Funding Human Rights organisations: whose world is this money spinning?
Over the past few decades the world of charitable giving and philanthropy has changed beyond recognition. Long gone are the days when generous benefactors, heirs to the family fortune, simply signed a large check to a faceless, but undoubtedly good cause. Previously the benefactor typically remained somewhat aloof to the cause itself, trusting that the money was used wisely, asking few questions. Over time, the culture of giving has changed, and not always for the better.
As the twentieth century progressed and western societies became increasingly equitable, wealth was more evenly distributed and people became more socially mobile – Increasing opportunity meant that the profile of your typical donor evolved to include many more ‘self-made’ funders. These new funders applied their business acumen to the philanthropic world. Understandably, and quite correctly, donors began to demand greater transparency from charitable causes. They also expected a more ‘business-like’ mentality and a clear expectation developed that charities should ‘show results’. Donors demand a bang for their buck and began to ‘follow the dollar’ to better understand where their hard-earned money was going. Donations from foundations and government are now often monitored by professionals. Individual donors may opt to do the monitoring themselves, or they too sometimes employ professionals to act on their behalf.
Clearly charitable causes and NGOs must show transparency and professionalism, but there is something to be said for the outlook of the ‘paternal benefactor’ model – something which is already being lost. These traditional philanthropists decided to give to a particular cause, usually because they agreed with the general mission of the recipient – a background of trust based on shared values existed. In contrast, today’s results orientated donors inevitably view the charitable cause as a ‘product’ and in micro terms, examining specific projects, rather than the charity as a whole. The result is that the modern day donor is in danger of unintentionally cutting off his nose to spite his face, giving to a worthwhile project run by a disreputable organization or NGO and thus helping them maintain a respectable image, often in the name of human rights, while freeing up their other resources for more questionable and often political activities.
This is not only a danger, but a worrying reality. To take one government example, the EU consistently gives large grants to ‘co-existence’ projects in Israel operated by radical NGOs who firmly believe in ideas and ideologies at total odds with EU policy and the peace process. For a foundation example, one only has to look at the Ford Foundation. The foundation’s noble goals are to ‘strengthen democratic values’ or ‘promote international cooperation’, yet they continue to fund NGOs who clearly do not advance this agenda. . This kind of funding policy is nonsensical and also a betrayal of donor values and the very essence of giving – Donors and recipients working in partnership to build a better shared future.
Donors small and large, institutions, individuals and foundations must understand that responsible giving is not only about transparency, efficiency and results, but also about values. At the core of the charitable relationship between donor and recipient must be a common vision for the future of our world, strongly and transparently based on shared values.
