It’s Not About Blame — It’s About Effectiveness

Responding to my recent post about churches retooling their service missions in hopes of increasing their impact on those who truly need it, a reader asked in a comment:

If “one church was painted six times” isn’t that the fault of that church’s leadership, not of the non-profits seeking to help?

The answer is simple: It doesn’t matter.

Whether they or their beneficiaries are to blame, nonprofits should be applauded for seeking greater effectiveness in their efforts. Pointing fingers and saying that it’s not their job to determine whether the people they’re helping have already been helped may make them feel better for a minute or two, but once they realize they’ve just flushed thousands of dollars in airfare, supplies, and free labor down the toilet, they’re going to wish they’d done their homework first. In this case, impact trumps principle. | 501(c)