Guest Blogger, Cindy Willard: Why is doing 'good' so complicated?

Examples of simple projects that are changing the face of philanthropy

It might be the heat of summer, but I’m feeling less than inspired these days. I’ve been in the world long enough now that there are times I lose faith looking at the slow pace of change and the complicated processes we have created in the third sector. Are we making things too complicated for our own good?

So I thought I’d share a couple of interesting ideas I’ve recently heard of so we can all consider some new ways of doing business that might simplify our programs and get strong results.

Here’s a simple idea – give everyone some support. I recently read an article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review on a pilot aid program, in Namibia known as Basic Income Grants (BIG). The article “Namibia Experiments with Aid for All” by Suzie Boss shares an optimistic approach to poverty alleviation in a country where the wealth distribution is the most unequal in the world. The concept is simple – every person in the pilot village, from birth to age 60, receives $13 each month. There are no strings attached. Everyone is included.

Consider the results for such a simple program; improvements since the implementation of BIG include better child nutrition, lower crime, improved health care and the villagers’ income has increased by more than the amount of the monthly stipend. New businesses have sprung up including a bakery, dressmaker and brickmaking operation. The villagers have also set up a group of advisors to offer counsel on spending the dollars as well as closing bars on distribution days.

So, no applications, no screenings, no gathering of every government document you’ve ever been issued, no justification or judgment for receiving funds. Just some positive results and easy distribution.

Here’s an example stateside included in a recent article in USA Today. From a “study to be published later this year in Reading Psychology, students in 17 high-poverty elementary schools in Florida and, for three consecutive years, gave each child 12 books, from a list the students provided, on the last day of school. In all, 852 students received books each year, paid for mostly by federal Title I money.

Three years later, researchers found that those students who received books had "significantly higher" reading scores, experienced less of a summer slide and read more on their own each summer than the 478 who didn't get books.” There was no application process to get the books, and at least at first glance, no reports or conditions at the end of the summer.

Now, the schools selected did have a higher percentage of low-income students, but once the school was selected, the students were randomly divided into two groups. Just books in kids hands. Fifty dollars in books, or thousands of dollars in remedial tutoring. You decide which is less complicated.

And funding is no less intricate. I was recently on a panel for a federal grant review. The funding opportunity announcement was 43 pages, the application could be 150 pages, and the review needed so much explanation, I had a 27 page document to help me score the applications. Holy cow! And all this for a one in 13 chance to receive roughly $100,000 for one year.

Replication of these great, simple ideas is not a given. It is tricky, but so is complexity. I’m not naïve enough to think that all problems are easily solved, but I do think we’ve gone over the edge a bit on the complexity of programs and funding. I wonder what would happen if we tried to simplify things for everyone? I’d love to learn about more simple, highly effective programs and funds that can fuel our collective good work.

 - Cindy Willard, Private Foundation Sr. Program Officer