Outsourcing Compassion

“What in the world do you mean by ‘outsourcing compassion’?” she asked.

I don’t really remember what we were talking about. Or who I was talking to. My memory is getting bad. I do remember that I had used the term sort of loosely, without realizing what I was saying until it was already out in the air. At the time, I didn’t have much of a reply to her question. But it stuck with me, and I think I’ve come up with an explanation that makes some sense.

We can accidently ask our followers to let us do their “compassioning” for them.

Sometimes there are good reasons for not letting your followers get physically involved. Take Haiti, for instance. Having a bunch of untrained people on the ground can cause real problems – like feeding, housing and transporting them instead of helping the Haitians who are actually hurting. Plus, those untrained poeple have no idea how to do search and rescue, distribute supplies, or all the stuff agencies like the Red Cross and Convoy of Hope are really really good at.

Think of it this way – not everyone can be on the field of play at the same time. For instance, football limits you to 11 players. But just because the other players aren’t on the field doesn’t mean they suddenly get detached from the game and become passive spectators. The whole team is intently focused on the field – finding patterns in the offense, planning their strategy, dissecting the last play – because they are all part of the game. Your followers are part of your team and they want to stay actively involved.

There’s a great example of this from back in 1994. Christian Children’s Fund (now ChildFund International) responded to an earthquake in Columbia. They wrote a detailed letter to their followers with pictures, needed supplies, and the cost – something like $50,000. Two weeks later, they sent out a follow up letter reporting back on how much money had been raised, how the money had been used, and how people had been helped. Without being asked, their followers sent in another $200,000.

To make that clear, CCF’s followers sent in an additional $200,000 without being asked after the need had already been met. Why? Because they had been included in the effort as active participants.

A couple of great examples of keeping followers actively involved are Convoy of Hope and Compassion International. They post regular video updates about Haiti on their websites. I’m sure other organizations are as well.

You don’t need to use video. You can do the same thing with a quick email, tweet, or blog post. The goal is to let your followers know how they are helping. Giving your followers tangible evidence that they are involved in more than a “I sent some money” kind of way helps both of you stay away from the detatched feeling of outsourced compassion.