Charity or NGO?; A critical review of the charity culture dominant in Iranian society / Samieh Javanmardi
NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) is one of the concepts that takes on a different definition according to the social and political context of each country, and is also assumed to have a different function. On the other hand, this concept is usually accompanied by a wide range of other concepts. Expressions such as “charity”, “non-profit”, “voluntary” and “civil society”, “third sector organization” or on the other hand, self-organized grassroots groups, volunteer associations, etc. have further complicated the process of reaching a specific and agreed definition regarding the role and function of NGOs.
In a general sense, it can be said that all organizations are formed with one goal in mind: to help solve a social problem and create social value in this way. Regardless of the type of organization, whether it is a charity or an NGO, what is important is the social effectiveness of the organization that is active in the social sphere; this is what is currently lacking in any type of social activity in Iran. In simple terms, social effectiveness means measuring the effectiveness of each action and development intervention using tools and methods. For example, if we are faced with the social problem of dropouts from education, by measuring effectiveness, we can determine which action or development intervention helps us achieve this goal, which is to solve or reduce this social problem. Providing financial assistance to families, paying for a student’s education expenses, providing school supplies or uniforms; each of these actions will be valuable and useful in themselves, but which one is more effective in solving the problem of dropouts from education is actually a
At a micro, meso, and macro level, we can analyze the reasons for the emergence and persistence of this common challenge among all active organizations in the social sphere. The macro level refers to policymaking, which formulates general principles and rules governing the activities of organizations, including how they are formed and sustained, and defines the framework and context for their activities. A significant and noteworthy point in Iran is that the multiplicity of licensing centers for social organizations, including the Ministry of Interior, the Welfare Organization, the Law Enforcement Force, and others, has not only prevented us from having comprehensive and complete information about the number of organizations, but also, on the other hand, the evaluation of effectiveness is not considered as one of the important indicators for the renewal of an organization’s license. Rules and procedures have not been formulated in a way that more effective organizations can become influential actors in the social sphere. Changing laws and regulations governing the activities of organizations in this regard will be very beneficial. At the
The important issue here is that friendly actions do not happen in a vacuum and the values and attitudes of individuals greatly influence the nature of friendly actions. Understanding our values and attitudes as Iranians in this regard can be one of the paths towards greater effectiveness of social organizations; for example, in the first step, we should know what kind of development activities or initiatives we are helping as Iranians. How do we help? Is the recommendation of a friend our criterion for action, or do we first check the bylaws, strategic plans, performance and financial reports of the organization and then decide which organization to donate our limited resources to? Mentioning this example is not without merit: a 2013 report based on the results of a national survey of three hundred major financial supporters aged twenty-one to forty in the United States shows that young and wealthy philanthropists differ from their previous generation, parents, grandparents in their approach. They want to make sure that their contributions have measurable impacts. In their view, “previous
Changing values and dominant beliefs in Iranian society requires change at these three levels. In this way, we can hope for the effectiveness of social organizations, whether charitable or non-governmental organizations, in creating sustainable social change.
Tags
Butter Charity Monthly Peace Line Magazine NGO peace line Peace Line 133 People's Organization Samia Javanmardi