Angels (or Devils) in Waiting: The Controversy Over Helping (or Exploiting) the Suleman Octoputlets

This week I choose to explore the controversy surrounding "octo-mom" Nadya Suleman and examine her ability to care for her children. Over the past two weeks the unemployed single mother of 14 children has sold photos of her children to tabloids and magazines around the world and has collected approximately $367,000. While her recent celebrity appearances and interviews have generated fame and fortune, it seems that Nadya Suleman still does not have the means to keep even her bare-boned lifestyle intact. As she is on the verge of loosing the home that she shares with her mother, Nadya Suleman has wishful ambitions to go back to school to become the provider for her family. Her poor judgment has alarmed the nation and caused various organizations to intervene and volunteer their services to help the family. Recently, both the Los Angles Times and the Long Beach Press Telegram reported that a charity called Angels In Waiting is willing to offer the octuplets housing, counseling, and care for 6 months at no charge. There have been many blog comments debating if the charity is using its offer as a publicity stunt to exploit the octuplets and gain exposure or if they are sincerely trying to help the children. Furthermore, Nadya Suleman has set up her own online donation page and many have blogged about the merits of her page and speculated about where the donation will actually go. Ultimately the question remains who is really benefiting from whom?

"Octuplets Grandfather pleads for money on Oprah: Angels in Waiting offers home and full time care"
Comment

You argue that the donations given to Angels in Waiting go to Nayda Suleman. In reality it will be her children that will receive the direct benefit through care and services, as no money will be given directly to her. Giving to charities that are run by professional nurses and caretakers such as “Angels” are a much better alternative than giving directly to “Nadya Suleman Family Website” where “donations” are more likely to go directly toward enabling Ms. Suleman’s maniacal and narcissistic behavior. Few would argue that Nadya Suleman lacks the capacity to raise these children, but the children should not be punished for their mother’s ineptness. I think it is wrong to argue that there will be a drop in donations to “Angels” because ultimately the Suleman children are the ones that need help more than any children I can think of. There is no doubt that some donors will be turned off by the association of “Angels” with the cause célèbre of the octuplets, but ultimately the press and publicity associated with helping with octuplets will be a springboard to raise more donations and in turn help more families and children than the charity would not have been able to support with its previous donor base. These children may group up to change world and by providing them with proper care at this stage in their development we can insure that they have the right foundation to live healthy productive lives.

"Octuplets' Mother Gets a Giant Babysitting Offer"
Comment

It is shameful to see charities such as “Angels in Waiting” and people like Gloria Allred try to exploit the Suleman octuplets for publicity and fame. The offer made by “Angels” is neither sincere nor realistic. It is reported that the monthly cost to support these children is $135,000 and it a hard to believe that a charity like “Angels” has the funds to provide such support to the Seleman’s. Furthermore, the offer was given via e-mail and has an expiration date for this Thursday (2/26/2009), a few days after the babies are expected to be released from the hospital, which leads one to believe that the neither the delivery method nor ability to respond to the offer are realistic. There is an implicit ethical morality that charities are not supposed to profit from the people they are trying to help. Offering free services to Nadya Suleman enables her to use more of the money she is receiving from exploiting her children through the sale of pictures to tabloids to fuel her need for celebrity. There will be a time when Ms. Suleyman will no longer be able to care for her children and child welfare services will take on their care. Although Ms. Suleyman has her own issues, society needs to stop creating celebrities out of people with problem and in this case need to stop exploiting eight innocent children. I applaud the Learning Channel for not pursuing a reality show with Nadya Suleman and networks for turning down her demands for $2 million dollars for her first interview . It is a poor reflection on our society when media outlets stop exploiting issues and non-profit organizations try to gain off them. To be quite honest, blogging on the subject is likely to further perpetuating exploitation of the octuplets and inflate the celebrity of Nadya Suleman.

Stop the Recession: Volunteer to Save the Economy

These days the primary topic of conversation is the current worldwide financial crisis. Every day newspaper headlines report about the declining stock market, the continuing rate of home foreclosures (pictured left), and the decrease in GDP. Just as the recession is causing increased levels of unemployment in the corporate world, it is also creating strife in the non-profit sector. Cuts in non-profit organizations hit society twice as hard- not only do they result in job losses, but they also correspond with a diminishing level of vital services in the community. Clearly this downturn has contributed to more than just the overall negative mood of the economy- it has also hurt the American morale and diminished the spirit of fundraising. With "Hope" and "Change" as his credo, President Barack Obama recently encouraged active citizenship and has drafted legislation in the most recent Economic Stimulus Plan in order to regenerate a sense of community involvement and in turn create resurgence in the economy.

It is imperative to first understand the current economic fluxes in the non-profit sector, then to examine how these changes have adversely effected fundraising, and finally discuss ways to ameliorate the present situation. A report from the Association of Fundraising Professionals explained that the 4th quarter of the year is typically the most lucrative season for non-profit organizations. From October to December charities typically raise up to one half of their yearly monetary donations, however, 2008 proved to be lackluster in comparison to previous years as most organizations fell significantly below past years donation totals. As a result of these shortcomings, food banks are now running low on resources, homeless shelters are over capacity, and nursing homes and hospitals are understaffed to name just a few social services that have been hit hard by the economic crisis. Thus a severe imbalance has been created: more people need to utilize social welfare services, yet fewer organizations are capable of accommodating the growing needs of society.

