Here’s a message from the folks in Aliran to all of you:
Dear fellow Malaysians
For over 30 years, Aliran has been a beacon for Malaysian society in many important ways. Aliran provides a rallying point for citizens and civic organisations concerned with freedom, justice and democracy. Aliran defends civil liberties and human rights, and promotes inter-ethnic and inter-religious respect. More than that, Aliran advances the causes of marginalised communities, disadvantaged groups and persecuted individuals who are too often bereft of any opportunity to speak for themselves.
To carry out these tasks, Aliran depends on limited financial resources derived from Aliran Monthly subscriptions and sales as well as donations made by our members, subscribers and other well-wishers. Our writers, members and other supporters receive no payment for their tireless services.
For our operational expenses, we receive no funding whatsoever from any government or opposition political party, corporation or foreign source. We intend to keep things that way to safeguard our autonomy.
The cost of producing Aliran Monthly, disseminating information and publications, networking with other civic organisations, and organising public talks and forums has risen considerably. In truth, we are incurring deficits every month.
To maintain our crucial public service, we sincerely appeal to you to respond in any of the following ways:
- Make a donation to Aliran.
- Take out or renew a two-year subscription to Aliran Monthly.
- Take out a gift subscription for someone close to you.
6 Responses to “A letter to all concerned Malaysians”
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Malaysian NGOs for the most part, are no different from the beggars on the street, begging for money. This needs to change. NGOs need to figure out how to run their organisations as a profit-centre.
Begging for hand-outs and depending on the goodwill of people long-term is not a sustainable strategy. If NGOs cannot even stay financially solvent without depending on handouts, how can people trust you and your activities? Your independence is compromised as you are at the mercy of the people who fund you, whose agenda you may have to follow.
NGOs should meet up with entrepreneurial consultants to figure out ways of being financially sustainable without depending on charity.
“Where the determination is, the way can be found.” – George S. Clason
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I totally disagree the idea of having NGOs being turned into profit centres. Worst still, I hate the idea of having NGOs are power lobbies. i hope that NGOs should stay apolitical. Lately, I have been seeing a lout of pseudo NGOs advancing certain political vested interests. That’s bad!
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Thanks for reminding – I need to renew my Aliran subscription.
In all the years before blogs and Malaysiakini, Aliran Monthly was one of my few sources of reliable, independent opinion on Malaysian political and social affairs. For that, I shall always be grateful to the people who kept Aliran Monthly alive.
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Guys, first many thanks for your works and contributions to the malaysian society. I personally think that for any enterprise or NGO for that matter you need to strive for sustainability.
Sometimes people condemned enterprises for making profits and there are also people that says that if you are making profit that means money comes first before the social objectives or before the good of the many. I think all these people are largely misguided people.
In the world we live in, everybody and every institution is working hard to ensure continuation. Making profits which led to long term sustainability is not harmful. If Aliran is worried about being accused of profiteering, then declare that the organisation will make profit but will cap its profit at a certain percentage each year to finance sustainability.People today are smart enough that if you are making a fair profit to maintain business, they won’t say that you are not Independent. You can also be transparent about your finances for example publish your audited accounts like any other public listed entity.
As a social media coach, I would also say that Aliran should seriously looked at Social Media avenues to achieve its objectives and build revenue while maintaining a low or reasonable marketing/content distribution cost. Your organisation can also use the availability of various free to almost free social media channels like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo etc to distribute your content, etc.
Reduce print and build your market on the online medium, its effective and engaging.
My other suggestion is for Aliran to start doing causal events that has a strong purpose but not politically motivated. There is no harm in taking the topic from print to physical. The bottomline is you guys need to be more innovative on earning revenues that to depend on the old thinking of subscription.
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Sometimes looking at the same thing in a different way can help to clear-up potentially muddy waters.
Everyone who carries on a value-creating trade of any sort inside of a capitalist financial market system is in a bilateral relationship of supply/supplier and demand/customer.
A charity/NGO is a SUPPLIER/PROVIDER of social products and services (to various beneficiaries/consumers/users of those products and services) to meet the demand for these social products and services from CUSTOMERS/PURCHASERS i.e. the charity’s/NGO’s donors/funders.
Whether you are a business in the private/commercial, public/government, voluntary/charitable or not for profit sectors, every business is dependent on income and cashflow from revenue streams generated from its sales to its customers in order to finance its operations, stay as a going concern, generate profits/surpluses and reserves so that it can survive, thrive, grow and expand itself.
A beggar is not a creator of any economic or social value and so is not a business nor a customer or a supplier. A beggar is normally seen as a social failure and outcast of the capitalist way of life. The beggar is one of the ultimate free beneficiaries/consumers of the voluntary/charitable social products and services which are delivered by charities/NGOs (and also by the government in some areas)and which are paid for/funded by private individuals, businesses and statutory and government body donors/funders.
So a charity/NGO that understands its services and products, its strengths and weaknesses, its risks, threats and opportunities, its target market and environment and which applies sound business and financial principles to its operations will, like any other business, be able to not only survive but to succeed and grow.
Final point to make on charities/NGOs with this lens is that it helps enormously if those leading and managing it have the commercial nous/wisdom to apply a simple rule, which is to co-operate when you can and to compete when you must.
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
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If NGO’s become profit based centre, then the people might accuse them on robbing peoples money or being corrupted.
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