Toxic Charity
Case Study A: Food for All
A well-respected food bank, Food for All, receives $5,000 of operating support each year from the
Moberly Family Foundation. Food for All provides food bi-weekly (twice per week) to an urban church
pantry which serves 200 families each week, and clients are at 80% of average median income. It has
been operating for more than 15 years with church volunteers. The church pantry has been asked to
merge with other pantries in the area but the church volunteers don’t want to give up ownership of
their ministry.
Food for All would like to expand its client base by 30% within the next five years. It has asked the
Moberly Foundation for a $250,000 grant to expand its warehouse facility. The Moberly Foundation has
agreed to fund the capital expansion only if a case worker is hired to work at every pantry, a training
kitchen is included to help clients know how to prepare the food, and Food for All hosts a quarterly
networking meeting of all the pantries.
Identify the Issues
Using the Oath of Compassionate Service (below), determine which aspects of this scenario are toxic.
Which are non-toxic?





Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves
Limit one-way giving to emergency situations
Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served
Listen closely to those you seek to help, especially to what is not being said – unspoken feelings
may contain essential clues to effective service
Above all, do no harm
Suggest Strategies
For the nonprofits at the table, what steps would you take to change Food for All’s program to move
from fulfilling needs to developing human capacity?
For the foundations at the table, what else would you do to support Food for All’s efforts to move from
fulfilling needs to developing human capacity?
Walk a Mile in Each Other’s Shoes
For the nonprofits at the table, if you were the Moberly Foundation, how would you change your
support of Food for All’s programs? What questions would you ask of Food for All?
For the foundations at the table, if you were Food for All, how would you change the program to move
from fulfilling needs to developing human capacity?
Toxic Charity
Case Study B: Smith Scholars
Bob and Sandy Smith have a scholarship fund at the local community foundation. The fund targets lowincome, high-achieving, minority students and provides four years’ tuition for a student majoring in
chemistry to attend Mr. Smith’s alma mater, Wabash College. Scholarship applicants must have a 3.75
GPA, an A in high school chemistry, and demonstrate “community leadership.”
During the first 10 years of the scholarship, the Smiths had at least three qualified students apply for the
scholarship each year, with all of the applications coming from students enrolled in the After School
Tutoring Program (ASTP). The ASTP program has done a great job making sure its students receive an A
in chemistry by asking chemists from a local drug company to tutor the students.
The Smiths are concerned because only two of the selected Smith Scholars have completed a Wabash
degree and four of the Scholars dropped out of college all together. Additionally, the ASTP program is
now telling the Smiths they have no qualified applicants for this year’s scholarship.
Identify the Issues
Using the Oath of Compassionate Service (below), determine which aspects of this scenario are toxic.
Which are non-toxic?





Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves
Limit one-way giving to emergency situations
Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served
Listen closely to those you seek to help, especially to what is not being said – unspoken feelings
may contain essential clues to effective service
Above all, do no harm
Suggest Strategies
For the nonprofits at the table, what steps would you take to change ASTP’s program to move from
fulfilling the requirements of the scholarship to developing capacity to achieve a college degree?
For the foundations at the table, how would you advise the Smiths to focus their charitable dollars to
assist low-income students obtain a college degree?
Walk a Mile in Each Other’s Shoes
For the nonprofits at the table, if you were the Smiths, how would you change your scholarship
program? What questions would you ask of potential scholarship applicants?
For the foundations at the table, if you were ASTP, how would you change your program to help
students achieve a college degree?
Toxic Charity
Case Study C: The City Ballet
The City Ballet is in a dire financial situation. They need an additional $25,000 just to keep their parttime executive director for the next six months and produce their next ballet, Swan Lake.
City Ballet applied for a $25,000 capacity-building grant from the Phelps Corporation. In its grant
proposal, City Ballet proposed to attend 5 two-hour nonprofit management workshops, provide 200
Swan Lake tickets (at $50 per ticket) to Phelps Corporation, and print large banners for Swan Lake
featuring the Phelps Corporation logo. The grant was approved and now the program officer at Phelps
has asked City Ballet to be the recipient of Phelps Corporation’s Day of Service, in which 100 Phelps
employees will volunteer for one day to help City Ballet in “any way possible.” The program officer is
asking City Ballet to plan, coordinate and evaluate the Day of Service and wants employees to do
something meaningful like planting a community garden.
Identify the Issues
Using the Oath of Compassionate Service (below), determine which aspects of this scenario are toxic.
Which are non-toxic?





Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves
Limit one-way giving to emergency situations
Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served
Listen closely to those you seek to help, especially to what is not being said – unspoken feelings
may contain essential clues to effective service
Above all, do no harm
Using Bob’s guide for service projects (below), determine which aspects of the Day of Service are toxic.
Which are non-toxic?
“The best service projects are joint ventures where the need is real and the vision is
compelling, the work is organized and productive, and the interests of both groups are
satisfied.”
Steps to developing effective service projects include:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Conduct planning meeting(s)
Reach a mutual agreement on what will be accomplished
Schedule the day
Conduct last-minute check in with clients, nonprofit, volunteers, community residents
Launch project providing all necessary tools and resources
Share in fellowship
Articulate meaning of the project and lessons learned
Suggest Strategies
For the nonprofits at the table, what steps would you take to change the City Ballet’s grant proposal to
move from fulfilling the Ballet’s immediate needs to developing capacity to sustain their operations?
For the foundations at the table, how would you advise the Phelps Corporation to focus their charitable
dollars and volunteer hours to effectively support City Ballet?
Walk a Mile in Each Other’s Shoes
For the nonprofits at the table, if you were Phelps Corporation, how would you change your capacitybuilding grant program? How would you change your Day of Service?
For the foundations at the table, if you were City Ballet, what would you tell the program officer about
the Day of Service? How would you change your corporate sponsorship benefits to minimize the
financial expenses associated with free tickets and large banners?
Toxic Charity
Case Study D: SantaLand
SantaLand was started by a prominent businessman and his wife who moved from the suburbs to be one of
the first urban pioneer households in downtown Indianapolis. Mr. and Mrs. Jones started the program by
buying a few gifts and delivering them to low-income children in their neighborhood on Christmas Eve. The
program has grown into a city-wide event providing 1,000 low-income families with a complete Christmas
dinner and holiday gifts. During the event, choirs sing, children visit with Santa, and parents select gifts for
their children while children select gifts for their parents. More than 200 volunteers from Mr. Jones’s
company, TechMount, plan the event, secure donations for the event, help guests shop, and wrap gifts
during the event. Volunteers begin planning for SantaLand in July of each year.
St. Anthony Church, which provides the facility for the program, has completed a $30,000 grant proposal to
the Fletcher Foundation to hire a part-time coordinator and recoup some of their overhead costs in
administering the program (hours of staff time dealing with volunteers, picking up and storing donations,
registering guests for the program, utilities). The first question on the grant application was “Describe how
this program fulfills a need within our community.” St. Anthony responded to the question with
“SantaLand serves more than 1,000 families each year, with 75% of guests returning for assistance each
year. This data shows the critical need for Christmas help in our community.”
Identify the Issues
Using the Oath of Compassionate Service (below), determine which aspects of this scenario are toxic. Which
are non-toxic?





Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves
Limit one-way giving to emergency situations
Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served
Listen closely to those you seek to help, especially to what is not being said – unspoken feelings
may contain essential clues to effective service
Above all, do no harm
Suggest Strategies
For the nonprofits at the table, what steps would you take to help SantaLand move from fulfilling
immediate needs to developing human capacity?
For the foundations at the table, how should Fletcher Foundation change the grant application to focus
more on developing human capacity?
Walk a Mile in Each Other’s Shoes
For the nonprofits at the table, if you were Fletcher Foundation, what questions would you ask to make
sure SantaLand gives a “hand up” instead of a “hand out?”
For the foundations at the table, if you were St. Anthony Church, how would you work with TechMount
volunteers and SantaLand to make sure the event gives a “hand up” instead of a “hand out?”
Toxic Charity
Case Study E: WellCare Clinic
WellCare Clinic provides health services for low-income individuals. The clinic specializes in disease
prevention and early detection services. Patients currently pay $10 per office visit and a $10 registration fee
for prevention classes/programs.
The clinic has submitted a $50,000 proposal to the King County Community Foundation (KCCF) so that it can
waive the $10 fees, which they feel preclude individuals from participating in prevention programs and
early detection services. The Clinic also wants to institute a free needle exchange program to help stop a
recent outbreak of Hepatitis C within the community.
Identify the Issues
Using the Oath of Compassionate Service (below), determine which aspects of this scenario are toxic. Which
are non-toxic?





Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves
Limit one-way giving to emergency situations
Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served
Listen closely to those you seek to help, especially to what is not being said – unspoken feelings
may contain essential clues to effective service
Above all, do no harm
Suggest Strategies
For the nonprofits at the table, what steps would you take to help the Clinic move from fulfilling the
immediate need for the needle exchange to developing human capacity to combat drug abuse?
For the foundations at the table, how should King County Community Foundation balance its support of
WellCare Clinic’s immediate needs for the needle exchange program with its needs for capacity-building
services (prevention and early detection services)?
Walk a Mile in Each Other’s Shoes
For the nonprofits at the table, if you were KCCF, how would you balance immediate needs (needle
exchange) with capacity-building efforts (prevention/education/detections programs)?
For the foundations at the table, if you were WellCare Clinic, how would you structure an array of services
which meet immediate needs (needle exchange) while building capacity (drug prevention, education, early
detection services)?