Week 2

            “The “good old times”, were not the good old times. Neither the master nor the servant was as well situated then as they are now”. I think that in examining wealth this is all that many Americans think about. The ideas of morals and connection to wealth are not thought of as much. Many people today do as they please when it comes to money, whether legal or not, and most often it seems that we all feel a strong connection to our money, only giving it up when it somehow benefits us. I think that is a difference between now and the “good old times” that Andrew Carnegie didn’t really discuss too much.. It may have just been that he technically grew up in what we would call the good old times now and that he didn’t witness the ideals of money that many people hold today, but it still seems interesting to me. I do understand his idea that what was available to only few, is now available to almost everyone, and I agree that that is a good thing, but I like that Carnegie also pointed out the negative, class side of the mass accumulation of wealth by such a small percentage of the population.

            Shifting to the for profit, non profit comparison, I found the idea of tangible and intangible outcomes interesting. I think that often this is the reason that many don’t see nonprofits as “real” businesses, because what they produce can’t be measured. I also found interesting the separation of influences. I think that after reading this, many would be turned off by large companies, that are out to serve a higher power agenda.

            Something else that surprised me is the idea of nonprofits actually having a bottom line. This is something most often associated with for profits. The connection between the mission of a nonprofit and their financial means to obtain that mission was very interesting.  

           

Reading/Lecture Week 1

The Non Profit Nation readings for week one were a really great insight into non profits and their effects on our society. I think it is interesting that when someone says nonprofit most people instantly think of this little run down volunteer agency, a place that has no permanent employees, no funds, and a place that one could not make a living from, when in fact, as the reading pointed out, many non profits are large organizations, that employ something like 8% of all Americans. When it comes to who can be considered a nonprofit and how the tax situation works though I don’t have a perfect understanding, but I think that as time goes on, and one works in a field, they gain a better understanding of exactly what that field is all about.. Or so I hopeJ.

In the first chapter of Non Profit Nation I found the definition of sectors to really provide a clear line as to where, and why, we separate certain aspects of the economy and society. When we look at the behaviors of nonprofit sectors, it’s really easy to understand why they aren’t lumped in with for profit corporations. I think this difference in behavior is why many of the people who have chosen to work in the nonprofit sector have done so. Not only are nonprofits looking out for the well being of certain groups and minorities, they are also making our society better for a large number of people.

Having said that nonprofits are looking out for the well being of many, I also found interesting the connection that chapter 2 of Non Profit Nation made with the power structure. I googled the ideas from this chapter and found it interesting how many corporations had sister nonprofits, whom looked after the agenda of that larger corporation. All the while, they get a positive image for being “giving”, which many associate with nonprofits. This is something that I am glad to have learned for future job searches..

All in all the readings and the class lecture on the history of philanthropy were interesting and I think that we had a great start to week one..

Introduction!

hey hey hey.. My name is Mackenzie and I am currently a junior studying PPPM and Political Science. I was previously involved with NEDCO, the Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation, where my interest in non profit business was really sparked. When I grow up I hope to work with HUD in low income housing, or a program like the Boys and Girls Club. I think that this class will really help me to narrow down my career aspects and hopefully I will come out with a better understanding of the way non profits run. I would say the main reason I am interested in non profits is because of the good they contribute to society and the all out focus on contribution and not at all on the bottom line.

The purpose of this blog is to interact with my PPPM 280 discussion group. I will be responding to readings and posts by my group members as well as possibly commenting on class. Let the fun begin.. .. :)