Strut, don’t simper, when you ask
Posted by katya on Mon, April 14, 2008My favorite pink paper, the Financial Times, had an editorial this weekend by v3’s Robert Egger. Check it out if you missed it.
The gist (and I quote):
In you were savvy enough to have invested $1,000 in Microsoft when it went public in 1986, the value of your stock today would be close to $½m.
But what if you had invested the same amount in a high-performing non-profit group; one that could show measurable, financial impact in your community? All you would have been eligible for is a one-off tax deduction.
Think boldly for a moment. Imagine if there was a way to measure and then reward strategic investments in non-profits in the form of an annual and potentially growing tax deduction based on the same rate of return principle as the dividend. Imagine how that would revolutionise the productivity of non-profits, as well as create an incentive for individuals to seek out and support some of the most dynamic social and economic stimulators in their communities.
More importantly, since Americans donated $295bn to non-profits in 2006, while businesses spent $1.2bn on cause-related marketing to trumpet their philanthropy, a shift like this might also lead to coverage of the sector with the same level of critical analysis that is afforded traditional businesses.
Imagine how this might challenge the entire notion of “charity” in the US and usher in a bold new era of social and economic innovation.
What I like about this kind of idea is it fundamentally shifts the way we think about ourselves. Are we charities seeking handouts or are we the best damn investment anyone could make in their community? Try to put on this kind of mental strut (work it!) next time you compose an “ask” of any kind. Your results are worth bragging about, and they are worth a reward for your donors investors.
Don’t beg. Strut your ROI till the policymakers listen.
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