In business you’re told to find a niche and fill it: define clearly what you’re all about, and focus on that one thing. I believe it should be similar when it comes to charity.
I met today with a guy who has given several million dollars to a number of charitable causes over the past 25 years or so. He told me his story. Maybe one day I’ll share it here.
But in the midst of all the other fascinating things he told me, one thing stuck out above all else: he knows his charitable niche. “I give to ________,” he said. “I don’t give to _______ or _______. My focus is ______.”
Do you know your niche? Can you express it?
Due to our past affiliation with the U.S. Center for World Mission, Sarita and I have adopted the niche of “unreached peoples.” But we have gone beyond that. Our “eternity portfolio” focuses on the five key unreached mega-groups: Tribals, Hindus, Unreligious (Chinese), Muslims, and Buddhists. (Think THUMB as an mnemonic acronym.)
Moreover, due to our unique financial position, our business background, and certain other factors, we have also committed to invest “wholesale” (to borrow a phrase from Bill Gates; see the paragraph immediately above the last set of bulleted “take-aways”) in no more than five specific charities–one charity to serve as a proxy for each of the five mega-groups (even though they may also work among other peoples or cultures).
Having established such a focused strategy, we find it easier (though it is not easy!) to say “no” to appeals from other charities and/or for other causes than those to which we sense we are called . . . and to which we have committed ourselves.
Interesting: the gentleman with whom I spoke today said he will give to no projects; only to organizations. “If I believe in the organization, what they are doing, I figure they know better than I do where my donation can best be used. Moreover, I know the drill: ‘We need $5,000 for ______.’ –And then they load it up with alll kinds of overhead: $1,000 specifically for the project; $4,000 for overhead. . . .
“I don’t want to play the game.”
I’d like to note that not all charities “play the game.” But I know he’s speaking the truth. As I noted last week, if donors are unwilling to participate in anything but special projects, then charities will be forced to load projects with organizational overhead . . . or the projects will have to go undone.
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