Perspective. Dan has a brilliant understanding of just what ails social business. Because we focus exclusively on money and how it’s used, we continually limit just how much change we’re capable of bringing about. He quoted that charitable giving is stuck at 2% since we first started to measure it in the US. Considering that we’re considered a wealthy country (though we now know this to be unequal), that is a frighteningly small number when compared to the population size – especially the population that understands the importance of non-profit organizations. Listening to Dan lay out his argument of just how skewed our view of charity really is, we need to change our perspective towards a healthier view that allows for proper growth that can help solve the multitude of problems that exist in our world. Because when you look around at our world, it’s evident that change is desperately needed.
What percentage of my donation goes to the cause rather than the overhead?
Dan considers this to be the single most dangerous question that we ask when we give money to charity. We do indeed see overhead as something that should continually decrease so that our share of the pie will increase (or so more money goes to the actual cause, as we all like to exclaim out loud). But if we’re only concerned about our own share, then are we really seeing that there are so many others who also deserve a share of this pie? How fair is it that for-profit organizations can spend money for the glittery PR campaigns that make them look successful, while the same style of campaign in the non-profit world would only bring derision from those who thrive on demolishing any chance of real change?
Today, there are so many people out there who are willing to dream of a change that really solves problems. And many of them are going toward callings that won’t be paid enormous amounts of money. But the sad thing is that there will always be someone out there who questions the sanity of those who don’t pursue the most reward for their efforts. As long as we only concentrate on ME, there’s little chance that WE will all live in equal prosperity.
So how do we get business as usual to change, so that it stops destroying true opportunities that rarely make it past their infancy? Whoever discovers that answer will truly be a hero to the world. Much like Dan Pallota and those like him already are. Thank goodness for such people who inspire. Because this group needs to expand much faster to tackle the innovations that are waiting to be discovered so that change not only takes firm root, but also flourishes. Social business is not like any business, and deserves its own chances of success. Because their profit isn’t linked to stock values, but to the value of life itself.
