NORD Nonprofit Resource Center

Identifying a Public Need

In dealing with an increasingly complex society, people often recognize that a void or gap exists where government and the for-profit private sector do not meet the needs of a particular group of people. They may be sick people, the poor, the under-educated, the disabled, and other groups who often fall through the cracks of our social service system.

Modern Approaches to Problem Solving

In the United States, there is a long history of good-hearted people getting together to create charities with missions aimed at solving social problems. During the 20th century there was an upsurge of efforts to establish organizations devoted to curing diseases and easing the burdens of families affected by those illnesses. Perhaps the most well known of these was the March of Dimes, created to eradicate “infantile paralysis,” better known today as Polio.

The March of Dimes became a household name because President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a polio survivor. People in the F.D.R. Administration actively campaigned for donations to the March of Dimes, raising millions of dollars. In the 1950s, the Salk polio vaccine was developed, in large part, because of support from the charity along with government funding for research. In the interim, the March of Dimes had also supported rehabilitation research and healthcare facilities, as well as ample “iron lung” devices for polio victims who needed help breathing. After polio was eradicated, the March of Dimes changed its mission to promote the health of babies.

Between the years 1950 and 2000, hundreds of nonprofits aimed at alleviating and curing diseases were created, many by parents or families of affected individuals. Sylvia Lawry, whose brother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, started the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Out of desperation, she had an ad printed in the personal advertisements section of a New York newspaper reading, “Multiple Sclerosis: Anyone recovering from it please contact me.” To her surprise, many people did, but they had not “recovered” from multiple sclerosis.

Joining the Movement

When people who are concerned about a specific disease get together, they inevitably help each other to cope. This was the beginning era of a surging “self-help” movement, ranging from disease-specific groups to Alcoholics Anonymous, parenting groups, cancer survivors, etc. Disease-based charities were usually focused on education and public awareness about the disease, as well as research to find new treatments and a cure. Helping people to cope with the illness is also an important element of the services provided by nonprofits to the public.

It should be no surprise that when the 21st century dawned, there were thousands of disease-specific charities, commonly known as Voluntary Health Agencies (VHAs). The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and its 135 organizational members are among the most respected and effective nonprofits in America today!