Enronmental Nonprofits

The spokes, they may be rusty, but they ain’t broke yet. Bent? Maybe. On that thought, if you haven’t had a chance to build up a set o’ wheels, do it. It’s not as hard as you think and it’s quite a rewarding experience. I liken it to learning to sew. Or, perhaps constructing a wheelset is the bike nerdery equivalent of crocheting. For certain, though, the task is, in one way or another, meditative.

So, what have I been meditating on? Well, for one, I’ve yet to answer whether Higgins was really Robin Masters. I think so, but who knows?

Ehrm… nonprofits?

Yes, of course, that other thing occupying my thoughts- the nonprofit sector.

Specifically, today I found myself thinking of environmental nonprofits. Why? Well, the obvious reason is our lecture/discussion session from class last week… 2 we, ahem, 3 weeks ago. But, unless you’ve had your head buried in that copy of Atlas Shrugged oft found hidden under your mattress, you’ve probably noticed the horrendous spew of oil welling up from the Gulf floor. At the time of this writing, we’ve been subjected to 40 days of an uncontained 210,000 gallons (low estimate) of oil per day. Blargh! Blargh indeed. British Petroleum or, for the acronym savvy- BP, has come under scathing criticism for their handling of the Gulf fiasco. The debacle has brought light to a conundrum faced by environmental nonprofits that have become reliant on corporate funding. As society has become more hip to the environmental needs of our planet, nonprofits once at odds with industries and corporations alike have been awash in recent attention from companies looking to “green up” their image. Conflict of interest? Meh, I suppose. If you’re funded by BP? Good luck.

Check it out: BP oil spill poses PR dilemma for nonprofits or (So Much Drama In the LBC)

LBC?

Alright, well, if you simply cannot find the motivation to read the article, I’ll front ya the low down. Basically, BP funded a sea otter habitat for the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. In light of the recent drilling botch, the aquarium president had a decision- downplay their affiliation with BP or embrace the mullah. What do you think he did? BP just dropped a cool million for kids to hi-five Long Beach’s finest entourage of smug little sea otters. Can you blame him for taking the money?

Arguably, there is something smart in his choice. BP is in public relations hell. Normally they’d be happy for the headline to read “Petrol Giant BP Coddles Furried Friends”. Instead, the headline somewhere reads “This Just In, BP Is A Hypocritical Jerk”. More than likely, however, the aquarium’s decision was based on continual funding needs. But, one can hope they were snarky enough to at least think of the irony. Admittedly, Americans aren’t real quick to pickup on life’s subtleties. We do, however, tend to hone in on the irony of things. And, ironic as it may seem, we must ask ourselves “Is the problem in the funding that BP provides?” Nope. The issue is that they fund environmental organizations while destroying ecosystems. Now if BP really meant it when they changed their slogan to “Beyond Petroleum”, we probably wouldn’t be in this pickle.

I’d like to think I’m a fair guy. So, I’ll offer the other perspective on this one. BP isn’t necessarily the shining example of eco-friendliness that they prostitute themselves out to be. They have a laundry list of environmental infractions they’d like us to forget. And maybe it’s working. I personally didn’t know the magnitude of their prior offenses. I doubt many do. I can recall the countless ads touting BP’s research into alternative energy production. Reality check. BP’s supplies a mere 4% of their exploratory budget into seeking “green” energy. Dadgummit! I’d been GreenWarshed!

This is what we’re up against folks. Granted not all corporate affiliations rest in such hypocrisy. But, still we, as some component of the nonprofit sector, must query- “Should environmental nonprofits accept funding from such corporations?”

In my tradition of idealistic guarded optimism, yes. To explain, I’ll use Apple Computers as an example. There was a time not to long ago when their laptops and computers contained a bunch of toxic metals. Long story short- now they don’t. How are Dell, HP, or anyone else expected to compete? They need to follow suit. Point being, I don’t feel these marketing types are as smart as they think they are. Right now our culture is in the middle of a green revolution. Corporations are so reactive. They focus on short-term goals and quick money. If Wal*Mart wants to act green? Let ‘em. Nasty companies want to fund nonprofits? Go for it. Really, I think they’re shooting themselves in the foot with this one. If their focus groups indicate this as some trend to tap into, they’re ignoring the obvious. This isn’t a pair of Jordan’s we’re talkin’ ‘bout here. This is a way of life. As environmentalism becomes continually more pervasive, companies will no longer be simply following a trend. They will be part of a much larger requisite shift in how they operate.

TTFN,

Miguel

Research Paper...

To prepare the intrepid bloggists and blog followers unfamiliar with the happenings of our class, I’ll clue you in. As the conclusion of 3PM 280 draws neigh, so too, must we conjure the triumphant display of our procured knowledge from the nonprofit world. In non-bloggenese dialect, I’m referring to, of course, our research paper. So, with that being said, I give you my abstract, my inspiration, and a few resources that I plan on using. Enjoy!

