6 ms·

yeah, this is been one of the most difficult parts about becoming an adult was realizing that so many nonprofits are basically just self-serving jobs programs.

yeah, this is been one of the most difficult parts about becoming an adult was realizing that so many nonprofits are basically just self-serving jobs programs. especially when the CEO can be paid "market rate."

Loughla 2y ago
I stopped donating to a very well known charity organization when I found that 85% of the annual costs were administrative, 10% we're property costs, and only 5% went to actual programs. This may be just the way the local chapter is set up, but it's fucking greasy.
- booleandilemma 2y ago
  Why do people post comments like this and not name the offenders?
  - zarathustreal 2y ago
    Do you really need an answer or are you as guilty as they are?
    - zogrodea 2y ago
      It's a reasonable request. Readers who see the charity to be named named may also donate to them, and seeing such a claim would make readers think twice and perhaps make their donations elsewhere.
      - Loughla 2y ago
        There is almost a zero percent chance of other people here being from the small town I'm from. Naming them doesn't do any good, because the national charity does really good work in a lot of places.
      - zarathustreal 2y ago
        It’s not a request, it’s a rhetorical question with the same intent as the comment it’s responding to: signaling outrage. Both are self-serving and harmful to the actual cause. Despite being on the same side of the issue, neither actually affect any change. Even worse, they both probably feel like they’ve done something to help by posting a comment on a social media site and are now less likely to take any real action
  - hilux 2y ago
    (1) Because shaming a small-scale offender misses the point. And to avoid the perception of libel. (2) Now that you know this type of fraud is a possibility, nothing stops YOU from checking Charity Navigator before donating.
  - elaus 2y ago
    To be fair, without evidence such name-calling would not be helpful. Not talking about a specific local chapter of a single charity and instead focusing on the problem in general seems to be more helpful in this context.
    - Loughla 2y ago
      Exactly. And the national charity for this example does really good work in a lot of places. Like I said, I think it's just how the local chapter is organized.
newshackr 2y ago
There are also those nonprofits that are run by rich people that are basically a mechanism to reduce taxes on activities they would already do
- rqtwteye 2y ago
  And to give prestigious jobs to family members.
- yieldcrv 2y ago
  The tax code is a reading comprehension game. The 400 section specifies tax deferral programs (ie. 401(k), there are other subsections) The 500 section specifies tax exempt programs (ie. 501(c)(3), there are other subsections) The offices within the IRS dedicated to those sections help you. As opposed to the adversarial relationship that low income tax credit people have. My point is that its not an accident or attempt to pull a fast one on the tax authority. The government is telling you what to do.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
throw__away7391 2y ago
I worked in the space for a couple of years and I will never give a penny to any of them after what I saw. The organizations are a mess of petty squabbling between people who could never get real jobs, there's a complete misalignment of incentives between the people giving, vs the people doing, vs the recipients that leads to all sorts of absurd inefficiencies with zero pressure to fix them. Fundraising ("development") is where the real horrors are. If a charity can raise $1000 at a cost of $990 that's a free $10 for them, so most do not care at all except to the extent that it hypothetically exhausts the potential pool of donor dollars.

Loughla 2y ago

I stopped donating to a very well known charity organization when I found that 85% of the annual costs were administrative, 10% we're property costs, and only 5% went to actual programs. This may be just the way the local chapter is set up, but it's fucking greasy.

booleandilemma 2y ago
Why do people post comments like this and not name the offenders?
- zarathustreal 2y ago
  Do you really need an answer or are you as guilty as they are?
  - zogrodea 2y ago
    It's a reasonable request. Readers who see the charity to be named named may also donate to them, and seeing such a claim would make readers think twice and perhaps make their donations elsewhere.
    - Loughla 2y ago
      There is almost a zero percent chance of other people here being from the small town I'm from. Naming them doesn't do any good, because the national charity does really good work in a lot of places.
    - zarathustreal 2y ago
      It’s not a request, it’s a rhetorical question with the same intent as the comment it’s responding to: signaling outrage. Both are self-serving and harmful to the actual cause. Despite being on the same side of the issue, neither actually affect any change. Even worse, they both probably feel like they’ve done something to help by posting a comment on a social media site and are now less likely to take any real action
- hilux 2y ago
  (1) Because shaming a small-scale offender misses the point. And to avoid the perception of libel. (2) Now that you know this type of fraud is a possibility, nothing stops YOU from checking Charity Navigator before donating.
- elaus 2y ago
  To be fair, without evidence such name-calling would not be helpful. Not talking about a specific local chapter of a single charity and instead focusing on the problem in general seems to be more helpful in this context.
  - Loughla 2y ago
    Exactly. And the national charity for this example does really good work in a lot of places. Like I said, I think it's just how the local chapter is organized.

newshackr 2y ago

There are also those nonprofits that are run by rich people that are basically a mechanism to reduce taxes on activities they would already do

rqtwteye 2y ago
And to give prestigious jobs to family members.
yieldcrv 2y ago
The tax code is a reading comprehension game. The 400 section specifies tax deferral programs (ie. 401(k), there are other subsections) The 500 section specifies tax exempt programs (ie. 501(c)(3), there are other subsections) The offices within the IRS dedicated to those sections help you. As opposed to the adversarial relationship that low income tax credit people have. My point is that its not an accident or attempt to pull a fast one on the tax authority. The government is telling you what to do.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

throw__away7391 2y ago

I worked in the space for a couple of years and I will never give a penny to any of them after what I saw. The organizations are a mess of petty squabbling between people who could never get real jobs, there's a complete misalignment of incentives between the people giving, vs the people doing, vs the recipients that leads to all sorts of absurd inefficiencies with zero pressure to fix them. Fundraising ("development") is where the real horrors are. If a charity can raise $1000 at a cost of $990 that's a free $10 for them, so most do not care at all except to the extent that it hypothetically exhausts the potential pool of donor dollars.