The non profit world

Tomorrow morning I'm starting a real job. After being off work for more than two years it's certainly a bit intimidating. I didn't get laid off, I had quit my previous job, at a well known internet company because I just couldn't stand it. But that's not why I writing this.

In those two years, one thing I did was to sign up with a non profit organization that provides technical professionals, like myself, to other non profits that need help. I learned a few things about that world in my time with them.

First of all, just because it's a non profit doesn't mean there's no money. Staffers have jobs that they want to keep, directors are rewarded in ways including prestige and social status, and there's a whole ecosystem of consultants and advisers looking to make a buck.

One of my tasks was to evaluate and recommend a new software system for an agency that had come into enough money that they needed help keeping track of it. I dove into the "donor management" software market and found a bunch of companies looking to sell their products. I could accept that, after all these companies need to make enough money to stay alive. What I didn't expect, that happened right off the bat, was the offers for me to make money by recommending a certain product. I was told, via email, by two different companies that if I could get the agency to pick their product there was an immediate %15 in it for me and future arrangements where I would the the preferred support provider.

That sounds like a kickback to me, and not only is it unethical, it's illegal. I had no idea this was out there and I had no intention of participating. That was one troubling problem but it was easy to avoid. I just refused to recommend those products and slept soundly.

The bigger problem was what these systems do. Simply put they help you collect cash for your organization. People donate because it makes them feel good so these systems help find ways to make potential donors to feel good. One way they do that is to collect as much personal information about you as they can to create linkages. Did you go to they same school as another donor? Play at the same golf club? Kids go to the same school? Vacation at the same resort? What's your dog's name?

These linkages allow the fund raisers to apply subtle pressures like, "your friend Bob gave us a generous gift", or "your old school is a big supporter" etc. Never said out loud like that but applied with code expressions like: "Oh, we know a lot of people over there" or "he's my uncle's wife's best friend".

Pardon me, but I don't want anyone collecting this type information about me and I think it's wrong to do it for people that have donated some money to an organization. Once you donate you become like a quartz vein in the gold mine that can be followed to great reward. I find the whole idea really creepy and I guess that's why I don't what to participate further. The profit world is a lot more straightforward and in the end honest. Wish me luck in my new job.