The continuing violence against women has highlighted again the lack of adequate services for women and their children to access.  The most serious need is housing. The services should include childcare to allow employment opportunity and the housing of the women and her children.  The housing must be both permanent for families and temporary for initial emergency intake.

The majority of those making decisions to fund services are white males who have never had their life at risk.  Women should not vote for men who do not take their needs seriously.  Set an agenda that prioritizes where housing and Domestic Violence services are needed to allow equal and equitable access to services.  If elected officials do not support the agenda then make sure that the community is educated about the position of the officials.

This cartoon depicts a manner in which to create a message against Domestic Violence and Children Witnessing Violence.  Logos that are visual have a more lastly effect for people to remember. 

The UN Children’s Fund and UNICEF got good press about 9.7 million children who will die before their 5th birthday. The US spends billions addressing the cause where corruption prevents an effective outcome. The US for a while in the 80’s and 90’s demanded accountability. Now, because of the need to have other governments’ political capital for support, US overseas initiatives accountability is silent as pay back. Prioritizing of money to be used for political capital or preventing the deaths of Americans requires government to set for the US a per capita spending for its health care goals and saving children in the US. What type of death is more worthy to require funding?

Social Responsibility has been on the rise among college graduates. However, there has been a huge barrier created by the institutions of higher education preventing them from following their heart and soul to make a difference. College loans debt is their barrier to choose the job he/she would love to take in the nonprofit field providing public good.

 Providing loan relief provisions in your recruitment will increase the number of credentialed candidates that will apply to work for your organization.

Government support of a living wage will allow more individuals to accept jobs providing public good.

The Supreme Court recently ruled 8-1 that if a medical device maker received pre market approval from the FDA it over rides most claims under state law. Justice Scalia writing for the majority basically said that the FDA is responsible for evaluating risks and the safety of the devices. For more information on the decisions check out http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/06-179.pdf. Justice Scalia, found a key aspect lacking in lawsuits by juries was their focus only on the dangers. He pointed out a jury “ is not concerned with its benefits. The patients who reaped those benefits are not represented in court.”

On several occasions I have written about risks and the responsibility of the organizations to weigh risks and have a risk plan. Every action brings risks. A risk plan that staff is trained on and which is utilized by the whole organization will reduce the likelihood of lawsuits due to negligence by the organization. The more staff/volunteers an organization has; the more customers that the organization serves; the more likely something will happen. The risk plan should be useful enough to have prepared employees, volunteers and management for the protocol to utilize for the circumstances.

It’s funny how the squeaky wheel gets all of the attention.  The same can be said of when enough organizations or individuals let their views be heard.  The 2008 election of candidates for the various parties for President have shown three new voices making a difference.  Youth, African-Americans and Hispanics have been the voice not heard in the past.   Voices whom were generally marginalized in what they thought. 

Just as these once marginalized groups have shown their power and conveyed their voice, organizations do not need to stand by and accept business as usual.

Economically, nonprofits are a powerful group that has been marginalized even by some of its own group.  Organizations should join forces to redraw the economic impact in the minds of the public and government.  

Speak out and be heard on Health Care. 

Speak out and be heard on Housing. 

Speak out and be heard on a Living Wage.

There is a mix message playing out in the world of nonprofit and government jobs. What does it take to recruit qualified individuals to positions with major responsibilities? What is the definition or measure to define major responsibilities? The common thread between nonprofits and government is that they exist to perform public good.

Therefore, if someone says that the nonprofit needs to pay the President of the Red Cross $500,000 or the President of the Blue Cross a $6.3 million does that mean that individuals running for the President of the USA are less qualified.

In government and nonprofit positions it first takes a persons dedication, smarts and heart to really make a difference. The meltdown of the financial markets and the ongoing examples of manipulation in companies by high paying executives shows that the incentive of money can corrupt any institution.  A board needs to make sure that its mission comes first and that any candidate that says money is what it takes for them to take the job is focus more on making a living than focusing on the organization’s mission.

An organization in choosing its leader needs one whom lives by equality principles, dedication, and a commitment to take on a job that takes ones heart, soul and brains to make the necessary impact the organization exists to make.

Harvard University Faculty are using the Internet to publicly release their articles.  The power of exposure to the masses will increase circulation of their articles.  The articles will be available for free.

It was found that the circulation of their articles in expensive scholarly journals was limiting their exposure to a small group of people and not providing sufficient access and  exposure of their works.

Distribution of their research  as widely as possible will likely create more collaborations and opportunities.

The same is true in the sharing of successful programs and their outcomes.  The use of the Internet  is a great tool for promoting an organizations brand and successes.

In China the government requires employers to contribute to a housing fund for employees. Employees can draw down from the fund to buy a house.

In Russia and Brazil employers sponsor mortgages at reasonable rates where employees have traditionally had less access to credit and cost of living is high.

Recruitment of foreign students for part time employment while they go to school provides for a two to four year dedicated employee. Apprenticeship provides on the job training and supplements the skill and college experience. Further it provides a pool of labor with added credentials.

The ALCU has come out against drug testing unless there is a guarantee to provide drug treatment.  The safety of people and the assigning of some of the responsibility to the person must come first.  Employers must first be responsible to the public and second to the employee.  Whether the person is a firefighter, police, truck driver, airline controller, etc. current use of drugs is not allowed, period.

Past use and the amount of time which has past from the time of intake is not the point.  Safety first to the public and treatment of the individual is secondary.

Performance base jobs which involves life safety has  no room for impairment.

Drug testing is an assurance that the individual is not placing themselves or others at risk.

Drug testing mandates that the individual seek treatment and not use drugs or will be terminated, period.

Employers can provide Employment Assistance programs  which provide employees an option to seek help before they are at risk of losing their job.

In the current Presidential race there is a tremendous amount of talk about whether experience or an agent of change will make the biggest difference.

Whether a Speaker of the House in Massachusetts or a Rev. in New York slams another candidate, who is most qualified to decide what amount of experience is necessary to lead and be the agent of change.

If experience is all it took to lead then the world should be in a lot better place than it is today, because individuals dedicated to political life have been unable to accomplish this positive change.

A key is whether the person is willing to make the true sacrifices to see change even if it means political assassination.

The greatest leaders in politics and in the world had vision first and acted upon that vision. Nonprofits were started by visionaries. Therefore, whom is more likely to make a difference.