全球视野 | 一位美国捐赠人的自述引发热议：在此之后他又学到了什么？

全球视野

每周从全球各大与公益慈善或社会创新领域相关的媒体或专业网站，去浏览发现当下正在发生的案例和正在思考的观点，然后翻译整理成篇，传达第一手的新鲜资讯。栏目希望可以通过文章的视角或者表述，为会员伙伴们提供启发、打开视野。

文章《My Essay on Why I Stopped Donating Went Viral. Here’s What I’ve Learned Since./我的文章<我为什么停止捐赠>在网上引起了热议。以下是我从中学到的。》发布在《慈善纪事报/The Chronicle of Philanthropy》上，作者是Theodore Wagenaar。本文是Wagenaar于2023年6月27发布的文章《全球视野 | 一位美国捐赠人的自述：我为什么不再向你的组织捐款》的后续更新。在前文中，Wagenaar通过自己的亲身经历指出非营利组织的迟缓回应，甚至是不回应令人感到失望；并提出了自己的建议。文章发布后引起了热议，随后两位来自非营利组织内部的工作人员也撰写了文章《全球视野 | 非营利组织回击：为什么捐赠人不切实际的期望会让慈善事业失去乐趣？》回应Wagenaar。他们表示因为大多数人不了解慈善事业是如何运作的，这造成了捐赠人和非营利组织之间的脱节。在最新的文章中，Theodore Wagenaar表示在文章发布后，他收到了许多的回应，指出这些回复拓宽了他的视野和捐赠方式；并在文章中分享了他新学到的、他将做出的改变，以及他会在哪些方面保持不变。

Last summer, I wrote an opinion essay for the Chronicle of Philanthropy about why I stopped donating to some organizations. I explained that I expect nonprofits to promptly respond to my gifts and how disappointing it can be when, as is often the case, they don’t. I also discussed why I think nonprofits need to keep the lines of communication open with donors, showing them where their dollars are going and the effect they’re having. This is crucial as the field navigates historic drops in donations. 

去年夏天，我在《慈善纪事报》上发布了一篇关于我为什么停止向一些组织捐赠的观点文章（点击查看文章）。我在文章里解释说，我希望非营利组织可以及时回应我的捐赠；如果他们不这样做，那会让我非常失望，而这种情况时常发生。我还讨论了为什么我认为非营利组织需要与捐赠人保持畅通的沟通，向捐赠人展示他们的钱去了哪里，以及他们所产生的影响。在非营利组织面临捐赠额发生历史性下降的时候，这点非常重要。 

To my surprise, the commentary went viral and was one of the Chronicle’s best performers of 2023. Readers weren’t shy about telling me what they thought. The responses varied: For every person who agreed with me, at least one more thought I was uninformed, self-involved, or some combination of the two. 

让我惊讶的是，这篇文章在网上引发了热议，同时还是《慈善纪事报》2023年最热门的文章之一。读者们毫不吝啬地告诉我他们的想法。读者们的回应各不相同：每当有一个同意我的人，就至少还有一个人认为我是不了解情况、自以为是的，或两者兼而有之。 

I even heard from a few organizations I had called out for ignoring me, including one that never responded to my request to update my estate documents. After the op-ed was published, I received an apology, an explanation for the delay — and my documents. A staffer at an organization that addresses hunger wrote to apologize for not responding to my questions about a visit and invited me to take part in a mobile food distribution effort. This type of communication is all I wanted in the first place. 

我甚至还收到了一些我曾提到忽视了我的组织的回复，其中包括一家从未回复过我更新资产文件请求的机构。在我的专栏文章发表后，我收到了该组织的道歉、对于延迟回复的解释，以及我的文件。一家致力于解决饥饿问题的组织的工作人员，给我写了道歉信，因为他们没有回复关于我想要访问组织的请求，并邀请我参加流动食品分发活动。这类型的沟通正是我最初想要的。 

Not surprisingly, I also got some requests for money. Almost two dozen organizations sent me fundraising pitches. Of those, five got a check from me. 

