Working in Charitable Organizations
The society often faces numerous challenges socially and economically that affect people’s welfare. Charitable organizations are constituted of people who give their lives and resources to improve the welfare of others in the society. In most cases, charitable organizations obtain resources from members’ contributions in addressing challenges that face a society (Jacobson& Ragan 113). These organizations often obtain assistance from well-wishers who donate their resources for organizations to help the people facing such challenges in the society.The paper synthesizes the findings obtained after analyzing the activities of Boys and Girls club to explain aspects what motivate charity organizations, their cooperation, and general operations.
A number of things motivate people who work in the charitable organizations. Some people work for charitable organizations in order to get personal recognition. Working in a Charity organization increases social linkages. The people recognize and appreciate individuals who help them is addressing challenges that affect their welfare. Psychological and emotional needs of people are satisfied only when they get recognition from the society. In most cases, people work for charitable organizations to satisfy their emotional needs. Moreover, some people take part in charitable organizations as a way of giving back to the society (Jacobson & Ragan 113). Some of the people who work for the charitable organizations are personalities who have worked and retired. The perspective that everyone has a duty to play in the society also motivates individuals into engaging in charity work in the society.
In most cases, people work for charity organizations due to personal connection to the society and their moral values. Some people identify with the problems faced by the less privileged in the society hence they undertake the charitable activities to help such people.Furthermore, other people work for the charitable organizations for general society benefit and happiness. People often find happiness in making the people around them better economically and socially (VanSlyck 352). With such people, working with the charitable organizations helps them make the society happier and more comfortable than living in the horrible conditions.Moreover, some people work for the charitable organizations due to the motivation to help their family and friends. Individuals often decide to work for the charitable organizations simply because their friends or relatives are in some problem and they want to help them.These people offer their time and resources in the charitable organizations knowing that their families and friends will benefit directly or indirectly.
Charity organizations present many things in common. Initially, they all undertake activities aimed at making the society better; however, they are not profit oriented. In essence, charity organizations work to improve the welfare of the society and not to make profit (Sims 16). In this context, most of the areas where the charitable organizations work have some economic and social challenges like floods and accidents. However, the organizations solicit for funds from external sources like donations so that they can easily run their activities. Most of the charitable activities are owned and managed by the public. The starting of most of the charitable organizations is based on the urge of people to rescue the society from some challenges.
In the same light, the charity organizations are also accountable to the society. The fact that the charitable organizations are owned by the public makes the public the main owner hence no shareholders audit the accounts of the institutions. However, charity organizations must present their records and results to the public for crosschecking and audit. The scrutiny and views of the public are also respected as the public is considered the watchdog of the charitable organizations. In some countries, the records of operation and returns from the charitable organizations must be filed with the government so that the government provides the account of what they are doing.
Charitable organizations have many similarities in terms of revenue generation. Most of the charitable organizations generate their revenue through donations. People who feel blessed and are motivated to give donate in different forms to the organizations to facilitate their activities. However, charity organizations share one characteristic with the private companies. This is the fact that they are both controlled and monitored by a board of directors. This is the main area where decision-making and implementation happen.
Individuals working in Charity organizations cooperate because of a number of reasons. Initially, the need to raise extra funds makes the charitable organizations interact with the society. Most of the Charity organizations do not have enough funds to deal with the eventualities in the society hence they unite to raise more funds and pull efforts together in case of unexpected events (Sims 21). Charity organizations also cooperate because they have a common mission. Individuals working in Charity organizations have a sole aim of improving the wellbeing of the society. The organizations are motivated by the fact that society needs some economic or social help hence they cooperate to solve the challenge jointly.
According to VanSlyck (351), Charity organizations also cooperate because the demands and needs of the society override the facilities possessed by the organizations. Some of the matters that require the help of the charitable organizations are expensive thus requiring communal or joint effort. This calls for organizations to team up and solve the issues as a block or risk failing in the endeavors after all.
However, the charitable organizations oftenfail to cooperate due to a number of reasons. Firstly, some charitable organizations compete for fame and coverage. Some people get into the charitable organizations in order to fulfill personal interests such as ego. Individuals motivated by such factors result to a competition, whichreduces cooperation in the organization due to rival needs (VanSlyck 352). Geographical barriers also make it hard for some of the charitable organizations to work together. Two organizations may be willing to cooperate but the geographical distance between them hampers such cooperation.
Charity organizations are the associations that aim solely at helping the society and developing the economic and social lives of the people. People work for the Charity organizations mainly because of their desire to help the people in addressing economic and social problems. The organizations resemble each other in many ways including the structure of the organizations, the aim of the organizations, the missions of the organizations, and cooperation among the organizations.Individuals associated with these organizations, and the organizations themselves cooperate because virtually similar mission motivates them. This includes the quest of providing their resources and services to improve the welfare of others in the society. However, some of the charitable organizations do not cooperate due to competition and geographical barriers.
Questionnaire
- What is your perception about working in a charitable organization?
- What drives you to work in this organization?
- How would you describe the competition among charitable organizations in the country?
- How does your organization motivate the people to work for it longer and more dedicated?
- How do you benefit from working in this organization as an individual? Do all the people working here benefit in the same way?
- How would you describe the level of cooperation between this organization and other charitable organizations?
- In what aspects does this organization compete with other charitable organizations in the world?
- Where do charitable organizations obtain funding from? Are these sources of funds guaranteed or not?
- Is voluntary work part of the activities of the charitable organizations? How do the volunteers benefit from the voluntary activities?
- In your view, why do some of the charitable organizations cooperate? Why do some of these organizations fail to cooperate?
Stories and testimonies from two employees in a charitable organization
Employee 1
Working in a charitable organization is one of the jobs that have given me a lot of personal satisfaction. Firstly, I joined this organization after retirement because I felt I had achieved enough and I needed to give back to the society. Since then, I have seen the organization grow from 150 employees and volunteers to 400 employees and volunteers. Most of the charitable organizations cooperate and compete less because they all have to get some financial backing and at some point, they need each other to develop. Lately, volunteers have come up in larger numbers ad this explains why there are more people working in these organizations as opposed to when I joined. The experience here is fulfilling and that is the only reason why I still work here. I am not always concerned about the funding but mainly, people like myself volunteer and donate funds to the organizations.
Employee 2 (volunteer)
Voluntary work is one of the best things I have done with my life. When my brother almost died in floods three years ago, I went on to take part in rescuing him and his family. The experience motivated me t become a volunteer as it would also develop my reputation. I have worked as a pure volunteer although I intent to move to another job in a year. I cannot tell where the organization gets all its funds. All I know is that donations from well-wishers and transfer funds from volunteers help us in our activities. I personally do not see any competition with other organizations although some of my colleagues say it exists. Am motivated to help the people and that is why I work as a volunteer.
Works Cited
Jacobson, Sarah, and Ragan Petrie. "Favor Trading in Grassroots Fundraising: The Girl Scout Cookie Phenomenon." Mason Academic Research System. 22 Aug. 2011.Web.http://mason.gmu.edu/~rpetrie1/Girl_Scout_Cookie_jacobson_petrie_oct2010.pdf
Sims, Sandra. "Why Do People Donate to Charitable Causes?" Fundraiser Ideas for Non Profit Organizations Step by Step Fundraising Ideas.Step-by-Step Fundraising, 15 Aug. 2007. Pp. 12-55 .Web.http://stepbystepfundraising.com/why-do-people-donate-to-charitable-causes
VanSlyck, A.Abigail. "'The Utmost Amount of Effective Accommodation': Andrew Carnegie and the Reform of the American Library," Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (1991) 50(4)pp 359-383
