The real competition

I work for the nation's leading non-profit organization committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Nationwide, over 21 million people come to the YMCA to learn and grow in some way, shape or form. Across our 2600 branches we share the same mission:

Our mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

I like that - all of it. Especially when broken down as I like to do...

• Christian principles
• put into practice
• to build healthy spirit, mind and body
• for ALL

Picturing it this way in my mind not only makes it easier for me to remember, it's also easier to recall the main points of emphasis when sharing with others. THIS is what the Y is about (well, at least it's supposed to be).

COMPETITION
Awhile back, though, I attended a training event within the company and it gave me cause for concern. The training was on "living our cause" (or some such thing). Everyone I work with was to attend. Again, I like that and think it's important we do these things. Yet there was one thing about the training that didn't sit well with me.

The person conducting the session started off by asking who we believed our competitors were. At first I thought, "Yes, this will be good." People were shouting out the names of other fitness facilities and youth organizations and so on. I couldn't wait for them to be informed of the error in their thinking.

My heart sank when the speaker then corrected us by stating our real competitors were other non-profit organizations! I was dumbfounded. He was trying to convince us we were a non-profit rather than just a gym, but I left there in a state of disbelief. The next day I shared with my boss how disappointed I was. He didn't seem to share my concern.

OTHER MISSIONS
This has been burning within me ever since. In my mind, a non-profit organization committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility should NOT be competing with other organizations committed to the same or similar things! We SHOULD be competing with attitudes, ideas, and endeavors opposed to those things!

Who or what might be opposed to strengthening communities, youth development, healthy living, social responsibility, putting Christian principles into practice through healthy spirit, mind and body for all??? Just to name a few, how about...

• gangs trying to lead our youth astray
• drug peddlers trying to create addicts
• those who prey on the young, weak and/or less fortunate
• those intent on using and abusing others
• marketing geared toward selling useless and frivolous items
• irresponsible and unethical business owners and corporations

I could go on and on because there are plenty of people and organizations that have no concern for our communities or the welfare of our children and betterment of people's health and well-being.

COOPERATION
If we are truly committed to the community and the things we say we are committed to, then shouldn't we be cooperating with others who are committed to the same things?!? I ask that rhetorically, but maybe I shouldn't.

It's no different in the church, I suppose. How many church-goers believe they are in competition with other churches for folks to sit in the pews and toss nickels in the coffers? If churches are truly committed to sharing the gospel, or helping God's kingdom break out on earth as it is in heaven (or however you want to word it), shouldn't we be uniting together with everyone else who feels the same?!? Churches should be competing against the dark forces of evil out to destroy life and hope and families. So should the Y!

Anyway, contrary to my boss who believes non-profits are competing against other non-profits for donor money... I believe our true competitors are those opposed to our mission. I think there's enough money to go around. It's a matter of convincing those using their money for illegal, unethical, and immoral agendas to see the light. Helping people divert their giving from unhealthy and unhelpful organizations, to those like ours that are trying to help.

I remember my old seminary president once telling me how he went about raising funds. He said his philosophy was, he wasn't competing with other seminaries and institutions of higher learning for donors - he was all for educating people - his real competition was Madison Avenue. In other words, his donor base was going to spend money. His job was to get them to spend it for good, rather than on wasteful luxuries that had no value beyond the day. I liked that.

I like the organization I work for too - at least on paper. I value the things we say we value; believe the things we say we believe. I would like to see us have a better perspective on working that out in practice though. I've no idea how, but understanding who our competition is seems a good place to start.