The most listened-to radio show in America got it wrong again last week. Conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh said about nonprofit staff: “Bunch of lazy idiots. Many of them don’t want to really work. Nonprofits siphon contributions . . . these people are rapists, in terms of finance and economy.”
We like what Robert Egger had to say on the subject [click here for his video response], but maybe Rush is right for once. We nonprofit staff are so lazy we would rather follow environmental regulations than create huge amounts of work for ourselves trying to cap mismanaged oil wells. We’re so lazy we’d rather advocate for preventive care than suffer from chronic illness and expensive treatments. Many nonprofit staff are so lazy they don’t even bother to collect paychecks: they’re volunteers.
And talk about idiotic: we’re such idiots we thought we could get the vote for women, Medicare for the elderly, and regulations against unsafe toys. We thought it was okay for kids in wheelchairs to go to regular schools. We thought we could overturn apartheid in South Africa.
If we’re accomplishing this much being “lazy idiots,” maybe by working a little harder we could get rid of hateful, inaccurate radio hosts?
* Less than a week after we ran the story on the demise of the Vanguard Foundation, a principal character — “Mouli” Cohen — was arrested in Los Angeles and indicted on 19 counts of wire fraud and 13 counts of money laundering. Cohen (no relation to Blue Avocado writer Rick Cohen) had convinced donors and investors connected with the Vanguard Public Foundation to invest nearly $30 million of the foundation’s funds and their own monies in a get-very-rich-quick stock scheme.
In the October 5, 2010, issue of Blue Avocado, we will return to the story, but shift the focus away from Mouli and the apparent con and — with the help of many former Vanguard staff, donors and board members — explore how it was possible for Vanguard to collapse, especially with so many red flags over such a long period of time.
* In this issue foundation executive Pam David has some startling things to say about fleas and elephants and philanthropy. Plus we have a practical guide to Advisory Boards, Ask Rita on domestic violence in the workplace, and a First Person Nonprofit story about the Rotary Club.
Oh, and have a lazy, idiotic end-of-summer. — Jan Masaoka
I presume I am an idiot.
Great ‘food-4-thought’ (as usual) . . . TKU! RA
Please keep your left-wing comments to yourself. You poison what could be a good newsletter and maybe helpful to nonprofits by injecting your views, about which we do not care!
I’d be curious to know the full context of the Limbaugh remarks. You used a “Media Matters” and they’re hardly a credible source when it comes to certain issues.
Fair is fair.
The reason why we chose the link to Media Matters was because they had a recording of the radio show on their site, rather than most sites which quoted the show in writing. We wanted readers to be able to hear the recording for themselves. Thanks for asking!
Media Matters is about as far Left as you can get, and hardly an unbiased organization. Their work has damaged America. Citing them as a source does not help your cause.
These comments are so indicative of where we are in the U.S. right now. Many in goverment, nonprofits, for profits, and politics are so quick to point the finger about what is wrong. Why can’t we have civil discourse and work as a group to make this a better place. I am so tired of finger pointing and mistrust. Help!
Kudos to you on the Rush Limbaugh response. I hope you send him a signed, framed copy! I’ve been in the non-profit world for 2.5 years and have never worked harder in my life (and for less pay!). Lazy people don’t pick activism as their calling, they sit behind microphones in cushioned chairs and rant about issues they’re too lazy to do anything about.
Thanks for sticking up for all of us!
Well said!
You provide a wonderful service to the nonprofit world. If leading a class, I always recommend your web site. Thank you very much!!
In response to your comment about Rush Limbaugh and "lazy idiots"…….prehaps you should listen to the full three hours of Mr. Limbaugh’s program and not take his comments out of context. That said, I do enjoy Blue Avocado and have found it to be very helpful over the years.
Lynn, thank you so much for taking the time to make this comment! Jan
I am writing in response to your article about Rush’s stupidity. My concern is that you perpetuate the common misunderstanding that most nonprofit staff are volunteers and are not paid. This is simply not true and makes those of us that receive a salary look bad.
Ben, thanks for this comment. I agree that it’s a common misperception and I hope I didn’t contribute to its credibility. If you take all the people that labor in the nonprofit sector, it’s true that more hours are put in by volunteers than by paid staff (assuming, which is problemmatic, that the statistics on volunteering are accurate), but your point is a good one and well taken.
You go girl! Loved your Rush Limbaugh response! You are the best!
Honestly? I have worked with quite a few lazy idiots who would have never been able to make it in the corporate sector. Nonprofits have many dedicated employees who are passionate and hard workers… but there are also many people who are incapable of effectively running an organization, misuse funds, and bankrupt their charity.
To those who actually listen, Rush’s main statement on nonprofits is that non-profits depend on those who make profits. Why are people so quick to criticize the “greedy capitalists” when it’s the greedy money makers who are so quick to donate their money to nonprofits?
My fellow nonprofit coworkers work hard and passionately, but I have also seen quite a few come and go… they were too lazy to complete their tasks on time, they stole money from our clients, and they had no real concern for our mission.
How is that different from corporations? I worked in the corporate world for many many years, and never saw as many hardworking people as in the nonprofit world.
To Jan: Right on. After 48 years of writing about and working with nonprofits I’ll keep on doing my lazy idiotic activities. Thanks. Alvin H. Reiss, editor, Arts Management, author, CPR For Nonprofits.
Rush and other alleged conservatives would not be saying such things if pietistic radicals claiming to be liberals had not waged a relentless effort over the last century to silence other voices in the nonprofit sector. That effort is well documented by historian Peter Dobkin Hall in his book, “Inventing the Nonprofit Sector” (2001). The arrogance and utter contempt for humanity shown by these radicals in excluding competing visions thereby creating an intellectual imbalance for an entire sector is what Rush is really railing against. I understand this very well as a rare Republican in the nonprofit sector. Everyday I am belittled by uncaring, selfish, sanctimonious, “Lefter Than Thou” Democrats who think they know what’s best for me and don’t want to hear from me my preferences. They take Hillary Clinton’s tone in response when I do get a word in on my behalf, “How dare you question me when I am doing this for you.” If we as a sector are going to get stronger, we need to be more inclusive and tolerant, and less rabidly pietistic in our radicalism.
Okay! You first.
Rush is an idiot, and I’m not even a wacky democrat!