Where Do We Run Towards?Let's Take A Break and Think...
Since the industrial revolution, we have increased the global climate by two degrees, as a result of excessive consumption, we polluted the environment; destroyed many species, and reached record numbers of obesity. We buy the lands and make them passive by fencing them; we try to collect the domain names that we will not use and sell them at extravagant prices; we keep our summer houses where we will spend a month of the year empty throughout the year and we compete with each other to add new ones to them. Because we are seeking the satisfaction of life not through purposes but items.
When our determination of hoarding to establish authority over resources combined with the population that nearly tripled after the Second World War, so many social problems such as global warming, drought, or epidemics emerged.
The voluntary arrangements of associations and foundations, which are the organizations of the last century, and the bureaucratic approaches of the United Nations are not sufficient to solve these problems. Right now, all corporations need to "sincerely" get involved in this fight.
On the other hand, the main basis of corporations lies in the capitalist understanding. In this understanding, scaling of production and doubling of capital is prioritized. This "for-profit" approach causes companies to view social responsibility projects just as a sales booster tool. The sales are not made for the sake of social benefits, social benefits are provided to boost sales. Consequently, every type of social problem is being pushed into the background, at best.
Global problems are increasing exponentially with the population. It is obvious that one or two hours a day or even a week that volunteers can spare will not be enough. The biggest problem of the associations in Canada and the USA is that they have a small staff and the team that is made of volunteers constantly change.
Figures Speak Louder Than Words:
- 1 -
As of 2022, the biggest problems of associations in the USA are high operational costs at 43.37%, low number of volunteers at 41.07%, inability to find qualified employees at 40.11%, and constant turnover of volunteer staff at 30.12%.*
- 2 -
60 million volunteers in the USA devoted an average of 67 hours to social responsibility-related work in 2021*. However, during the same period, 152 million employees* in the country worked over 2,080 hours a year.*
Why shouldn't we unleash a huge power by combining NGO modeling and commercial institutions in a single pot?
But What Can We Do?
It Is Very Clear!
In our opinion, every organization needs to put a social problem at the center of its purpose of existence and spend every profit it makes for the sake of this purpose.
The organizations should publish their profit-loss statements and bank statements monthly on their websites to prove to the public that they are spending their profit in line with their purpose.
The customer's trust and commitment to the organization will also increase when they see that the organization spends its profits and all its income for the sake of fighting against the social problem they adopted, does not head towards super luxury consumption, and does not pay abnormal salaries to their managers, or these profits are not used to expand their comfort zone.
With this social movement that we started as the Open Account Pact, we demand that all organizations dedicate themselves to a social benefit, declare a manifesto centered on this benefit, spend all their income on investments to be made for this purpose, and prove this to the public through bank statements.
By this means, spending trillions of dollars worldwide on fighting social problems can be possible, and companies can have a real purpose beyond making a profit to make sales. Thus, the profit of the companies turns into a more liveable social environment, permanent solutions, and a more habitable world.
What You Need To Do In Order To Participate In This Movement Is Very Clear:
Coincide your company's purpose of existence into a social benefit. Afterward, disclose your profit/loss statements (P&L) and bank statements to public inspection in order to prove that you have made all your expenditures accordingly.
Open Account Action Chart
STEP 1
Identify Your Social Existence Purpose
As an organization, determine a purpose of existence for your organization in the light of the feedback collected from your founders. In line with this purpose, decide what social problems your organization will be dedicated to fighting.
STEP 2
Post Manifest
As an organization, write down a manifesto regarding the social cause in question that you will fight against. Briefly address the need and solution you anticipate in your manifesto. Afterward, in this direction, identify the values that will constitute the frame of your actions. Post this manifesto and values publicly on your site.
STEP 3
Create Unity Awareness
Prepare a categorized payment table for all employees in the organization. There should be no gaps between salaries, all salaries should be sufficient to maintain a healthy life, but also they should be reasonable and transparent enough to not stockpile. Within your organization, evaluate the effort and perseverance rather than the results, continuously improve the added value you put forth in the work you do, and ensure that your company profits from its customers in proportion to the labor it provides for them.
STEP 4
Open Your Financials
Money follows intention. Regardless of its discourse, wherever an organization spends its money, there lies its true purpose. To prove that you spend all of the income of your company in line with your manifesto and your values, publish your profit/loss (P&L) statement and the expense and description parts of your bank statements on your website.
STEP 5
Answer To The Public
Open a pre-planned and pre-announced live broadcast with your officials on your company's social media accounts every quarter (three-month period) and answer all questions from the public.