Thursday, August 26, 2010

Can Nonprofits Survive Isolation...

Today is a day when I heard an interview on the radio which has stayed with me to this moment. Now the title of this post "Can Nonprofits Survive Isolation" was lifted by me from an email (which I have not yet read), but it stuck with me also. You may know me (founder of WIYLBOX), and you may also know that I tend to always remain optimistic; I'm wired that way. But that does not mean that I don't have opinions about politics, parents, nonprofits, isolation and the topic of autism. Gee...did I just string those words together without meaning? NO!

Okay, so what did I hear on the radio? An actor, who is pretty high profile, with a successful T.V. career, spoke about his right and obligation to speak his mind, especially when 'things or actions' impede upon his career (or the careers of others) when it has taken hard, hard work to establish a career. I totally agree with that; especially when he followed up with an example: Why would someone want to have Kim Kardashian on their hit show, simply because she is riding the tide as a professional personality (without talent??); or, have you ever seen Prince invite a 'hotty' on stage and hand her a guitar? The answer to both is that such actions undercut the industry, and one's professional integrity.

So where am I going with this? This actor spoke his mind. I need to voice my thoughts also. Nonprofits (not mega-agencies) that provide support and care and services for children and their families living with Autism are suffering from isolation. Our organizations are silently bearing the crushing weight of our nations inability to do the right thing: Who's in this lineup?

1. Insurance carriers - they can't even create a code (80256???) to support wellness programs that align families with ASD children with what's being done for the rest of the nation.

2. Mega Agencies - I could name a few, but so could you; these are the ones that are too big to fail - but do! Yet, they continue to receive funding while you get no services.

Are there ordinary people at the insurance companies or at these big agencies? When will they get onboard with speaking their minds and doing what we all must to do to make a difference in the Autism community? It's called "collaboration", folks. It means that you have to think of ways to creatively get out of your boxes - otherwise you're dead weight, and frankly, unable to serve.

My challenge to you (those on the above list) is to challenge yourself, and let me know what you come up with. Images are important too, and good ones are uplifting.

I remain optimistic.
Deborah Tucker

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