毫不惊讶，我也收到了一些捐款的请求。差不多二十多家组织向我发送了募款请求，我向其中的5家组织进行了捐赠。 

I’ve taken each response to heart and collectively they’ve broadened my perspective and giving practices. Here’s what I’ve learned, how I approach donations differently, and what’s stayed the same. 

我把每一条回复都记在了心里。这些回复共同拓宽了我的视野和捐赠方式。以下是我所学到的，我会如何以不同的方式处理捐赠，以及我会在哪些方面保持不变。

Some readers felt my suggestions minimized the challenges many nonprofits face, such as small staffs or fundraisers who wear several hats. I agree, and now have a stronger appreciation for why donors should empathize with — and help solve — these problems. People often like to give to newsworthy projects or programs that will carry their name, but that’s not always the best use of philanthropic dollars. Sometimes a donor should just try to help keep a nonprofit’s lights on — literally. 

一些读者认为我的建议低估了许多组织所面临的挑战，比如员工人数少或是筹款人身兼数职。我同意他们的看法。我现在更加能够理解为什么捐赠人应该同情并帮助解决这些问题。通常，人们喜欢捐赠给那些有新闻价值的或是有冠名的项目计划。但这并不总是慈善资金的最佳用途。有时，捐赠人真的只需要尽力帮助非营利组织维持运转。 

Although I will continue to specify that some donations go to certain projects, I plan to give more to operational costs. Someone, after all, must pay for the copier. Organizations, for their part, could share more about the difficulties they’re facing, whether financial or otherwise, so donors can better understand — and respond to — these challenges. 

尽管我会继续限定一些捐款用于某些特定项目，但我计划把更多的捐款捐给组织的运营费用。毕竟总得有人为复印机（注：指代非营利组织的日常办公开销和费用）买单。对于非营利组织来说，他们可以更多地分享他们所面临的困难，不论是财务上的还是其他方面的。这样捐赠人就可以更好地理解，并应对这些困难挑战。

With staffing issues in mind, my feelings on when and how to communicate have shifted slightly. While a phone call or email on receipt of a donation is nice, I now feel organizations could limit calls to first-time major donors. I like prompt receipts so I don’t have to worry that the post office once again lost a donation. But responses within about a month are just fine. 

考虑到员工问题，我对于何时以及如何沟通的看法略有改变。尽管在收到捐赠之后给捐赠人打电话或发邮件是件好事，但我现在觉得可以把电话联系仅限于首次进行捐赠的大额捐赠人。我喜欢及时收到捐赠收据，这样我就不需要担心邮局会再次弄丢捐款。不过只要在一个月内回复就好。 

Nonprofits, however, are missing a huge opportunity by not doing more research on their donors. I’ve never been asked, for example, what other organizations I give to or why I donate to a particular nonprofit. A short survey on a free online platform could ask how often a donor wants to be contacted or how satisfied they are with donation acknowledgments, for example. 

然而，非营利组织正在错过巨大的机会，因为他们没有对其捐赠人做更多的研究。比如说，我从没被问过我还捐赠给了其他哪些组织？或者我为什么要捐给那个组织？例如，非营利组织可以在免费的线上平台做一个小调查，询问捐赠人希望多久联系一次，或者他们对捐赠确认的满意度如何。 

Some readers considered my desire to meet staff and those they serve “poverty porn” and “white saviorism.” I’ve been sensitive to that in the past but do agree it warrants continued attention. I still believe that respectfully engaging donors will yield bigger and more frequent donations. 

