Northern California Grantmakers

Full Contact Philanthropy blogger David Henderson’s post today on  micro solutions in the social sector offers some salient critiques on this trend in the social sector.

“Failing the success of sweeping interventions, the sector has recently become obsessed with micro solutions to social problems. The wave of micro activity started with the popularity of microcredit, but has recently devolved into a flurry of any philanthropic word pre-fixed with “micro” such as micro-volunteering, micro-donations, micro-philanthropy, and micro-actions.

My macro point here is that the momentary micro dogma of the social sector distracts us from pursuing real solutions that help people.  What matters, of course, is what works, small, medium, large, or super-sized.  The micro-trend was started by microcredit, the first, and only member of the ‘micro’ solution set that resembles a real intervention rather than a gimmick focused more on size than effectiveness.” (emphasis added)

With the recent use of text donations to raise money for victims of the earthquake in Haiti, it’s important to consider how this new giving affects the field.

David continues:

“Over on the Tactical Philanthropy Blog comments section reader Chip McComb sums up the problem with micro giving nicely, in so doing revealing much of what is wrong with micro thinking in general. Chip writes

I fear that as micro giving, and mobile giving becomes more and more prevalent the attitude of those that give, could shift dangerously to think that all giving should be as easy and as pleasing as buying a coke or a big mac, and when it’s not easy or pleasing, it is therefore not worth their time or expense. What a dangerous trap!”

Read the full blog post online.

h/t to Tactical Philanthropy