Ideally, a Community Service Organization (CSO) would help anyone and everyone that asked for help but, in the current climate of ever-dwindling resources, can you actually help everyone? As resources become scarcer, Community Service Organizations may need to start triaging the situations of their recipients to decide how they can best help those that are most able to be benefited (i.e. Maximize Impact) – necessarily turning away individuals or groups that have the least likelihood of being successfully helped.
Those in need generally fall into one of three categories; (1) Those that can’t help themselves (2) Those that won’t help themselves and (3) Those that would help themselves if given the chance. Clearly the first and third categories would take precedence in a system where resources were scarce and tough decisions had to be made. And with the current structure of Community Service Organizations (CSOs), a system that is unidirectional and top-down, the second category of people would necessarily have to be weeded out as resources decreased, leaving them without services.
But there is a better system – a system that promotes empowerment, independence, incentivization, and the ability to help all people in a way that offers real benefits to those in need – maximizing the outreach of CSOs and offering tangible benefit to the community and society.
Let’s examine the idea of meeting the needs of those in precarity. We will look at the way things are currently being done and then look at a different approach that might better meet the future challenges of providing for those in need.
An Overview of the Current Situation
In an ideal world, a Community Service Organization (CSO) would be equipped to provide aid to anyone and everyone who asks for help. The idea of universal assistance aligns with the core social and humanitarian values of equity, compassion, and support that we hold so dear. However, the reality of limited resources necessitates that we look at more pragmatic approaches to maximize the help that we are able to offer. Resources are already becoming scarce but, in the coming years, they will become even more so. CSOs are already finding themselves in a position where they must make difficult decisions about who to help based on the principle of triage – prioritizing those who can be helped most effectively and efficiently. This approach, while seemingly harsh, is rooted in the fundamental goal of maximizing the overall impact of the organization’s efforts.
The Challenges Facing the Current System
The Ideal of Universal Assistance
The concept of helping everyone in need is deeply ingrained in the mission statements of many Community Service Organizations. This ideal is driven by a vision of a society where every individual receives the support necessary to overcome their challenges and lead fulfilling lives. Universal assistance promotes inclusivity and equality, ensuring that no one is left behind.
The aspiration for universal assistance is commendable and resonates with our core values. However, acknowledging the constraints of limited resources is essential. Recognizing this gap between the ideal and reality is a necessary step for any organization aiming to make a tangible impact. Striking a balance between idealism and pragmatism is what really matters in the situations faced by CSOs today. It’s about doing the most good with what is available, which often means making tough choices about where and how to allocate resources.
The Reality of Limited Resources
Despite the noble aspiration of universal assistance, CSOs operate within the constraints of finite resources. These resources include funding, manpower, time, and materials, all of which are often in short supply relative to the vast and varied needs of the community. This scarcity forces organizations to confront the harsh reality that they cannot help everyone to the same extent or at the same time. The challenge then becomes how to allocate these limited resources in a manner that achieves the greatest good. Give 500 people one meal or 100 five meals?
The Necessity of Triage
Triage, a term borrowed from medical practice, involves prioritizing assistance based on the urgency and likelihood of success. In the context of community service, triage means assessing the needs and circumstances of individuals or groups and determining who can be helped most effectively. This process requires organizations to evaluate several factors, including the severity of need, the potential for positive outcomes, and the individual’s or group’s willingness and ability to engage in the assistance process.
The concept of triage is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of community service efforts. By prioritizing those who can benefit the most, organizations are able to ensure that their limited resources yield the best possible outcomes. This approach is not about deeming some individuals as undeserving but rather about making strategic decisions to help as many people as effectively as possible.
Helping Those Who Can Help Themselves
One of the key considerations in the triage process is the individual’s willingness to help themselves. This does not imply that those unable to help themselves are less deserving, but rather that limited resources must be directed where they can have the most significant impact. Individuals who demonstrate a readiness to participate in their own economic and social improvement are often prioritized because the chances of successful outcomes are higher.
