Yes, yes, wonderful questions. I am Ted, a junior at the University of Nike Oregon in moist, friendly Eugene. As part of my undergraduate major in Planning, Public Policy, and Management (What?), I am taking a introductory course on the Nonprofit sector. I have been asked to prepare a blog of my reactions to the course material so that I can burden you with my musings we might all learn together. If you’re satisfied with that justification (and I doubt you are, but I’m running the show), then let’s begin.
Ted, do you know anything about nonprofits?
Well, sure, some. After my freshman year of college, I took a hiatus from higher learning to participate in AmeriCorps*NCCC (don’t even think about leaving out the “*” or the capitalized “C;” They’re touchy about that). For ten months, I hung out with a team of thirteen young movers/shakers:
Together, we worked for organizations in four states, doing odd jobs (“national service”). Yes, we were required to wear those uniforms. On the upside, we were fed. Also, we had some pretty cool and unique experiences. Our first project was in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi (or “bullseye!” as Hurricane Katrina called it). We worked with a church (or, a 501(d) org, as the IRS called it) building houses for people who had been left homeless by the storm.
Our second project was in Portland Oregon, working with SOLV (not an acronym, incredibly), doing “riparian restoration.” That means removing invasive blackberry. It is a very worthwhile thing to do. You should do it. Together, we can end the scourge! Be advised, however, that it is somewhat miserable.
Our third project was with the Recovery School District in New Orleans, LA (fun fact; the “recovery” school district was created before Katrina, because apocalyptic conditions already existed in NOLA schools). We did a variety of things, including the beautification of temporary school buildings:
and occasionally worked directly with children:
Finally, we were sent to Sheridan, Wyoming to work with the YMCA, again on a variety of tasks including (very) early prep of a summer camp site, and working at their summer day camp programs.
So, I worked directly with three nonprofit organizations in the course of my AmeriCorps year. From my peers on other teams I heard about scores more, both big (Habitat for… something, I’m blanking) and small.
I’ve also spent several summers working with a small organization which has been operating with a non-profit mentality and will soon get 501(c)3 status. The Tsuga Community Commission operates a summer youth development program from children with parents deployed in the Military, through a grant from the National Military Family Association and the Sierra Club.
In sum, I have anecdotal experience with a variety of nonprofits, mostly from a grunt-level perspective. In this class, I hope to gain a broader knowledge of the sector. Nonprofits represent an important movement in human social organization, away from the dangers of capitalist exchange. And, you know, that’s pretty cool.
A brief reaction to the class content so far
Some of the lecture so far, and chapter 2 of our textbook (O’Neill 2002) has dealt with the question of why nonprofit associations exist. There is an assumption implicit in this question, that associations only make sense if they exist for means of profit or centralized government. In fact, I think these two things, business for profit and formalized/centralized government, are the recent phenomena. Karl Polanyi, in his 1944 work The Great Transformation, pointed out that the drive for profit in a market economy is quite new as a motivator of human activity; prior to the Italian renaissance, human economic exchange existed within systems of social hierarchy. I.e, people in different caste positions would receive pre-ordained shares of the resources of the group, or, as in some hunter gatherer bands, all resources were shared among the community.
Here’s my point; working together for a common goal organized around ethical belief and a conviction about the way the world ought to be, rather than for profit, has considerable precedent in human history. The what’s-going-on-here attitude of O’Neill’s chapter 2 and Prof. Choquette’s lecture is misplaced. It is the current role of profit-driven, free market exchange in deciding human affairs that is unusual, and would seem bizarre to our ancestors, who were mostly involved in informal, non-business, non-government associations.
WHOO! Take a deep breath with me. In. Hold it…. Out. Good. This is going to be a heck of a lot of fun, don’t you think? See you next week.
Oh snap! This is an excellent critique of both O’Neill and the way Bob is structuring an “introduction” to voluntary associations. I’m right there with you, Ted. Well actually, I have a different reference point but similar conclusion – on an evolutionary scale – that it’s government and business that are newer to this human experiment. On the whole, you’ve done a great job introducing yourself and this blogging project, kept an authentic voice, moved with a critical eye and an open mind… I’d say you just set the bar. (5/5)
[...] Ted Sweeney: “Some of the lecture so far, and chapter 2 of our textbook (O’Neill 2002) has dealt with the question of why nonprofit associations exist. There is an assumption implicit in this question, that associations only make sense if they exist for means of profit or centralized government. In fact, I think these two things, business for profit and formalized/centralized government, are the recent phenomena. Karl Polanyi, in his 1944 work The Great Transformation, pointed out that the drive for profit in a market economy is quite new as a motivator of human activity; prior to the Italian renaissance, human economic exchange existed within systems of social hierarchy. I.e, people in different caste positions would receive pre-ordained shares of the resources of the group, or, as in some hunter gatherer bands, all resources were shared among the community. Here’s my point: working together for a common goal organized around ethical belief and a conviction about the way the world ought to be, rather than for profit, has considerable precedent in human history. The what’s-going-on-here attitude of O’Neill’s chapter 2 and Prof. Choquette’s lecture is misplaced. It is the current role of profit-driven, free market exchange in deciding human affairs that is unusual, and would seem bizarre to our ancestors, who were mostly involved in informal, non-business, non-government associations. [...]