# Exchanging Hope for Money and Doing Nothing By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-07-17 Many people and organizations claim they want to improve the world somehow. Even if we remove those with questionable motives, the number of nonprofits and people supporting them indicates a significant desire to improve things. However, there is a dark side to this, as saying an organization exists to improve things and that one is committed to some cause is a perfect shield when absolutely nothing of worth is achieved. It's the equivalent of a participation trophy. One is given a near-endless number of passes if one is seen as doing it for the right reasons. So, organizations and individuals can pound the table for change, stand on a soap box, and tell stories of strife and suffering without actually doing anything to make a difference. It's an entire shadow industry bolstered by tax benefits, wealth guilt, and self-serving "corporate responsibility" public relations agendas. These organizations and people sell feelings of hope, solidarity, and opportunity in exchange for donations and grants, where some percentage does go towards the cause, but a significant portion goes to continuing the operation to sell the good feelings. The key for these organizations is always to provide at least some stories of how one person's life was changed because of the organization. This keeps the good vibes and money flowing. If one looks around to see if any systemic metric of change has occurred, one will almost always be disappointed. Poverty, hunger, and meaningless existence continue. For these organizations to be effective, they have actually to do something. Doing something takes work and effort. It requires real organizing, operating, thinking, and suffering. There is a role for talking and selling, but there is real hard work to be done that is not glorious. Looking deep within these organizations, one will find many suboptimal processes and standards that are unacceptable in other industries. But, because they are "doing good," they get a pass on doing anything. Some organizations are attempting to change the narrative and work to make a difference. Time will tell if this will result in actual work or whether it's just another public relations scheme. It all comes down to whether these organizations and people can do the required work, as seen in every other industry. #### Related Items [[Organization]] [[Nonprofits]] [[Work]] [[Purpose]] [[Individuals]] [[Value]] [[Change]] [[Society]]