The coalition of city and county funded non-profits had this to say about the operating budget amendment for tonight. While $137K would have solved the whole problem, $50K goes a long ways . . . but still, watch for cuts at some of your favorite agencies and clients who have growing needs and less services.
Dear Mayor Cieslewicz and Madison Alderpersons:
United-for-Funding supports Alders Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, Chris Schmidt, Marsha Rummel and Mike Verveer in their efforts to return A-1 (the highest) priority programs funded by Community Services to their 2010 funding levels. The funding process normally pits us against each other, but our member agencies understand that each of us is a part of the continuum of services. As such, a reduction in funding for one agency limits client access to needed services and negatively impacts the entire service system. In these difficult times, with increased needs due to the economy and loss of jobs, the demand for community services provided by our member agencies is greater than ever. The funding proposed by this amendment will not meet our increased costs for providing additional services in 2011 but it will help prevent a loss of service capacity.
This funding year’s process was particularly troublesome for many agencies. While a new category was added for new Workforce Development programs, there was no new funding. Employment is an important priority, however, reducing funding for programs that provide the resources to help people be successful in their new jobs is counterproductive. This new category resulted in some long standing programs, who were ranked in the highest categories, and who scored well on their applications, receiving less funding. This is particularly troublesome because funding levels were not determined in collaboration with provider. Had this been done, the Community Services Committee would have had a better understanding of the impacts of their funding decisions.
We would like to thank the Community Services and the CDBG Committees for their hard work in this year’s process and we look forward to participating in the evaluation and redesign of the process.
Again, thank you for your time and consideration. Please support the amendment proposed by the abovementioned alders.
Sincerely
United for Funding
This excerpt from Outreah explains it in concrete terms:
OutReach’s client services increased from 17,500 in 2008 to 21,500 in 2009, and have also increased in 2010. We have also experienced an increase in use by people of color, people with disabilities, homeless people, limited income people, and other disenfranchised groups during that same period.
Due to the economy, and the difficulty that all charities have had with fundraising in the past two years, we have had to downsize our staff from 3 FTE to 2 FTE in 2009. We are now doing 23% more work with 33% less staff. Fortunately the majority of our services are provided by volunteers, but it does take staff time to train and supervise those volunteers.
The City of Madison has contracted with OutReach for services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities for more than a decade. We have had a good relationship with the City and strive to provide an abundance of excellent services to our community for relatively low cost. Our City of Madison contract is our second largest single funding source.
Centro Hispano also explains:
This $50,000 plus the unallocated funding of $200,000 that is included in the Executive Budget would be used to fund $200,000 to programs identified by the Community Services Committee (CSC) as the “B” list and the $50,000 to restore the 2010 funding level to those A1 priority programs that the CSC recommended for funding in the 2011-2012 funding cycle, but at a reduction from the 2010 funding levels.
As you may know, several programs vital to our community have received reductions in funding. One of those was Centro Hispano’s General Support Program – the very program that launched Centro into existence and the principal program through which Centro provides staffing and services to the families and individuals seeking assistance. I cannot express enough how important this Amendment would be to those who receive services through this and other programs who are otherwise on the chopping block.
If you are so inclined, you can help support local non-profits by testifying on their behalf this evening. 5:30, Room 201, City-county Building (210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd). Or sending an email to allalders@cityofmadison.com and mayor@cityofmadison.com.
All of these agencies because gift giving from fundraising, which is voluntary, has gone down significantly. That is because many both middle class and rich are hurting. So now they want money that is involuntary (taxes) to make up their shortfall. What part of enough is enough, we are strapped don’t they understand. Many of us are happy enough to help with voluntary contributions when times are good. No you want to force us to pay more when times are bad.