EAKIN, TOWNEND PART OF SUCCESSFUL CAC OPEN FORUM
The impact of the current economy on the delivery of social services was dramatically illustrated by two outstanding speakers during an open Forum about delivering social services in hard economic times at the recent Catholic Agencies Committee (CAC) meeting on March 3rd at the Catholic Education Centre.
Lynn Eakin, a highly respected consultant to social services and non-profit organizations, heads up Lynn Eakin & Associates a leading organization known for its depth of understanding of financial issues in the non-profit sector. Lynn has written and lectured on key social service organizational issues, particularly in the areas of non-profit finance and restructuring.
She underscored the severity of the current situation for Board members of several Catholic Charities agencies who attended the Forum, about the burden compounded by current funding practices on non-profit community organizations.
Lynn said that social services also faced serious legislative and regulatory impediments in accomplishing their mission.
She said that government funding has become increasingly restrictive and controlled. It has not kept pace with operating costs shouldered by Catholic Charities agencies and other social services.
The government "funding silo", she said is getting tighter with selected areas often only able to be relied upon for a year on year basis.
Many Agencies are unable to support agency infrastructure. What's more, organizational instability tends to be generated because of short-term funding.
This poses another set of problems including difficulties in meeting staff obligations. Newer and smaller organizations face even greater disadvantages. Much of it is related to inflexible funding that stifles service innovation and community resilience.
Angela Townend, a Clinical Consultant who was the former Counseling Program Manager for Catholic Family Services of Durham, a member agency of Catholic Charities, spoke about what social services and non-profits need to do in these "recessionary times", using the work and innovative practices at CCS Durham to illustrate her points.
Angela said that among the major challenges facing social services are changes to Funding practice; maintaining adequate staffing levels; the continuing influx of service demands and the need to develop different approaches to providing service; and, management of both shrinking funds and managing organizations in tough economic times.
The current economic downturn, she said has resulted in fewer charitable dollars; shortfalls in funding from ministries; few clients being able to pay the small fees needed to maintain service.
In Durham this situation has been made worse by rising unemployment rates, a steady rise in the cost of living and a steady rise in the numbers of those people receiving social assistance.