What We Can Learn From America’s 50 Worst Charities

“Most Likely to Succeed.” “Top 40 under 40.” “Most Underrated Performers.” These are good lists on which to be found. These are the lists that your mom pins on the fridge when your name shows up. 

Of course, there are lists you might be considerably less excited to find your name on. For example, if you are a Hollywood icon—which I imagine many of you are—you likely try to avoid the “Worst Dressed” and “Biggest Box Office Flop” lists. If you are an athlete, you may hold your breath as Sports Illustrated releases its annual “Overrated Lists.” Certainly, if you are a CEO you hope your name is never found on ”Bloomberg’s Most Overpaid” list.

I came across a list recently, though, that seemed to be an especially unfortunate place to find your name or that of your organization: America’s 50 Worst Charities. The list was the result of a yearlong collaboration between the Tampa Bay Times, the Center for Investigative Reporting, and CNN. The primary variable examined was “cash paid to solicitors in the last decade.” This is, of course, only one of many ways one might gauge the effectiveness of a charity or non-profit and many would argue that there are more accurate measures available.

That being said, my interest in the list had little to do with the methodology of the study, but rather with the distinct reaction the list caused within me. Why, of the many measures that point to failure, did this list make me cringe? Why did I immediately scan the list in hopes that no group I supported was named? Why did the list so quickly, and forcefully, make its way around the web? 

I Want to Change the World…

The obvious answer to my questions is quite simple. The list bothered me because it clearly implied that the organizations named were consciously preventing needed money from finding its way to worthy causes. To put it bluntly: these charities were lying to those who gave, and stealing from those in need…nobody likes that.

While this was undoubtedly part of my reaction, I think there was a more profound claim made indirectly by the study, one that strikes a deeper chord with all of us. At its most basic level, what the study really said was, “These groups are not making a difference. If they went away tomorrow, the plight of their causes would be no different.” In terms of effectiveness, they rank uncomfortably close to Seinfeld’s infamous ”Human Fund.”

This claim awakens the same question within ourselves—Are we making a difference? We all are a bundle of assets being leveraged for impact. How are we doing?

Unfortunately, many of us in our most honest moments would say that we do not really feel like we are making an impact. Instead, we feel stuck and ineffective.  Rather than changing the world, we are just trying to get by. We are struggling to the next paycheck, to the next vacation.

We occasionally hear a speech or read an article that blows on the embers within us, and reawakens our desire to stimulate change, but just as quickly we lose heart. We go back to our daily grind and our passions are quelled. Even when we do make sincere efforts, we often feel defeated by the lack of results.

The Myth of the Non-Profit…

Much of our malady lies in how we view the actual idea of “making an impact.” Far too often we believe that real differences are only made in certain structural settings like the non-profit and ministry worlds. We view traditional jobs as necessary evils, and accordingly place a much greater weight on the time we volunteer and the money we give than on the time we work.

However, as the list of America’s 50 Worst Charities reminds us, non-profit status is no guarantee of impact. In reality, the majority of us are called to make our difference and leave our legacy in another arena, namely the marketplace. 

Finding and Hitting the Right Target

In 2005 I co-wrote a book with friends John Maxwell and Thomas Addington titled Life@Work: Marketplace Success for People of Faith. In the book, which addressed the intersection of faith and work, we devoted a chapter to the idea of “discovering your greatness.” We proposed that the key to finding your greatness was to find a job that best fits your shape.

Our shape, or voice as I often call it, is our God-given, custom-built wiring. This wiring is not simply what we are naturally skilled in, but also includes our motivations and passions. Identifying where we can make the greatest impact starts with clearly identifying this voice.  We ask ourselves questions like “What am I good at?” “Why am I good at that?” “What am I not good at?” “What drives me?” “What am I passionate about?” “What are my life messages?” As we ask these questions, slowly but surely a composite portrait of skill sets and desires emerges. This is our voice.

When we find work in which our voice matches the role, we allow ourselves the greatest chance to truly make a difference. We allow ourselves the greatest chance to be used by God to do something great. For some of you, this may actually be in the non-profit world. For the majority of us, however, we are equipped and gifted to make our impact elsewhere.  

This does not mean that we should stop volunteering and giving, but rather means that we should stop viewing our jobs with so little regard. Our job, and particularly those jobs that allow the full use of our voice, are incredible opportunities to do “real good.” That will help keep us off another bad list of ineffectiveness.