The 'Powerful' Non-profit

It is interesting to witness power in places where you'd never expect to find it.

Sioux Falls has so many great non-profits- places with people doing so much good work in the effort care for the folks Jesus referred to as the least of these.  There's places that serve meals, places that provide shelter, places that provide clothing, places that provide counseling, places that provide job training, and the list goes on.  Our community, from my perspective, does a great job in resourcing these non-profits, whether it's financial contributions (that come through United Way efforts, church support, or individual donations) or volunteer commitments (serving meals, mentoring children, sorting through thrift stores, delivering furniture).

And as great as these places are- and as great as the people who make up these places are- none of us can ever escape the reality of our human condition and from time to time that condition includes the susceptibility each of us has to being seduced by power.  To being seduced by the idea that because we are successful (or were successful) or that we are making a difference (or were making a difference).  To being seduced to the belief that because we serving some of humanity's most vulnerable citizens, those who partner with them ought to be grateful for the experience of partnering with them, even if the non-profit comes across as smug or arrogant.

Those of us who work in organizations where either the revenue (i.e. donations) or the workforce (i.e. volunteers) are largely voluntary need to remember that people's donations and time are fixed resources and in today's day and age, there's way more opportunities with which to spend those fixed resources then there used to be.

Playing the power card isn't a useful long term strategy.