Don’t Let Standards Inhibit Risk Taking

To the Editor:

I applaud Steve Butz for his conscientious efforts to encourage social-service organizations to assess their own performance (“Making a Measurable Difference,” November 13).

However, I fear that a standardized tool, if widely recognized by funders, could inhibit our sector from taking risks with the creative ideas that should be the hallmark of the nonprofit world. Further, a standardized tool could discourage charities from working with the neediest, most at-risk individuals in our community.

This reminds me of one of our greatest university medical centers, which has one of the lowest success rates in open-heart surgery because it takes the most difficult cases. On the flip side, there is the small community hospital with high rates of success with open-heart surgery because it takes only the simplest cases.

Charity Navigator and GuideStar have made everyone more aware of the business side of charities. They should be viewed as one of many tools with which we can assess how best to invest in the social sector.

Mr. Butz’s assessment software can be a valuable additional tool that may be relevant to many organizations. I am sure it is fair and has been constructed thoughtfully.

However, if a single tool is accepted as the “industry standard,” I fear we will be stifling creativity at a time when we need it the most.

Perhaps the reason efforts to measure results have failed is precisely because our social sector doesn’t lend itself to standardization. How do we measure the impact of a strong volunteer program in raising awareness of homelessness?

It is unlikely that a rating tool will measure how closely the mission of an organization matches one’s own ideals, which is one of the more significant determinants of charitable giving.

When a donor asks me how to choose a charitable cause, I encourage her to learn, firsthand, as much as she can about the organization.

Ask about the services; visit the programs and determine whether the organization’s mission matches your values.

But most important, you must get to know the executive director and professional staff. Then decide: Are these people with whom I am willing to invest my money?

With the American people calling for change, the economy in turmoil, and government funding faltering, I for one want to invest in people who think creatively and will not shy away from reaching out to our neediest citizens.

Ruthellen S. Rubin
Development Consultant
Yardley, Pa.