Last weekend I was in Detroit visiting a friend and stopped at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Besides the unexpected bonus of free admission (woo hoo! my kind of price range!), I came across a piece in the African art section that perfectly captured my sentiments regarding in-fighting among agencies within the nonprofit sector.
It's two crocdiles crossed at the middle so that they share one stomach. The meaning behind the symbol is that two crocs that share one stomach shouldn't fight over food.
I haven't run across too much of the competition between agencies personally, but I've heard stories and I know how some organizations I've talked to about Ohio Benefit Bank are a little standoffish until I say I'm an Americorps volunteer representing a free service and they realize I'm not another agency in competition with them.
There is some kind of bad blood I don't totally understand between the two food banks in Toledo and I'm sure there are agencies around the city with similar missions that don't work together because they are more focused on their own numbers and success.
It's silly and petty. And they should really take notes from the Africans.
No comments:
Post a Comment