I admit freely that I am like 99.9% of Americans: grossly undereducated about the problems outside of our own borders (and inside too, for that matter), so when I see something as emotional and thought provoking as the Kony Video, I want to know what's up. For real, what's up, not what the videographer wants me to think is up. Because when something seems too good (or bad) to be true, it should be questioned. Fortunately for me, there is the internet, just waiting for my queries.
Before you stop reading and start hating, let me acknowledge that Kony is a very bad man. In fact there are a lot of very bad people involved in the situation(s) in Africa. It is a bad situation, and a good cause in general; however, Invisible Children is a business. Non-profit to be sure, but a business. People get the idea that non-profit agencies do good at no benefit to themselves, but that is an illusion based on the questionable title "non-profit". All non-profit means is that the organization itself doesn't make a profit (or pay taxes); which makes it very easy for them to offer lavish salaries and perks to their executives, work out of spacious, well-appointed facilities, and spend tons of money on advertising so they can raise their salaries and improve their facilities, while often giving back little to the cause they proclaim to support.
Before opening my wallet to any charity, I want to know how my money is being used. There are legitimate organizations out there that audit charities and report this information. "Invisible Children" chooses not to associate itself with one of the largest: the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.
From their website: Despite written BBB Wise Giving Alliance requests in the past year, this organization either has not responded to Alliance requests for information or has declined to be evaluated in relation to the Alliance’s Standards for Charity Accountability. While participation in the Alliance’s charity review efforts is voluntary, the Alliance believes that failure to participate may demonstrate a lack of commitment to transparency. Without the requested information, the Alliance cannot determine if this charity adheres to the Standards for Charity Accountability. A charity's willing disclosure of information beyond that typically included in its financial statements and government filings is, in the Alliance's view, an expression of openness that strengthens public trust in the charitable sector.
However, as a non-profit organization, Invisible Children must make their finance public, so you can see for yourself (albeit without the accounting tools that BBB uses). Here is a link to their 2011 budget.
Last year, the organization spent $8,676,614. Only 32% went to direct services, while $1,074,273 was allocated to travel and $1,724,993 was allocated to staff compensation. Note that direct services doesn't in any way imply effective services.
What is effective services? Just as it sounds: doing something that actually causes a change or improves the situation. This self-aggrandizing video does nothing of the sort. It simply implies that they want to get government intervention, when in fact their goal is to get you (actually people much richer than you) to open your wallet. There is an excellent analysis of the actual situation in Uganda at this link: LA Times/World Now.
From that article: TMS Ruge, co-founder of online platform Project Diaspora: "This IC campaign is a perfect example of how fund-sucking NGO’s survive. “Raising awareness” (as vapid an exercise as it is) on the level that IC does, costs money. Loads and loads of money. Someone has to pay for the executive staff, fancy offices, and well, that 30-minute grand-savior, self-crowning exercise in ego stroking — in HD — wasn’t free. In all this kerfuffle, I am afraid everyone is missing the true aim of IC’s brilliant marketing strategy.
Fred Opolot, Ugandan government spokesman, quoted in the Telegraph: “It is totally misleading to suggest that the war is still in Uganda. I suspect that if that’s the impression they are making, they are doing it only to garner increasing financial resources for their own agenda.”
Read it for yourself people. Research is nothing but a Google search away. This whole situation reminds me of Greg Mortenson and his book Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson took a tiny bit of fact and built an entirely fictional story around it. He fooled Oprah, Obama and the US government into believing his claims. He used his Non-profit organization as a "personal ATM machine" while accomplishing very little in his mission of building schools and educating Pakistani women. I got the book, by chapter 3, I told my husband this story is to fantastical to be true and sure enough, my cynicism was yet again rewarded. You can read the 60 Minutes story for yourself. It is quite disturbing.
Invisible Children watched and learned. Like Mortenson's Non-Profit "Central Asia Institute" there is enough good going on to fool people into thinking by supporting it, they can make a difference. But do you want only 30 cents of every dollar you donate going to "try to" help children (albeit in an oversimplified and misguided way) while 70% supports the infrastructure of the organization itself? I suspect we'll hearing a lot more about this organization in the near future and not all of it will be flattering.
I'll give my money elsewhere and my prayers to the children of Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment