What's in a Name?

A study showed that Habitat for Humanity was among the top ten most-recognized non-profit brand names (in America). The top ten:
1 – YMCA of the USA
2 – The Salvation Army
3 – United Way of America
4 – American Red Cross
5 – Goodwill Industries International
6 – Catholic Charities
7 – Habitat for Humanity International
8 – American Cancer Society
9 – The Arc of the United States (I had to look this one up! Haven’t looked at the entire top 100 yet but if I don’t know all ten of the top ten….)
10 – Boys and Girls Clubs of America
This is helpful for fundraising (and for my resume…) – it’s a known brand name; my job is to make a case for Habitat for Humanity Philippines. This week I started working on appeals letters to the Filipino-American groups and to Habitat for Humanity chapters in the U.S., as well as a facebook appeal to those groups. I made an appointment with the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (Milo, at Peace Corps, called to check in and he sounded impressed that I was able to get an appointment – I said, “that’s what I’m supposed to be doing, isn’t it?”) and am working on getting one at USAID as well.

Though it’s a global brand name, Habitat for Humanity seems to be #2 here in terms of building housing for the poor (and fundraising, and media mentions). The NGO that is #1 is the one where Jonathan, Charlie and Drew are partnering. Sir Tony has some things to say about that organization, and the guys have other things to say about it, and I’m careful about what I relay back and forth; it adds an interesting dynamic to my assignment.

I’ve been thinking it would be interesting to work for a global non-profit – maybe get some international travel or living out of it – and I notice that many of the top names have religious roots (or more than roots). I had been hesitant before about working for a religious organization, but there is so much good work that they are doing – maybe as long as I could be accepted in the company culture I could do it. Then this week the president of HFHP asked me to speak at the weekly devotion. I was completely unprepared for this, so the best I could come up with was that I didn’t have anything to add. Then I was reviewing the comments that my counterpart had made on the list of corporations to contact that I have been working on. He eliminated a tobacco company and a casino company because Habitat doesn’t want the association, and he eliminated a drug company because they make contraceptives. Oh.

While I was deciding how I felt about that, I saw on nytimes.com that Ted Kennedy had passed away, and that hit me hard. The Times had a good – balanced – obituary; he was flawed but did great things. End of an era. I am glad that I voted for him when I lived in Massachusetts. You have to be of a certain age to know the name Mary Jo Kopechne (and I heard the “true story” of that one night at an Alumni Council meeting – a story for another time and place); my mother’s problem with him was that he got caught cheating at Harvard (not that he cheated but that he got caught). I think in the end he made up for all of those things and was not only a great voice but had great accomplishments. This right after Eunice Kennedy Shriver died – another person with great accomplishments. It would be interesting to be in the States and share the reaction of others, but to be honest, I am glad not to be hearing about health care night and day.

So how did I feel about it? Well, I worked in nuclear power and didn’t feel great about it and worked in alcoholic beverages and felt downright bad about it. In each case, I found a way to live with it. What a career…. My other work endeavors of the week were researching Sister Cities of cities in the Philippines, exploring the wealth of information on the Habitat for Humanity International web site, and getting orientations from other members of the Stakeholder Relations team. Now I’m working on my monthly report for Peace Corps. I’ve been here a month today! A sixth of the time over – it’s going fast!