Nonprofit Organization/Community Association - Essay Example

College: Nonprofit Organization- Associated Black Charities of Maryland Introduction A nonprofit organization refersto any incorporated firm that exists for charitable or educational reasons, and from which trustess or shareholders receive no financial benefits. They are organized groups with the aim of generating profits being not a necessity (Powell & Steinberg 1). Moreover, no organizational income is shared among its members, officers, or even directors. Consequently, non-profit firms are habitually referred to as non-stock entitites in which any earned cash must be kept by the firm, and utilized for its own expenditures, programs, or operations. Non-profit corporations could take such forms as conglomerates, individual enterprises, partnerships, foundations, unincorporated associations, or condominiums (Anheier 53). Nonprofit corporations must be authorized as nonprofit firms during their creation and may only follow purposes allowed by non-profit organizational statutes. Across the world, non-profit corporations include public charities, churches, public schools, public hospitals and clinics, legal aid societies, research institutes, political organizations, museums, labor unions, volunteer services organizations, professional institutions, and some governmental bodies among others. The Baltimore area has a number of non-profit organizations. Each non-profit corporation covers a particular issue, although some may cover multiple, interrelated issues. Among the leading non-profit organizations are those interested in preserving and fighting for the rights of the blacks. This has been attributed to the decline in the blacks’ population in the region over the recent past. The continued decline in the population of the blacks in the city has raised a lot of concern. While the numbers may be relatively modest, this trend is not only troubling but also surprising. After all, Baltimore’s reknown urban problems are strangely concentrated within the black communities, offering inspiration to depart for those able to do so. This paper looks at such problems and how the society can overcome them. The paper will utilize a case study of the Maryland’s Associated Black Charities (ABC) to help in analysis of this issue. ABC: Organizational Overview ABC is an American public foundation, which aids in the establishment of evidently wealthier and healthier communities across Maryland State via responsible leadership, philanthropic investment, and education. ABC is a leading catalyst for nationwide community improvement and problem solving within the African-American community. Therefore, ABC is a principal campaigner of exploration and public strategy on issues affecting African Americans, as well as the wider community. For more than two decades, ABC has been committed towards the creation of strong, economically viable, and healthy communities in creation of a better life, particularly for the African-American families and children (ABC para 1). The corporation, over the years, has risen into a respectable convener, grantmaker, and advocate dealing with such issues as family preservation, health promotion, economic empowerment, community revitalization, HIV/AIDS, and youth development. ABC has been broadly acknowledged for its technical and funding assistance towards faith- and community-based organizations. Organizational Mission The ABC is leading public foundation, which fosters the construction of noticeably wealthier and healthier communities across the Maryland State via philanthropic investment and responsible leadership. This has been the organizational mission throughout the years (ABC para 1). History and Purpose of Existence ABC was set up in 1985 to stand for, as well as respond, to diverse special and noteworthy issues affecting the African American communities in Maryland (ABCa 1). Since its establishment in 1985, the Associated Black Charities has been greately committed towards the creation of a healthy, stronger, as well as economically viable community, to enhance a better livelihood, particularly for the African-American families and children. ABC is the only regional African American philanthropic corporation offering harmonized leadership on the diverse issues affecting the colored communities of the State of Maryland (ABC para 2). The corporation has unselfishly promoted the rights of the African American community across the state via such events as grant-making, fundraising events, donor advised funds, and investments. Over the past two decades, ABC has successfully raised, as well as distributed over one hundred and ten million dollars to commendable families (ABC para 3). Foundational Basis ABC was established to cultivate, secure, as well as direct, intellectual and financial capital towards the development of self-sustaining, competitive, and cooperative communities. Its foundation was triggered by the concern that diverse needs within the African-American lacked sufficient attention. This led to the coming together of a group of businesspersons and ministers witihin Maryland to champion a corporation that would raise, as well as distribute funds, to various organizations targeting diverse needs within these communities. The organization has been drawn in the design of several initiatives and will remain a principal partner in solicitation of local community involvement. Consequently, ABC has and still serves on review committees, advisory committees, and task force aimed at championing the rights of the blacks within the Baltimore area and the wider Maryland State (ABC para 1). ABC Main Focus on Issues Affecting Urban Black Community As mentioned above, ABC fosters the establishment of measurably wealthier and healthier communities across Maryland State via philanthropic investment and responsible leadership. It aims at building a wealth initiative aiming at bridging wealth differences in Maryland, as well as strengthening the regional and state’s economic competitiveness. ABC was established to cultivate, secure, as