the item in last week's Newsbytes didn't make you do a double take, it should have. Just a refresher: Harris Interactive released figures saying only 10% of Americans feel charities are honest and ethical. And Canadians are probably in the same boat. That's one in ten people. One in 10! And then there's further alarm when the information goes on to say one in three folks think charities have gone in the wrong direction.
Why is this happening? Why are we living in such a society of mistrust and even suspicion of wrongdoing? I don't pretend or even to profess to have all the answers, but I do - surprise surprise - have some thoughts.
Perhaps charities have discovered the numbers game doesn't work. Not sexy enough. And for people like yours truly who try to tell people stories, spreadsheets don't do the job. We have told charities that if they really want to sell themselves they have to put human faces out there. Charities responded very well to that. Some, maybe, went too far. I often cringe at a billboard of a little girl with sad look on her face. The caption underneath reads: The operation I need costs $200,000. The billboard is paid for by a children's hospital. But let's give them benefit of the doubt - the operation probably does cost $200,000. Still, I think there's a fine line between hard facts and guilt. I'll let you decide for yourself.
Charities need to start talking about numbers again. That's going to be a hard thing to do, though. We have, perhaps, become jaded in our thinking when it comes to finances. One might truly be shocked to find out just how much money some charity staff members make. But that's a two-sided sword; it would be nice to think staff members are in their jobs because they feel a close connection to the cause...and the paycheque is really secondary. On the other hand, if you want to hire the best people, money talks. And charities - especially the larger ones - have to offer good market value.
We have also heard, too often, about the corruption in corporations. Enron. Need I say anymore? Maybe we think that if shady business can go on in the jazziest boardrooms in the country, it can happen in the charitable sector too.
This is a shame. Especially considering that the potential backlash could be felt, obviously, through contributions. If you don't feel good about an organization, you're not going to support it. The real shame, of course, is that people who need help might not get it.
One might suggest that in order for charities to gain a better public image it's time to share financial information, and not just through an annual report, but in a way that is truly meaningful to donors. We know the need is there. We just need some reassurance that the need is being met.
Otherwise, the hurting is just going to get worse.
Cam Tait is a sports reporter for the Edmonton Journal. He covered charitable issues for almost 20 years. Thoughts, comments, ideas or a simple hello are welcomed at cam@charityvillage.com.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
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