Through our work, as charity professionals, it is our job to share our organisation’s values with the wider world. Many charities do this excellently and, in turn, transform the lives of their beneficiaries – but, when it comes to staff and the work place culture these values are often missing.
At my organisation, an international children’s charity, the values of empowerment and inclusion are imperative. Vulnerable children lead their rehabilitation – children’s councils allow beneficiaries to give feedback, and the children’s voices are at the centre of our marketing and communications. We take pride in treating and valuing each child as an individual and in providing whatever services they need to fulfil their potential and have a life free from poverty.
Family is also key to our organisation – we focus on returning children to this environment. We support the child and the family to provide the best care for disadvantaged children in a bid to achieve a socially just world. As a result our projects have been highly successful for a long time leading to better lives for our beneficiaries.
However, back in our UK office these values have not been applied. Frequently, discussions and decisions are taken by a senior clique, or handpicked staff members. For example, conversations about fundraising events took place between only two members of finance staff and did not include any member of the fundraising team – a disempowering arrangement. Important organisational changes are communicated by email to a small number – to be filtered down to others, creating an unnecessary and inconsistent hierarchical structure in a UK office of 10 people.
When it comes to our African staff our empowerment and equality principles are reversed. The top-down structure means that African staff are dictated to, and treated as less important. On one occasion, when charity finances were poor, African staff were not paid – UK staff were.
At a charity so focused on developing individuals and the importance of family life, the lack of social structures such as maternity pay and flexible working is also shocking. At least one staff member has been forced to leave. There is no human resources department or budget for training staff. And, while the voice of the children is so well attended to – there is no similar voice for the charity’s staff.
If charities are to be leaders of social change their values must not only be strong and visible in their work, but central to the running of the whole organisation. We need to operate in the kind of world the charity is aiming to build. Not only will this boost staff morale, productivity and loyalty, but it will ensure that our work is sustainable.
A charity’s behaviour in the office should align with its core values, instead of reinforcing behaviour it is working to fight on the frontline.
Confessions of a charity professional is the Guardian Voluntary Sector Network’s anonymous series where charity workers tell it how it is. If you would like to pitch us an idea, click here.
