Yes, you heard right – we are declaring war on NonProfits and NonGovernmental Organizations!
Well actually, we are declaring war on the words, not the entities. In place of those words, we have been using the term Community Benefit Organization wherever possible.
Isn’t that really what our work is all about – community benefit? Whether we are providing live theater or saving a forest, feeding a hungry child or providing homes for man or beast – it’s all about making our communities better places to live.
We may see the community we want to impact as a neighborhood, a region – or the whole world. Regardless of how large or small our scope, if there is one thing all our work is about, it is making those communities better places to live.
With so much potential and so much good work being done every day, why would we ever want to call ourselves by what we are NOT?
Words matter. Just ask any ethnic group that has been called disparaging names by the dominant culture. Just ask a child who has been tagged as “loser” or “freak.” When we call ourselves a name of scarcity – nonprofit – what assumptions are we reinforcing about our value, our worth? And what could be more worthy than the immense benefit we provide to our communities?!
So “Nonprofits and NGO’s” – throw off your chains! Arise and claim your place as the powerful force you are! You are creating a better future for our world – tell that to the world in the words you use to describe your very being.
We are Community Benefit Organizations, and we are PROUD!
(Stay tuned, as we work through our own internal dilemma of changing Help 4 NonProfits, the name we have branded so well for our organization and our website!)
