Will the NAACP Be Here in 2009? (or Where is a Du Bois When You Need One?)

Some very sad news comes today about the NAACP in a Baltimore Sun article. The article sums up what could be the beginning of the end of one of the most important organizations in the history of African American progress. Due to unsuccessful fundraising, leadership transitions, rising operating costs, and declining membership, the organization is pretty much going broke. The NAACP is closing offices and laying lots of folks off because of their financial deficits. Among the cutbacks: layoffs of 40% of staff and the “temporary” closing of all 7 regional offices.

NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond has taken to blaming outgoing president Bruce Gordon for the situation, but hey now Mr. Bond, weren’t you the one who hired him?

Of course, our boy Trent Stamp over at Charity Navigator does a bit of ambivalent gloating on his blog about it. I have mixed feelings about Trent’s words as I respect his work, but I have to say that I’m pretty biased toward the NAACP, being that I am African American and can’t imagine enjoying the freedoms I have today if it weren’t for the work they have done over the years.

But.

As nonprofits, we owe it to our constituents, the people we do this work for, to manage our organizations as best we can so that they can stick around. The NAACP or not, there has been some ineffective decision-making going on over there. And that is a shame for all us who are people of color, all us who are nonprofit leaders, and all us who are Americans.

I really hope that it’s not too late for the NAACP and that the board steps up and fixes this with a plan quick, fast, and in a hurry. Otherwise, they likely won’t even make it to their centennial in 2009. And what a sad thought that is.

Where is a Du Bois when you need one?

Like this post? Sign up for free blog updates!

You'll get new articles sent to your inbox as soon as they're published, PLUS a free chapter of my book, How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar!

Anonymous

Dr. DuBois left the NAACP. There is a reason. They now have 64 board members and 70 staff members. And from what I hear they cut the most accomplished and result producing of their staff. Perhaps Dr. DuBois was prophetic when he went to Ghana.
Anonymous

For those who have grown up with and in the NAACP over the years, this is indeed a sad and worsening series of events. The sad part is that NAACP’s membership numbers have been marked by stagnantion for decades, with percipitous declines every 5 years or so. The worse of it is that at each opportunity to self-correct our great NAACP has chosen to ignore its duties to provide a vision and to adroitly execute it. Instead, a moribund leadership has chosen to live in a Potemkin Village of memories of past victories and glories instead of boldly planning a future for itself and the millions of Americans that count on it. A 64 member board isn’t just too large, it is arrogant, ineffective, and selfish. Those in power at the NAACP may be too entrenched to fix the problem of governance. Would it not be ironic that after decades of courage in the face of attacks from outside forces, that this beloved organization could possibly die from a lack of courage to deal with its own internal weaknesses?
Rosetta Thurman

Anonymous 2, you hit my point exactly, which is that the NAACP is suffering from what is not, primarily, an issue of mission relevance, but one of leadership.
anonymous3

I’m an NAACP baby, born and raised in a household that ate, drank, and talked NAACP and membership. My father moved his family from Minnesota, to Missouri, to California in the name of NAACP and for his absolute dedication to the advancement of colored people. There has been a drastic change in the civil rights movement, consistent for the last 25 years. Civil rights is now comprised of rights for all movements. In my opinion, the mission and vision of the NAACP has failed to grow, local chapters are dwindling, memberships drives are non-existent, and many chapters have failed to embrace the young. There are whole communities out there that can still embrace the wisdom and need the empowerment of the NAACP in growth areas such as, community forums, needs assessment (what do the people want), job opportunities, asset building, I believe there is still time for a real organizational change – and to get rid of all the chiefs.
Pingback: 28 Days of Black Nonprofit Leaders: W.E.B. Du Bois | Rosetta Thurman