As we finish 2008 amid the worst recession in decades, many Americans are sacrificing some degree of personal comfort to support a charitable cause. But while sacrifice may be a noble personal virtue, the concept of sacrifice is sabotaging the non-profit sector.

When Americans give to charity, they want their donation to go directly to “the cause”. The non-profit organisation, it seems, is viewed as nothing more than a bureaucratic entity whose cost of existing should be minimised as much as possible. Non-profits are expected to be run on a shoestring, their employees are supposed to live on modest wages, and all costs are expected to be kept to a bare minimum. The grandest claim that most non-profits can make in a fundraising pitch is the declaration that 100 per cent of donations go to the programme. At the root of this mentality is the idea that doing good is best executed by those willing to sacrifice.