Observing Nonprofits

The Evergreen State Society

October 12, 2001

by Putnam Barber, President, The Evergreen State Society

(This is the first of a new series of brief observations about the work of nonprofits. They will be sent occasionally to members, supporters and friends of The Evergreen State Society.)

The horrific terrorist acts of September 11 have called forth an unprecedented show of generosity. Individual donors, foundations and corporate giving programs have made related gifts that now total over one billion dollars.

Nonprofit organizations whose missions do not include direct responses to those terrible events have been trying to work their way through a tangle of ethical and practical questions. Should they continue to seek charitable support? Will the needed support be forthcoming?

The voices of respected fundraising professionals are beginning to be clearly heard.

Of course organizations that were not touched by the attack must continue to serve their communities.

Of course donors should be reminded that those needs, those services, those challenges and those expressions of community values continue. Some with increasing urgency. None reduced or made unnecessary by the catastrophies of 9/11.

Realistically, observers say, nonprofits need to expect a short-term reduction in the funds corporations will have available for other donations. That may also be true for some foundations and a few families. But there's a good deal of agreement that the impact on gifts from individuals will be small. Partly because many of the gifts to special 9/11-related funds came from people who are not consistent donors to other organized charities. And partly because the people who are consistent donors will easily recognize the need to sustain the causes they regularly support through these tough times.

Analysing the data on charity in 2001 will be difficult though. It will hard to sort out the effects of great economic turmoil -- and sharp downturns in many financial indexes -- from the effects of this sudden outpouring of generosity. I'm convinced that careful analysis will show that donors in general extended themselves to help the victims in New York, at the Pentagon, and on the planes.

I'll be interested to hear readers' views. Send them to me at pbarber@tess.org. Thanks.

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Next Tuesday, October 16, The Evergreen State Society hosts Jan Levy, Executive Director of Seattle's Leadership Tomorrow, for a "Civil Society in Everyday Life" discussion from 8 to 9:30 am in the 1891 Room of Bellarmine Hall on the Seattle University campus. All are welcome. There is no charge. For more information, see the details on the website at http://www.tess.org/

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The Evergreen State Society is the publisher of the Internet Nonprofit Center: http://www.nonprofits.org/ which includes a large collection of "frequently asked questions" touching on the work of nonprofit organizations.

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Putnam Barber, President

The Evergreen State Society :: http://www.tess.org/

PO Box 20682

Seattle, WA 98102-0682

206 329-5640 :: pbarber@tess.org