一些读者认为，我希望和工作人员及其服务对象见面的想法，是一种“贫穷色情（来自维基百科：贫困色情的概念最早出现在20世纪80年代，当时的慈善活动使用了一些具有冲击力的图像，例如营养不良的儿童眼睛里有苍蝇的照片。这很快就成为一种趋势。尽管其中一些活动成功地为慈善事业筹集了资金，但一些观察家批评了这种做法，声称它过于简单化了长期贫困；这种明显的煽情行为被批评者称为“贫穷色情”。）”和“白人救世主主义”。我过去对此一直很敏感，但我也认同这值得继续关注。我仍然相信，以尊重的态度与捐赠人接触，会获得更多、更频繁的捐赠。 

The key word is respect. An organization can share its work with donors in ways that don’t compromise the integrity and privacy of staff and those they serve. For example, one nonprofit focused on homelessness arranges bimonthly lunches for donors and interested parties to learn about the organization, meet the staff, and tour the facilities. I also attended a dinner and presentation by study-abroad students at a college where I give money for study-abroad scholarships. I like to know who received the scholarships I fund, but students should have the choice of reaching out to a donor if they wish. 

关键词是尊重。一个组织可以在不损害员工及其服务对象的操守和隐私的情况下，与捐赠人分享其工作。例如，一家专注于流浪汉问题的非营利组织，可以安排每两月一次的午餐会，让捐赠人和感兴趣的人来了解该组织、认识员工，并参观机构设施。我有次还参加了一所大学的留学生晚宴和演讲，因为我为这所大学的留学奖学金提供了资助。我想知道谁获得了我的奖学金。但如果学生愿意的话，他们有权选择是否联系捐赠人。

One reader wondered how much communication would be enough for me and noted that donors should do more of their own research. While it’s true that some of the onus is on donors, nonprofits can facilitate that by including all the information a donor might want on their websites, such as detailed descriptions of programs, reports on outcomes, financial information, and tax forms — assuming, of course, they have the staff to do such work. 

一位读者想知道要多少交流对我来说才算足够；并指出捐赠人应该自己做更多的调查。诚然捐赠人需要分担部分责任，但非营利组织可以通过在其网站上提供捐赠人可能需要的信息，来为捐赠人提供便利，比如项目的详细介绍、成果报告、财务信息和税务报表等等。当然前提是这些组织有足够的员工来完成这些工作。 

If this information is included online, I just need a midyear update and an end-of-year summary of finances, services, and outcomes for the organizations that I support. They should also avoid sending too many email requests for donations near the end of the year. 

如果这些信息网上都有，那我只需要一份年中更新和年终总结，用来说明我所支持的组织的财务状况、服务情况和工作成果。非营利组织还应该避免在临近年底的时候，发送过多的募捐请求邮件。 

Another reader questioned how proof of success can and should be measured, which I thought was a good point. I’m now more sensitive to how hard it may be to identify and communicate results. Newer organizations, for example, haven’t had the time to gather the numbers or anecdotes a donor might want. And ratings organizations such as CharityWatch, GuideStar, and Charity Navigator often lack helpful and detailed information, particularly about smaller organizations. 

另一位读者问我，如何能够衡量组织成功的证据？应该怎么衡量？我认为这是一个很好的问题。现在，我更加敏感地意识到，确定和交流成果可能会有多么的困难。比如新成立的组织可能没有时间来收集捐赠人想要的数据和故事。而诸如CharityWatch、GuideStar和Charity Navigator等评级机构往往缺乏有用的详细信息，尤其是关于小型组织的信息。 

But wherever possible, I still find it helpful when nonprofits use data to explain how they achieved their goals. Food banks, for example, can share metrics such as meals provided or food distribution opportunities. Tutoring organizations aimed at helping students get into college can compare the high-school graduation rate for their students with those not helped, as well as the percent who attended and graduated from college. 

但只要可能的话，非营利组织可以使用数据来解释他们是如何达成目标的，我仍会觉得这很有帮助。例如食物银行，他们可以分享提供餐食或分配食物机会的指标。对于那些旨在帮助学生进入大学的辅导组织来说，他们可以将他们学生的高中毕业率与那些没有得到帮助的学生进行比较，以及参加大学并毕业的百分比等数据。

In the past, my donation habits were pretty narrow. I seldom bothered to look beyond the organizations I’d supported for years. But it’s clear now that I need to cast a wider net to make a bigger splash with my giving. 