well as direct, intellectual and financial capital towards the development of self-sustaining, competitive, and cooperative communities. The formation of this organization was anchored on the need to streamline racial prejudice directed against the African-American population in Maryland State. According to ABCa (2), Baltimore reached its peak in 1950s but it has been on the decrease since then. Over the last number of decades, working families- frequently middle-class, and frequently white- have moved from Baltimore city into the neighboring suburbs, thereby creating a city, which currently has two-thirds African-American population and chiefly low-income. Most neighborhoods have diminished with population, thereby losing the retail and cultural centers, which residents once depended upon. Consequently, local employment opportunities have disappeared. Community leaders, residents, as well as businesses, have been working towards revitalization of their city, and re-building their urban economy, though many neighborhoods remain impaired. Moreover, physical decay marks the persisting economic disparities, which fall along racial outlines. Description of Staff Interaction ABC is a secular intermediary, which recruits its staff on merit only. Its workforce has many social workers and social scientists that provide technical support and grants to firms across Maryland and Baltimore City on diverse issues of special importance to the African-American communities living in the state. Its staff must have some quantifiable expertize in family preservation, economic empowerment, health promotion, community revitalization, and youth development (ABCa 3). Consequently, the corporation advocates for cooperation among the staff members, especially between the black and whites, to drive its course. For instance, ABC’s Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Program focuses on organizational group trainings, assessments, and sub-awards. These activities bring together a number of departments and their success solely relies on favorable interactions among the involved parties. Organizational Funding The ABC commenced with a one hundred thousand dollars planning award from United Way, 3 staff members, a committed Board of Directors, as well as a cadre of donors and volunteers dedicated to sacrificing their talent, time, and resources in order to improve the livelihoods of Maryland communities. ABC conducts its business via grant making, donor advised funds, investments, fundraising events, as well as well-wishers. The incomes acquired from ABC’s philanthropic work let the fund to increase its capacity of grant making and advance its communities’ quality of life dramatically. Via this essential work, ABC has fruitfully managed more than 110 million dollars in grant funds. In addition, ABC leads the African-American Philanthropy initiative, an initiative created to advance, encourage, as well as foster organized philanthropy within the African-American community (ABC para 1). ABC, via increased understanding of the charitable options of giving in the African-American community, has facilitated donors’ additional intention of providing financial assets, which satisfy the requirements of the community. Presently celebrating its 28th anniversary, ABC goes on to address issues of wealth building and economic empowerment, and the rising health differences affecting the regional communities. With foundations, corporations, individual donors, and other private and public funds’ investment, ABC continues raising and distributing funds for meeting the present and emerging requirements of the African-American communities across the Maryland State. Obstacles Facing the Organization and Means of overcoming them According to ABC (para 2) scholars and policy makers understand that ABC has no capacity of “boiling the ocean” since it cannot help in problem resolution for all issues contributing towards the regional health and wealth outcomes. Consequently, the corporation’s problem solving policy looks for transformative and transactional means of increasing economic assets for the low wage community members, increasing assets for the colored professionals, and increasing African-American college students’ economic potential. In addition, the strategy aims at changing the specific outcomes of health particularly relating to childhood diseases, and increasing the population of economically workable African-American businesses. Conclusion Non-profit corporations could take such forms as corporations, individual enterprises, partnerships, foundations, unincorporated associations, or condominiums. The Baltimore area has several non-profit corporations, with the ABC being one of them. ABC is a charitable organization that aims at championing the rights and interests of the African-Americans residing in the Maryland State. Its foundation draws back to the need of harnessing and harmonizing wealth creation and distribution, which proved to be a major challenge within the state. Through facing these challenges, Maryland has improved families and societal economic outcomes. This has seen the bridging of the gap between the whites and blacks, and an expansion of the black middle class in Baltimore. Consequently, ABC has played a key role in ensuring that the contemporary families thrive, thereby passing an economically important city to the coming generations. Works Cited Anheier, Helmut K. Nonprofit Organizations: Theory, Management, Policy. New Jersey: Routledge, 2005. Print. Associated Black Charities (ABC). Company Website. 2013. Web. 21 March 2013, http://www.abc-md.org/ Associated Black Charities (ABCa). Expanding Baltimore’s Black Middle Class: Workforce Strategies for Advancing Prosperity. June 2010. Web. 21 March 2013, http://www.abc-md.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Expanding-Baltimores-Black-Middle-Class-Workforce-Strategies-for-Advancing-Prosperity.pdf Powell, Walter W, and Richard Steinberg. The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. Internet resource. Read More