Op-Ed Expertly Captures How Nonprofits May Inadvertently Cause Harm

To the Editor:

I appreciated the honesty in Bobbi Dempsey’s op-ed “I Grew Up Poor and Learned Early: Charities Aren’t Always So Charitable” (February 5). Even the most well-meaning nonprofits can forget that the individuals they serve are actual people, not just a collection of needs.

For example, someone who needs housing assistance may also be a parent, belong to a certain religion, or have a particular ethnic or cultural background. Nonprofits need to consider all of these elements to provide the most effective assistance.

It sounds to me like the organization serving Dempsey’s family did not understand the population they were helping, or the variety of circumstances that could lead someone to need food assistance. As Dempsey explains in the op-ed, “Economic hardship can befall any of us — even nonprofit staff members.”

To that end, nonprofits and their boards should look more like the individuals they serve. Without real representation, those organizations may be less effective — and even inadvertently harm the people such as Dempsey who they’re trying to help.

Julia Acken
Partner
Radix Law