A Comment on MacArthur Fellows and Human Nature in Nonprofit Organizations

Happy Friday!  What a week its been. Wouldn’t it be great if someone knocked on your office door one day, or interrupted another obligatory faculty meeting to announce that you are such a quiet and dedicated charitable genius that you deserve $800,000?  And we hope you spend it to continue your charitable work.  As if you, as an individual, were a whole nonprofit organization that just landed a big donation, no strings attached. An unrestricted charitable contribution the donors take on faith that you will spend furthering your lifelong charitable endeavors.  No matter how passionate I, as a walking and talking charity, might be about the cause for which I have suddenly been funded, I would still be tempted to spend lavishly  On the cause, of course, but in a way that benefits me.  I am just being honest, you can’t just be giving me $800,000.  Suddenly, my charitable work might need new digs, maybe a fancy company car, nights at Taylor Swift concerts, or I might need to travel to exotic places for “research.”  Maybe that’s why the MacArthurs haven’t knocked on my door.  They know I can’t trust me.  Human nature, being what it is, requires external restraints.  I am not sure we have enough external constraints on human nature in civil society.  

darryll k. jones