Non-profits deserve better respect

With governments at all levels looking for ways to deliver services in the most cost-effective way possible, it is surprising that the not-for-profit sector has been largely ignored in this soul-searching. Although much could be achieved by streamlining arcane government processes or a stronger focus on client service, the reality is that some of the best program delivery is not done by governments at all. Instead, this necessary work is done by organizations in the not-for-profit sector who deliver services on behalf of government.

The success of our not-for profit sector, from serving our most frail citizens in nursing homes to working with youth-at-risk, is often achieved despite the way these organizations are viewed by their public sector partners. Rather than being treated with respect, organizations in the not-for-profit sector are often seen as competitors rather than partners or, in the worst case scenario, as unreliable dependents that are more a nuisance than a help.

This perspective is not helpful. It ignores the very real strengths of the not-for-profit sector in New Brunswick. It also denies that there are some needed tasks that can only be done by community-based, volunteer-driven organizations.

There was hope that not-for-profit organizations would get the respect and recognition from the public sector that they deserve.

In 2007, former federal minister and Moncton MP Claudette Bradshaw undertook one of the most extensive public consultation processes ever conducted in New Brunswick. Community non-profit groups and interested individuals were invited to discuss the state of the sector, provide their advice and identify opportunities for further progress.

Unlike most consultation processes, where a few sessions are held in a central location, there was a meeting in each of the 55 provincial ridings. The resulting report, Blueprint for Action, was possibly the most anticipated government publication in the history of the Province.

There were many recommendations in this groundbreaking publication. Some were very practical and targeted; others were more sweeping in their scope. However, there were four key recommendations that were intended to drive policy on a go-forward basis – stable funding, respect and recognition, promoting a culture of volunteering, and revitalizing the relationship between the Government and its non-profit partners.

While stable funding is always welcomed, it is in the areas of respect and recognition, as well as revitalizing the partnership, where a positive response from Government is most needed.

These recommendations were not calling on Government to make token efforts to show respect or recognize the work of community non-profit groups. The Bradshaw Task Force was asking the Government of New Brunswick to make a deep cultural change – to treat their not-for-profit partners with real respect and to recognize the value and unique nature of the work that they do.

Respect can be a difficult concept to get your head around. It is not deference or a desire to accommodate. It is not excessive praise, hero worship or servitude.

Respect is more than good etiquette or courtesy, although these may be its outward signs. When we truly respect others, we are careful to always speak the truth, even (or especially) when it is difficult to do so. We try to understand their situation, their challenges and their aspirations. We prefer frankness over empty gestures. While respect can be given, it is most often earned.

Respect is also recognition. How can we respect an organization if we do not acknowledge the work that it does?

Perhaps that is part of the problem. Many public-sector decision-makers do not have a solid understanding of the work that is accomplished on a daily basis – often by staff who are underpaid (or volunteers who are not paid at all) in facilities that are underfunded serving those who are the most vulnerable or most in need.

Like day follows night, a new partnership between the Government and the not-for-profit sector can only come when there is respect and recognition. Even the effective promotion of a culture of volunteering can only be achieved when there is respect and recognition for this activity.

Respect is the key. Without respect for the not-for-profit sector, and the mutually beneficial relationship that follows from this respect, Governments cannot achieve the goal of social and economic inclusion that we need. With respect, better outcomes can be achieved even though challenges will remain.

And, as New Brunswick struggles with a difficult fiscal situation, it is good to remind ourselves that respect is not allocated by the Department of Finance or a line item in a Provincial Budget.

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This article was originally published in the May 16, 2014 edition of the Telegraph-Journal.

Blueprint for Action can be found at http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/promos/nptf/index-e.asp .

 

Welcome to "nothing but zeros"

I would like to welcome a new blog to the TQP blog roll. "Nothing but zeros - absurdities and hypocrisies in the age of assurance" joins the rather select group of social media sites featured on this blog. The mandate of this new site is, in the words of Rick Baker, scholar and cousin, is:

"We live in an age of assurance. Everywhere we turn, we are confronted with assertions of certainty. Government leaders, economic elites, religious figures, academics, news outlets, even celebrities – they all clamour to affirm their authority and proclaim their infallibility. And in providing us with their assurances, these figures of authority acquire more and more power over us.

But claims of certainty can only go so far before they start to reveal awkward inconsistencies. After a point, the more absolute the claim, the more numerous the resulting contradictions. This is the way forward. We critique the accumulation and exercise of undue power by exposing the inevitable absurdities and hypocrisies that emerge in its wake."

Enjoy.