What is the role of nonprofits in the cycling community? Specifically, what progression has the role of nonprofits had in cycling, how do they currently function, and what path can we expect from this movement in the future? The relationship between cycling and nonprofits is a unique one. The growth of cycling’s role in active transportation is multifaceted. Distinct to biking is the merging of cultural, societal, and infrastructural needs. Most notable about this marriage of opportunities is the ability to quantify progress in an otherwise abstract area. With funding options often hindered by requisite progress or goal reports, nonprofits unable to valuate their impact are left with little support. By exploring the roles nonprofits assume within cycling we can achieve a more coherent map of how to approach this bridge between the quantifiable and progress otherwise undefined by the empirical.

In any instance of deficit, charitable giving and altruism have sought to tackle the challenges we face as a society. The nonprofit sector tends to mirror our approach to meeting these needs. At one point in history we gave simply for the sake of helping others in need. Arguably, in the name of efficiency this transitioned to the explicit need to assign a value to the achievements made by such giving. While the benefits of this approach may have finally been realized with the recent increase in government support, giving based on measure alone creates hurdles within the nonprofit sector. Nonprofits struggle to receive support when their mission ties directly to strengthening the community or building social capitol. Rather than focusing on the organization’s goal, nonprofits are often compelled to divert energy and resources into creating methods to measure their impact. An analysis of the nonprofit sector’s relationship with the cycling community may provide insight into how organizations can activate the cultural element of a given cause. There is a common goal for organizations in their approach to cycling- increase ridership. The knowledge gained come from how we foster that ridership can provide insight into what works and what doesn’t in a field otherwise dominated by quantifiable data. When a city builds bike and pedestrian pathways, we expect increased use. Yet a more dynamic approach may be to spur usage by utilizing societal and cultural elements within the community at large. When nonprofits add bike parks, teach bike education in schools, hold group rides, bike scavenger hunts, and fund bike related art projects, they are building our cycling community through cultural relevance. Documented increase in bike usage comes from applying that cultural connection. Quantifying the unquantifiable, something bike nonprofits do well.

Here’s a sampling of resources that I plan on using for the paper.

http://brmba.org/index.php

http://bikeportland.org/

http://www.bta4bikes.org/

Heseman, Loek. Cycling in the Pacific Northwest. 1997. Dutch Ministry of Transportation, Public Works, and Water Management

Peters, Deike. Por El Futuro, Usemos Bicicletas: Feasibility Study for a Cycling Network in Managua. 1997. Institute for transportation and Development Policy

http://www.copenhagenize.com/

http://africabike.konaworld.com/

Last time I left ya’ll with some unanswered questions:

What does this mean for the future of the nonprofit sector?

What happens when the needs are met for social services, healthcare, and education?

Will I continue to unabashedly use the 80’s to my own device?

Let me try to answer those in the least verbose manner possible.

Opportunity.

Progress.

Is Cabot Cove the murder capitol of the world? You Bet!

Now allow me to expound on this reply in a manner that falls within 500-750 words. Opportunity. Some who’ve been following along may recall an earlier post referencing this concept of opportunity, yet until now I’ve remained somewhat aloof on the matter. The knee-jerk response, may lead many to assume I’m referring to the recent influx of federal support and, in a way, they’d be correct. I’ll explain. We’ve witnessed a massive policy shift with regards to the current administration’s healthcare revamp. While we have yet to fully realize the changes this may have on the nonprofit sector, specifically nonprofit healthcare, it is undoubtedly apparent that some impact will occur. The hope is that the government will alleviate some of the burden currently saddled on charitable healthcare institutions. At face value it may seem as though additional requirements may hinder these healthcare providers, I’d argue that the new regulations will only act to strengthen the core services that relate to the nonprofit’s mission. Similarly, we see the government working with many nonprofit organizations to restructure the failing education of our youth. Whether it is healthcare, education, or social services, our government continues to either adopt certain approaches and policies initially implemented by nonprofit organizations or provide direct support to those organizations.

Opportunity. So, is the opportunity in the support we see from the govt? Meh, you could argue that I’m sure. Where the real opportunity exists lies in the new wave of nonprofits we see emerging as the current lot of nonprofits that have been struggling are fostered in some way by our federal institutions. Which leads me to my next point. Progress. The change is happening now. Now, of course, is a relative term. Now, for the sake of this rant, references the next 10 yearsish. What happens in the next decade will shape the direction of our evolving culture. I’ll contend that nonprofits have been and will remain a reflection of our society. Nonprofits are a reflection in such that the sector reflects our need to tackle the social deficiencies of our nation. For the sake of this blog I’ll say the opportunity is not in the support we receive in the nonprofit sector, but in the support that is not present- the lack of funding. The absence of support is what drives innovation and creativity amongst nonprofits. It forces collaboration and efficiency.

Perhaps I’m too idealistic. I’d like to clarify one thing, though. Not for a moment do I think that, with regards to social services, healthcare, or education, we are there yet. We’ve come a long way and we still have many challenges to overcome. I will say with certain idealism that the direction of the nonprofit sector will see a shift from the reactive, quantitative programs, to services that mend the societal rifts that afflict our communities, proactive organizations whose benefits cannot be gauged by numbers.

BAM! 554.