For most of my life, I hated politics and everything to do with it. In my recent years, I have fallen in love with the game, worked in the field, and learned an astronomical amount of skills and life lessons. Most people think politics is yucky. It’s a yucky game controlled by money and manipulation. And that isn’t wrong. It can be really gross and it is mostly controlled by money (not always!). But so is everything else. I have also worked in nonprofits, and while that sector deals with money all day,everyday, people don’t like to talk about it. Here’s the thing, our beloved programs don’t happen without dollars. And those dollars come from private and government grants, individuals, and corporations (and sometimes revenue). The development professionals in the field (equivalent to a political fundraiser)spend all their time developing relationships, collecting data, planning events, etc. so we can run the organizations. It’s frowned upon if you aren’t giving in some way to someone. There is a societal pressure to give. And nonprofit giving can learn a whole lot from political giving.

In politics, an individual or company will invest in a politician who aligns with their beliefs, and/or so they can have their ear later in session. Sometimes,one will invest in a person running for office to make a statement (we will always back a candidate who stands with us on x issue). If that politician were to stray from their value system, or vote enough against x issue during session, one would no longer donate to that politician.

In nonprofits, we don’t do that. Individuals or corporations donate every year to likely the same portfolio of nonprofits, and think very little of it. They will get a letter saying thank you with some stats on it and pat themselves on the back and go about their lives. But how many nonprofits exist that aren’t doing the best work? That no longer align with the company/individual values? That are duplicating services? HUNDREDS. So why do we keep giving them money? We need to treat nonprofits the same way we treat politicians. If you want my money, you better do what you say and do it well, or you don’t get it anymore.

This is harsh, yes. But we need to be just as harsh on the organizations doing community work as we are on those regulating those communities. Politics may be yucky and cut-throat, but that field is doing a few things right that the nonprofit sector needs to adopt.