TedTalk: The way we think about charity is dead wrong

Dan Pallotta has recently become my favorite TedTalk guest after listening to his speech on charities. It made me appreciate my time at Ronald McDonald House more so than before.  He explains how we have been undermining the causes we love by worrying too much about money and time.  RMDC does a very good job at limiting their overhead costs, but that's why they rely so heavily on their volunteers.  Pallotta explains that it is okay to have overhead costs, how else are these charities going to be able to run?  Another reason RMDH is so successful is because they are not afraid to advertise.  Granted, they have McDonald's backing them, but I knew what Ronald McDonald House was long before I had even started volunteering there.  In his speech he explains that advertising makes charities successful and we, as donors, need to get over the fact that charities have to spend money to make money for their cause.  We can not expect every dollar raised to go directly in cash aid, they would run out of funding very quickly.  People use charity as a way to feel good, your everyday Americans are becoming philanthropists because they have some extra money to throw around.  Pallotta went on to say how sometimes time is better than money and you need to volunteer instead of just throwing your dollars around.  

"So Disney can make a new $200 million movie that flops, and nobody calls the attorney general. But you do a little $1 million community fundraiser for the poor, and it doesn't produce a 75 percent profit to the cause in the first 12 months, and your character is called into question"

I really enjoyed this TedTalk because it made complete sense.  It just took someone, like Dan Pallotta to say I had the wrong idea, and I totally see why now.  This definitely changed the way I think about my volunteering time.  I know that they use me to do the work they can't afford to hire people to do.  It is nice to feel appreciated.

Watch here!