在过去，我的捐赠习惯比较狭隘。多年来，我很少会去关注我支持的组织之外的其他组织。但现在很明显，我需要撒更大的网，让我的捐赠产生更大的影响。 

I also realized I need to spend more time researching the organizations I already support. For example, one nonprofit I donate to ranked near the bottom on success in fostering social mobility compared with hundreds of similar organizations. I had no idea until I did more research. I shared the results with relevant officials there and asked what was going on and how they planned to make improvements. Their responses weren’t encouraging. From now on, my donations will be smaller. 

我还认识到，我需要花更多时间研究我已经在支持的组织。例如，与数百家类似组织相比，我所捐赠的一家非营利组织在促进社会流动性方面的成功率排名几乎垫底。在我做了更多的研究之后，我才知道这一点。我把我的研究结果分享给了该组织的相关官员，并询问发生了什么，以及他们计划如何改进。他们的回答并不令人鼓舞。从现在开始，我的捐赠将会减少。 

Philanthropy done well requires time — and lots of it. I’m retired so I can get on the phone or on Zoom to talk with nonprofit staff. But even for me, it isn’t realistic to keep logging those kinds of hours. Many people never have that time. They donate to organizations they participate in, such as their houses of worship or the colleges they or family members attended, organizations they’ve encountered, such as hospice groups, or those that advertise heavily, such as St. Jude Children’s Hospital. 

做好慈善需要时间，而且是大量的时间。我已经退休了，所以我可以通过电话或者Zoom和非营利组织的工作人员交流。但即使是我，持续投入如此长的时间也是不现实的。而许多人永远都不可能有这么多的时间。他们会捐赠给他们参与过的组织，比如自己的礼拜堂或家人上过的大学；他们遇到过的组织，比如临终关怀团体；或者是那些做了很多广告的组织，比如圣裘德儿童医院。 

Through this process, I’ve realized that a central question for the nonprofit world is how to reach new people and attract new donors. 

在这一过程中，我认识到非营利组织世界的一个核心问题就是如何接触新的人群，并吸引新的捐赠人。 

So how has this experience changed my perspective as a donor? In truth, not that much. I still want to give money to organizations that help kids from low-income families succeed in school. And I like to see measurable results and open communication. But I understand better now that I didn’t have a complete picture of the problems fundraisers and nonprofits face. I’ve become more reflective of my own giving practices and sensitive to an organization’s struggles. On the other hand, I don’t think many fundraisers fully understand the donor experience. More opinion essays by donors on these pages might help. 

那么这次经历是如何改变我的捐赠人视角的呢？事实上，并没有改变太多。我仍就想捐赠给那些帮助低收入家庭的孩子在学业上获得成功的组织。以及我喜欢看到可衡量的结果和公开的沟通。但我现在更明白了，我并不完全了解筹款人和非营利组织所面临的问题。我对自己的捐赠行为有了更多反思，对组织的挣扎也更加敏感。但另一方面，我认为筹款人也并不完全了解捐赠人的体验。在《慈善纪事报》上刊登更多关于捐赠人观点的文章，可能会有帮助。 

I recently attended a dinner with a fundraiser from a new organization that I was thinking about supporting. I peppered her with questions and she, in turn, learned about what I valued when donating. While experiences like this aren’t always possible, it’s clearer to me now that a strong donor-organization relationship should include both listening and learning. Each side needs to ask the other, “What do you need and what can I do better?” 

我最近和一个新组织的筹款人一起吃了晚饭，我正在考虑支持这个组织。我向她提出了一些问题，另一边她也了解到了我在捐赠时所看重的。尽管像这样的经历并不总是可能的。但我现在更清楚地认识到，捐赠人与组织之间牢固的关系应该包括倾听和了解。双方都需要问对方：“你需要什么，我能做得更好吗？ 

For my part, I will work harder to be a more informed donor — and do what I can to continue the conversation. 

就我而言，我会更加努力成为一个更了解情况的捐赠人，并尽我所能继续沟通。