Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient, and Rewarding for All

Eighty-four Americans volunteer with a charity, and $200 billion is contributed every year. "Begging for Change" summarizes Robert Egger looking back on his experiences (first running successful night clubs, then a non-profit kitchen and training program) and offering his critique of the $800 billion non-profit world in general. A key Egger point is that non-profits need to ask: "Are you perpetuating a cycle of need and dependency?" Today charity is governed by innumerable individuals and their egos, many of which are "business-as-usual" career do-gooders who've never run their own company. Many duplicate each others' services and fight each other for funding. They talk of how many were fed or sheltered, but not about how many got out of dependency. There now are more than 1.5 million non-profits, and their latest evolution is to "realize" that they have to pay those at the top well to attract good people. Thus, in D.C. there are about 25,000 non-profits, requiring over $1.5 billion just for CEO and executive director salaries! Yet, over 70% have revenues less than $500,000/year, and neither government nor Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand" act to make those that are ineffective go away. Many should. In addition, there is the needless complexity added by multiple funding sources and their frequent "strings." One non-profit gets its $20 million from 161 sources - think of all the attention required to mind all those masters! Egger started a training program for cooks, food-handlers, and servers - thus, both offering them a "hand-up" (instead of just a "hand-out") and substantially reducing the need for full-time assistants. Many fail, but many more succeed; even a substantial number of those that fail initially (drug tests, absences) reform, come back, and later complete the program. Another important Egger point is that companies interested in helping the poor should first focus on paying their own employees well enough so that they can succeed, rather than paying them so little that they cannot succeed and then wondering how to help others that are downtrodden. Another Egger innovation was to realize that local catering services were always being leaned on by non-profits to provide deeply discounted services. Egger offered to take that business over with his staff in training - and thus relieved them of a burden while providing his trainees with an important opportunity to demonstrate their talents first-hand to society's higher-ups. He also briefly illustrates examples where organizations provide for-profit services while focusing on hiring those with checkered or limited backgrounds. Egger points out that the aging Baby Boom will soon provide a test of our social services as they move into old age and increasingly require more services. Finally, Egger suggests that "more" is not always "better." For example, if his organization held a fund-raiser to renovate or acquire new facilities, that would deplete resources available in t

Mr. Egger disputes the convention wisdom about why people should make charitable gifts and how those gifts should be used by the recipient organizations. As an attorney who represents non-profit boards and individuals contemplating major charitable donations, I have given Robert Egger's book "Begging for Change" to both groups of clients. The universal response has been extremely positive. Mr. Egger not only encourages donors to think through the goals and directions of their largesse but also challenges non-profit executives to use their creativity and a systems approach to improve the delivery and multiplier effect of their charitable services. Too often donors just write a check to feel good and non-profit executives do the "same old, same old" with no effect. Random acts of kindness are good, but reasoned giving coupled with creativity and a systems approach are better.

This is an excellent book. The author has great expertise in his field and has a wealth of knowledge to share. I also work in the non-profit world and I learned a great deal from this book. Mr. Egger is honest, straight forward and has "been there" and has fifteen years of experience to support his opinions and solutions to very difficult social problems. Mr. Egger's writing style is clear and very easy to follow. This man knows of what he speaks. An excellent book for anyone working or planning to work in the social justice field. At last, someone who is not afraid to stand up and tell the truth. Don't miss it!

This is an excellent book. The author has great expertise in his field and has a wealth of knowledge to share. I also work in the non-profit world and I learned a great deal from this book. Mr. Egger is honest, straight forward and has "been there" and has fifteen years of experience to support his opinions and solutions to very difficult social problems.

Deceptively simple, Eggers basically offers a challenge for businesses, foundations, individuals, governments, and yes, nonprofits to stop thinking of the nonprofit community as merely the recipients of our charity and start seeing them as real - and accountable - agents for social change.This is the kind of book I normally avoid like the plague, a book purporting to offer a solution for social issues in 200 pages or less. But Egger's pugnacious prose makes sure that we understand that he knows he doesn't have all the answers, but that sitting back bemoaning the complexity of the issues is letting someone else set the agenda for what our society looks like. Innovate or die, he challenges the nonprofit community. Don't start throwing millions of dollars into "charity work," he challenges the business community, if you aren't paying your own employees a living wage. Ask what impact your work is having, he challenges volunteers, and focus your efforts on making something happen, not just making yourself feel good. Egger's book is thoughtful and engaging...and you get the feeling that he finds out you're not doing as you should, he would have no reservations calling you out at high noon, guns drawn.