Rethinking how we approach funding charity

There is a deep, undeniable truth in life: When we do good for others, something changes inside of us. Our hearts become lighter, our minds become clearer, and our spirits grow stronger. The act of giving, serving and lifting others up is not just a noble pursuit, but a fundamental part of who we are.

Billy Graham once said, “God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.” This is the essence of how we are designed. We were not created to live only for ourselves. Something within us, something placed there by God, stirs when we extend kindness to another person. That stirring is not by accident; it is the very DNA of our souls calling us to fulfill our purpose.

Science even backs this up. Studies have shown that acts of kindness release endorphins, the “feel-good” chemicals in our brains. Our stress levels drop, our mood lifts and even our bodies heal faster when we focus on serving others. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 11:25, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Isn’t that beautiful?

When we pour out goodness into the lives of others, we are filled up in return.

So, when NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) appear before our city councils, parish commissions, police juries, etc. and explain how they tackle poverty, homelessness, addiction, disaster relief and all kinds of human suffering, it’s natural to want to help.

And let’s be clear: Their missions sound fantastic. Who doesn’t want to help the poor? Who doesn’t want to aid disaster victims? Who doesn’t want to provide food, shelter and medical care to those in need? Of course we do. That’s not up for debate.

But I have to ask you a couple of questions: First, should government take on the role of charity when it has proven itself quite inefficient at just governing in the first place?

With government funding of NGOs, you get virtually no accountability. Unlike private charities, which must prove their effectiveness to continue receiving donations, the funding for an NGO often operates regardless of their success or failure. Funds are allocated not based on results, but often on political calculations. And with few exceptions, there is no incentive for efficiency, no motivation to ensure that the money improves lives.

But if an NGO takes in millions of dollars to “fight homelessness” but homelessness only increases year after year, shouldn’t we stop and ask if the money is being wasted? If an NGO receives endless grants to provide job training, but unemployment in those areas doesn’t improve, shouldn’t we question what’s really happening? But see, government doesn’t work that way.

There’s no incentive for elected officials to pull the plug on a failing NGO because admitting failure would mean admitting they wasted taxpayer money. Instead, they double down year after year. They continue throwing money at the NGO, but who benefits? Often, it’s not the people in real need, that’s for sure.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman once said, “One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” And while government-run charities (through NGOs) may not intend to do harm, how would you ever really know, if NGOs are never held to account for the difference between their good intentions (before receiving taxpayer money) and the actual results (after receiving taxpayer money)?

Second question: What if government funding of NGOs diminished the ability of the NGOs to accomplish their respective missions? A study by the Hudson Institute found that NGOs that received more than 50% of their funding from government sources were 40% less effective at delivering services compared to those that relied primarily on private donations. Why? Well, because they can be.

They know that once you get the government hooked on funding something, it’s nearly impossible to stop. The moment you try to cut funding due to a lack of accountability or effectiveness, the same politicians who threw the money at them in the first place will scream, “You’re hurting the poor! You’re hurting the environment! You’re heartless!”

No, what’s heartless is funding failure. What’s heartless is pretending to help when you’re really just keeping the gravy train running – and let’s not even get started about NGOs that have no website, no social media presence, not registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State, no physical address, no transparency of who they are, but let’s hurry up and write them a check nonetheless because it seems like a worthy cause?

No, no, no, if we’re serious about helping our communities, we need to rethink how we approach charity. It’s time to demand accountability, to question where our tax dollars are going, and to stop letting politicians use NGOs as feel-good distractions from real solutions. Because at the end of the day, results matter. And if an organization isn’t delivering results, it doesn’t deserve a single dollar of taxpayer money.

Louis R. Avallone is a Shreveport businessman, attorney and author of “Bright Spots, Big Country, What Makes America Great.” He is also a former aide to U.S. Representative Jim McCrery and editor of The Caddo Republican. His columns have appeared regularly in 318 Forum since 2007. Follow him on Facebook, on Twitter @louisravallone or by e-mail at louisavallone@mac.com, and on American Ground Radio at 101.7FM and 710 AM, weeknights from 6 - 7 p.m., and streaming live on keelnews.com.

Letters to the Editor

I recently read the ridiculous and false propaganda opinion commentary you published by Louis Avallone, and I am absolutely shocked! Is this a new direction in which your paper is going? To become a radical right-wing Republican propaganda publication?

Would you be open to publishing a rebuttal from reasonable people who do not believe the lies that Donald Trump and his followers are pushing?

Please let me know if you would be open to another article based on facts.

Thank you.

— Joe A Martinez, 19-year Shreveport resident