This is Your Time
Help NGOs Now! (Part 4)
Editor’s Note: My son remarked to me that we seem to be publishing the Instigator more frequently than usual these days. I assured him this was a temporary but intentional move. We knew with the new administration and congress taking office, it would likely be a tougher but more important time than ever for NGOs. We wanted to do something to help ensure NGOs’ continued success. Today culminates our special series. We hope it will encourage you to take action. As you will see below, the time is now. It’s never been more urgent.
It’s only been a week and already it feels like a tsunami is upon us. The new administration has taken action or announced plans to weaken or eliminate many initiatives that we view as absolutely critical, ranging from ones designed to protect the environment to those that support the most vulnerable among us. And the administration is not stopping with their own mandates. They are also pressuring private corporations and institutions of higher education to fall in line.
It’s natural to feel swept up and discouraged in the face of such a strong current.
But there is something you can do: Engage with NGOs right now.
We need strong, bold, ambitious, and effective NGOs now more than ever. They can be our bulwarks in this storm.
So we challenge all of you to roll up your sleeves and get engaged. Today.
Before you might object (even in your head):
Yes, there are many NGOs doing great things. Pick one!
Yes, individuals CAN make a difference… much more than you may think.
Yes, it’s a demand on your already limited time, but it can be rewarding, joyful even. And you’ll probably find active engagement helps repel any discouragement or anxiety you’re feeling.
If you don’t know where to start, here’s an easy framework:
Investigate NGOs in your areas of interest. Talk to your friends, tap your network, read the websites.
Think about how you can and want to engage. Donate (small contributions are always welcome; big ones are even better), volunteer, join boards.
Do your best to help them succeed. See here, here, and here.
I once received this same advice, and I’ll always be grateful for it. It changed my life.
Early in my Wall Street career, a boss encouraged me to engage with NGOs. After some exploration and talking to different folks, I ended up joining the board of two small non-profits. I loved it! I got to work with great people, learned a lot, and felt new purpose. I ended up sticking with it, becoming chair of both orgs and learning new skills that would serve me throughout my career. And I also had the good feeling that comes with doing good work. Later I was very fortunate to serve as the CEO of a big global NGO for over a decade. Today I serve on boards, chair two, co-founded one, and advise more. Not only have I accrued great benefits from this work but they have trickled down to my family too. It's in the spirit of passing it forward that I share this advice with you too.
There’s no time to waste. Let’s each do our part.
And if we can help in any way, please let us know.
Onward,
Hi Mark, I think we have a plan for the next four years: shrinking our area of focus to local, local, and local. I'm still on our Waste Management Board on Fishers and working with Brad to get solar power out on the island. We support local land conservation orgs and BOP and Shellfish Growers, and our son Nick's org. VOCAL-NY, which addresses systemic injustices. For 2025, we are working toward getting rid of the remaining invasives and replacing whatever lawn we have left with food crops (ha ha we'll need a lot of help from our farmer daughter Molly) on our properties. My question on the NGOs is this. Don't NGOs do the work our government is supposed to be doing? So when philanthropies fill in the gaps of government, aren't we letting the government off the hook? And then, aren't philanthropies deciding what's important instead of the government - of the people - agreeing on what's important?
Hi Sarah - thanks for posting us on all you are doing. It’s great stuff. As for your big question, yes i think i agree with you — the most important thing by far is to build a majority political coalition that will elect people who who will prioritize the matters we care most about. However, we face some pretty strong headwinds on that front right now. I think engaging with NGOs now in the right way can improve the likelihood of getting the political outcomes we seek. Finally, it’s always been true but it seems to be especially true right now (unfortunately), that there will be some important matters that governments won’t take on and these are urgent priority in my view. I think NGOs can help in a big way by focusing on those opportunities now. Anyway, I sure don’t have all of the answers but I do believe engaging wherever one can find worthwhile activities - like you are doing - is a smart move.