Focusing on individuals who are willing to engage in their own economic and social improvement is a practical strategy. This can lead to more sustainable and long-term positive outcomes.
The Ethical Dilemma
The necessity of triage raises ethical questions about fairness and justice. Turning away those with the least likelihood of being successfully helped can seem unjust, especially when those individuals are among the most vulnerable. However, the alternative – spreading resources too thinly across too many recipients – can result in minimal impact for all involved. CSOs must navigate this ethical landscape carefully, balancing compassion with practicality.
Maximizing Impact
By focusing on those most likely to benefit from assistance, CSOs can achieve more substantial and lasting outcomes. This strategic allocation of resources can lead to more successful interventions, which in turn can inspire further support from donors and volunteers, potentially increasing the organization’s capacity over time.
The Necessary Conclusions Drawn from the Current System
The ultimate goal of any Community Service Organization must be to create sustainable positive change. This often means making difficult decisions about where to allocate resources.
In an ideal world, CSOs would indeed help anyone and everyone who asks for assistance. However, the reality of limited resources necessitates a triage approach to maximize the effectiveness and impact of their efforts. While this means that some individuals or groups with the least likelihood of success may not receive immediate help, it ensures that the organization’s resources are used in the most efficient way possible, ultimately providing maximum benefit for the community. This pragmatic approach, though challenging, aligns with the overarching goal of providing for those in need while maximizing impact.
A New Approach to Structuring Community Service Organizations (CSOs)
So far, CSOs have always been structured in a top-down and unidirectional model. The “Haves” giving to the “Have Nots” through an intermediary (CSOs). In this model, the aid flows in one direction from top to bottom. This model has proven somewhat successful in meeting the basic needs of those at the bottom, but at what cost?
This unidirectional model has, whether by design or not, created a system where the recipients of aid become increasingly dependent and disempowered. I would propose that this dependence and disempowerment may be by design, to some degree. Certainly, many donors have altruistic intentions, but the system seems to benefit from ensuring that there is a steady supply of recipients as well.
So, why would a system want to ensure that those at the bottom of the social pyramid remain dependent and disempowered? This is the age-old strategy of maintaining power. Keep the “masses” dependent and disempowered so that they are unable to challenge the ruling class and, through dependency, become a steady labor force to propel the wealth generating machinery of the economy. This model of promoting worker dependency does have its economic benefits but only for those at the top of the pyramid. For those closer to the bottom, and especially those at the very bottom, this model creates destitution. It is these “cast-offs” of the system that the CSOs are charged with helping. In such a system, cast-offs are an inevitability and CSOs are a necessary functionary of a system that prioritizes those at the top at the expense of those at the bottom. But those of us toward the bottom of the pyramid, and those of us working in CSOs, don’t necessarily need to settle for dependency and disempowerment. We can change our lot in this system to make it more empowering and promote independence using a circular-lateral system rather than the standard unidirectional top-down system.
Let’s look and see how we can make some real and lasting changes in the way that we structure our organizations.
The Circular-Lateral System
By creating a system where the recipients are empowered to help one another, and themselves, through education, community resources, and the establishment of a network of mutual aid, the recipients are able to develop their own “micro-economy” with the CSO as a hub of information, resources, and governance. In this type of system, there is still an inflow of resources from donors that are managed by the CSO but, the CSO and the recipients are not completely reliant upon the unidirectional flow of assistance from donors. In this type of system, the recipients become their own source of aid and a source of aid to others in their communities. The CSO becomes less of a clearinghouse for resources and more of a generator of resources and opportunities.
As times become more and more difficult and resources more and more scarce, CSOs will need to adopt structures that are able to adapt to the changing circumstances and I believe that this circular-lateral approach is the most promising strategy for CSOs going into an uncertain future.
For more specific information about how to develop a circular-lateral system, go to KommunityKoin. I hope that this information is helpful in redesigning your Community Service Organization for the inevitable challenges of the future.