Doing what Heifer.org says they do...
I spotted this story on Metafilter, the video here is worth checking out.
It turns out Heifer.org (recent darlings of the media for some reason) have fine print on this page on their website that says the money donated to them is "symbolic" and will not actually go to buying a water buffalo for a needy family. Some of it will, but the way the website is worded you'd think all (or amlost all) would go towards the buffalo, and that you might get some feedback (a picture or info of the recipient family):
Nothing's more satisfying than finding exactly the right solution to a problem. That's the good feeling you get when you give an Asian subsistence farmer a water buffalo.
It looks like the small print may have been changed since this post . It now reads:
The prices in this catalog represent the complete livestock gift of a quality animal, technical assistance and training. Each purchase is symbolic and represents a contribution to the entire mission of Heifer International. Donations will be used where needed most to help struggling people.
What does Chariy Navigator say about Heifer? They give them a 3-star rating, and only 75% of the funds they raise go towards the program costs. The president's salary of $183,000 doesn't help much...
Update: 04/24/2008:
This post still gets a lot of views... To clarify a bit - I have not volunteered with or donated to Heifer.org. (Some readers seem to think I have).
Checking the Charity Navigator page a little of a year after I originally posted this, it's interesting to see the increase in the president's salary. From $183,000 to $213,490. That's a 16% increase!
* Photo from CharlesFred (Flickr)
3 comments:
As a lead volunteer for Heifer (Seattle area), I have many times encountered people's disappointment at learning donations are "symbolic gifts." We always want to have a personal connection to exactly where our gift goes; it takes some trust to know the gift is being put to good use somewhere and to relax about where and in what form that might be.
I have that trust in Heifer Knowing that 8+ million families have been lifted out of extreme poverty by symbolic gifts keeps me hooked. I like knowing that - even if it doesn't actually go towards a flock of chicks - my $20 gift WILL be effectively used to help someone to help themself.
And, I like Heifer's model. Heifer is entirely community-driven. The community in need approaches Heifer with a proposal and works to identify what animals it would benefit from, as well as who needs the animals first and who can wait for the "passing on the gift."
"Passing on the Gift" is a requirement - everyone who receives a gift animal from Heifer must pass on an equal gift to someone else in their community, typically the animal's first offspring. Passing on the Gift turns a receipient into a donor, a partner in helping to end hunger. I have seen first-hand the change in pride & self worth that comes from Passing on the Gift.
I also appreciate the work Heifer does in teaching humane animal care, organic, sustainable agriculture, business skills, and its emphasis on gender equity.
Heifer won the Hilton Humanitarian Award several years ago, and just this year was awarded a $42.8 million grant from the Gates Foundation. Such awards would not be granted if Heifer's overhead were seen as outlandish - and Jo Luck's salary is certainly appropriate given the size and impact of the organization.
Heifer does good work in the world.
Thanks for reading.
"Jo Luck's salary is certainly appropriate given the size and impact of the organization." I think not. No one has ever explained sufficiently why--prior to Jo Luck, when most of the best work was done and most of the good will was created--a more modest salary was adequate but she needs so much more. I haven't been entirely happy with the focus on her. In recent years, the Heifer print materials have been full of her picture and the center. I've looked for third-party news about the organization but haven't found much.
I am researching microfinancing opportunities in the name of family members for Christmas presents and was shocked to see the compensation Heifer Int.'s Jo Luck receives. People who expect that kind of salary don't belong in charitale organizations - take your salary demands to the corporate world, Jo. I will donate elsewhere.
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