I'll say that again. Nonprofits relentless in their fight for a better world
This is a headline I'd like to see in the media. Instead, you might think that nonprofits were the overlords of the underworld if you believed all the inflammatory headlines in the press these days.
Full disclosure: I volunteer for the San Francisco LGBT Community Center and have been a supporter for many years. So, as you can imagine, I am distressed to read the sometimes unfair press coverage about the Center's recent financial challenges, especially as we approach the 8th anniversary celebration of the Center.
What also concerns me about this coverage is that it casts a shadow on the nonprofit sector, which accomplishes much of what the public sector cannot and does it for half the price or less. In the case of the Center, it is home to many crucial services, offices and meeting spaces for groups serving the city’s sizable LGBT population.
501(c)(3)s PROVIDE EFFECTIVE SERVICES
The public sector contracts out to many effective nonprofits to provide social services, housing support and economic development. Nonprofits are able to provide these services because they are community based; they have relationships, whether it is in ethnic communities or in this case, the LGBT community, and nonprofits are nimble. They are not weighed down by bureaucracy (like a government agency would be), and can act quickly, with staff on the ground, carrying out important work.
Another recent political gossip column disparagingly mentioned “six-figure” salaries of some nonprofit CEOs. A CEO of an organization overseeing a multi-million dollar budget with dozens or sometimes hundreds of employees should be paid six-figures. These salaries still are low in comparison with the private sector, but - particularly in a region as expensive as the Bay Area - the nonprofit sector must compete in order to attract and retain talented leaders.
WHY CAN'T THEY BE MORE BUSINESS-LIKE?
Nonprofits are big business, so to speak. In the Bay Area alone there are more than 7,000 nonprofits, making them a key participant in our economy. Of course, the recession has greatly impacted nonprofits. With the battered economy and the drubbing nonprofits receive in mainstream press, I worry that the sector could be viewed as irrelevant.
The rise of social enterprises – businesses that are accountable to both a bottom line as well as social measures – poses a potential threat to the nonprofit model. While I believe social entrepreneurship is powerful and important, I wouldn't want the message trickling down to the general public to be that business is THE solution.
The ultimate bottom line for nonprofits is their mission. In the case of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, that means serving 1,000 hot meals each year to homeless LGBT youth; it means placing 100 transgender people in jobs; and it means providing HIV/AIDS prevention education. The LGBT center, a vital nonprofit, serves thousands of people every week, and its absence would be felt in this queer mecca.
And with that, I urge you to support the LGBT Center, as it celebrates its 8th anniversary with Soiree 8, a gala benefit for the Center. Celebrity DJs, silent and live auctions, top-flight entertainment and gourmet food add up not only to a fabulous evening, but also will go toward raising much-needed funds for this singular community resource. Soiree 8 takes place on Saturday, April 10, 7-10 p.m. at Terra Gallery at 511 Harrison Street in San Francisco. Purchase your ticket today. Call (415) 865-5555 for more information.
I'll be the one wearing the Xena: Warrior Princess outfit ... because I'm relentless in my fight for a better world!
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