While companies in every industry are laying off members of their staff, the plunge in employment in non-profit organizations is a serious threat to the nation’s job market. Less commonly known, non-profit organizations make up ten percent of the American work force. With 9.4 million employees and 4.7 million volunteers nationwide, non-profits consist of more people then the auto and financial industries combined. Therefore the effects of staggering employment rates and evaporating funds in non-profits trickle to other larger segments of the workforce causing a domino effect of hardships in the overlying economy. Yet with all of this information readily available, non-profits have only recently been considered a topic in the economic debates.

Following negotiations in Congress, the House of Representatives passed the compromise version of the Economic Stimulus Plan last week. The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 passed both branches of Congress and is very likely to be signed into law by Obama this Tuesday. The purpose of the Act includes, "to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery as well as to assist those most impacted by the recession.” While the bill grants $50 million for the National Endowment of the Arts, $50 million for a new program designed to strengthen non-profit groups, and $200 million for AmeriCorps, critics of the bill feel that not nearly enough has been done to support the non-profit sector. The bill does not include money for either the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or for Social Services Block Grants, which give money to states to offer social services to vulnerable people among other potentially beneficial charities that can help the economy.

Understanding the dynamics of the current fragile economy and the importance of community service work, Obama (pictured below) seeks to emulate his predecessors to motivate as well as provide incentive for citizens to volunteer. In an advertisement in this weekend's NBA all-star games Obama requested small favors from the citizens of America hoping that such small actions will improve the economy from the bottom up. Restructuring the format of philanthropy, Obama does not ask American’s to open their wallets to spur change, instead he asks for people to donate their time and services. Although such actions do not produce immediate monetary gains, the impact of reading to a child or assisting a youth group to beautify a community park may offer the feel-good bond needed to unite people in such a bleak economic situation as well as enable American’s to confront and surmount their present struggles together.

Following the precedent of John F. Kennedy’s legendary “Ask not what your country can do for you” speech, Obama plans to create more opportunities for Americans to serve their country and hopes that the American will to help will prevail and conquer the perils of the current economy. His websites USAservice.org and MyBarackObama.com present a multitude of options to support charities and organizations in which people can volunteer their time rather than their money. Building off Clinton’s AmeriCorps Foundation, the Serve America Act aims “to expand and improve domestic and international service opportunities for all Americans.” Creating such an act enables individuals in every stage of life and with any type of interest to have a position in addition to an obligation to meet specific national challenges. Moreover, Obama provides incentive to citizens for their contributions. The President hopes to incorporate service learning early on in the education system so that children will be inspired and committed to a lifetime of service. Additionally Obama wants to employ programs in which student volunteers earn a college tax cut of four thousand dollars off annual tuition for every hundred hours of community service completed while a student is in high school. For working adults Obama also plans to enact a tax incentive for employers who allow employees to take paid leave for full time service. Lastly, Obama hopes to structure service programs with the needs of retirees in mind by providing legislation that will enhance incentive for retirees to give a year of service.

By giving every individual a position in society and a forum to contribute in not only boosts American’s morale, but also contributes to increasing levels of productivity. Thus each individual that volunteers has the potential to alleviate the present financial hardships and remove the current constraints imposed by this recession.

Building the Basics: Entering the Blogosphere and Assembling my Linkroll

Whether an individual is financially thriving or caught amidst economic hardships, every person ultimately faces the same question: to give or not to give? Each individual has a different reason to give, for some it may be out of religious command or out of the desire to memorialize a loved one, while for others giving can be a way to discover the meaning of life or even a way to benefit from tax advantages. Whatever the motivating force, the fact remains that charity is a pillar of society and through this blog I hope to educate readers about the current events in fundraising, encourage readers to scrutinize the principles of charities, and inspire readers to embark in their on charitable causes.

As a new blogger and an experienced philanthropist, I would like to first introduce myself and share my background in fundraising. My name is Sherri Moradian and I am in my final year at the University of Southern California studying psychology. My passion for fundraising developed thirteen years ago with the birth of my cousin with cerebral palsy. After observing the difficulties, both financially and emotionally, for families with children with disabilities my family established a non-profit organization to raise money for various children's hospitals and organizations that help individuals with special needs. For the past ten years the organization has been flourishing with its annual events hosted by notable speakers and celebrities such as Stevie Wonder, Deepak Chopra (pictured left at the 2005 Looking Beyond Gala), and Team Hoyt. Since then I have been driven to be involved in a variety of other charitable organizations and have gained first hand experience volunteering and organizing events in the non-profit world.

Thus as the topic of non-profit organizations is close to my heart, I scoured the web to find recent and relevant information using various search tools such as Google Directory, BlogScholar, Cuil, and Metacrawler in order to generate the linkroll to the right that boasts blogs and websites of the utmost depth and quality. By applying the standards of the Webby Awards and IMSA I was able to discern between the information I encountered on the web and selected over twenty sources of the highest caliber for my linkroll. I was surprised and delighted when I discovered a plethora of resources on my topic ranging from religious organizations such as the World Relief Fund and the American Jewish World Service Fund, to foundations safeguarding wildlife and the environment such as the World Wildlife Fund and organizations for children such as the Ronald McDonald Foundation.

The best website that I came across is Charity Navigator. This site upholds the requirements set forth by the Webby Awards as it presents a wealth of information, it is easy to navigate and it is aesthetically pleasing to viewers. Additionally, the best blog that that I encountered is PhilanTopic, as it too fulfills the IMSA standards and presents authorship, sophistication and depth on the topic.

I am excited to be a part of the blogosphere community, and hope that the work I present will be of value to the readers as well as help me establish a position as an influential and informed member of the blogosphere in the field of philanthropy.