Charity customers
The article
Over 20 years ago, Mark Kramer wrote an article for the Chronicle of Philanthropy entitled "Who Exactly are the 'Customers' of a Nonprofit Organization?" The article delved into this question and the complexities of the donor's relationship with charitable organizations and vice versa. A focal point for Mr. Kramer was the accountability aspect in charity transactions.
According to the article, one key issue arises in these relationships when nonprofits stretch to meet the requirements of diverse groups (i.e., institutional donors, individual donors, volunteers, and recipients of services and programs). The issue becomes particularly acute when the stretching is associated with core values. At the end of the article, Kramer summarizes what he considers the ultimate stumbling block: "The problem is, no organization can follow three unrelated strategies to create three different kinds of value for three separate constituencies. A single, overarching strategy must be developed to simultaneously meet the needs of all three "customers" in a way that is both internally consistent and mutually reinforcing."
Mite's perspective
Historically, Mite has clarified and revised our mission and vision. Our purpose - to Make Giving Better - has always been clear and held to without wavering. But how Mite expresses its purpose to our "customers" is something that our leadership has wrestled with. When referring to customers, we mean our donors, partners, and the recipients of the Mite programs. We serve you and are honored to do so.
Mite core purpose
In our service, we assure our community that we will not allow any group of customers to influence the core values or purpose for which Mite was founded. We promise that we will avoid the key stretching issues related above. In case you were not aware of Mite's mission and vision, it is as follows:
Mission:Going above and beyond to help donors know how their money is used.
We believe this mission statement captures our commitment to creating a uniquely excellent experience for our donors, incorporating all the benefits of the Mite process. Those benefits are also our core values, and they include inspiration, engagement, transparency, and celebration. We are truly united in our Mission with all of our donors. We strive to build trust in our process and thorough awareness of how our donors' contributions benefit those in need.
Vision:Make giving better.
Simple, but very large! Our vision sees a world where people understand what true charity is. It is a vision of redemption. It is a God-sized vision that will take the work of the Almighty to accomplish. We believe God will allow us to work with Him on it!
Not stretching
So our "customers" will not change Mite's mission, vision, or core beliefs. However, in answer to Mr. Kramer's title question, we know who our customers are. They are the people and organizations that, by God's direction, work with us to accomplish that great task put before us. Together we will see the task completed, and the world will see charity as God intended it.