Sept. 25, 2007 — A conference for non-profit organizations Tuesday looked at funding sources, improving networking skills and providing better services to employees and the community.
Human Services officials led the all-day conference, which brought representatives of more than 50 non-profit organizations to the newly refurbished Head Start facility in Sugar Estate. The conference centered on the idea of creating public-private partnerships that allow organizations to take advantage of resources offered by Human Services and other local and federal government programs.
"The work that you do is of such critical importance, but you really can't accomplish anything if you don't have the money," said Human Services Commissioner Chris Finch, speaking to a crowd of nearly 100 people.
Of course, within in any system there are some roadblocks, he added. When applying for government funds or grants, non-profits also have to comply with certain deadlines. Human Services, for example, has to budget for its expenses months in advance, and has to keep those costs in line with the government's projected revenues.
Unfortunately, budget cuts could occur when revenues fall short of expectations, Finch explained, and that has the ability to affect how much money an organization actually receives.
Expenses under the miscellaneous section of the executive branch's annual budget are particularly risky, Finch said. Those are the first items to get cut when money isn't coming in. To safeguard against that possibility, he urged non-profit organizations to apply for funding as early as possible.
When applying for funds through the government, non-profit entities also have to be in compliance with requirements set forth by their "monitoring agency," Finch added. Human Services is responsible for overseeing money awarded to a variety of organizations.
"Make sure you know what is we want, and make sure that you meet all the requirements of the grant or application," he said. "And, once again, do it as early as possible."
Human Services can generally award up to $500,000 in grants per fiscal year. Other grants, such as those provided through the Law Enforcement Planning Commission or DPNR, also have timelines, Finch added. Additionally, professional-services contracts offered by the agency generally go through the Department of Property and Procurement, and get advertised in the local media, he said.
To keep tabs on available federal funding, he said, go to grants.gov.
"We used to have the issue that by the time we found out about federal funding opportunities, the deadline would be long gone," he explained. "Those times are long gone. With this website, you're going to get the information the same day as everyone else does."
Finch and other speakers also discussed the importance for new agencies of keeping in compliance with local and federal tax, licensing and registration requirements.
Rounding out the morning portion of the conference, organization representatives also listened to a presentation given by executives from Employ America, a business focused on giving smaller organizations — such as non-profits — the ability to offer a range of benefits to their employees, including health and life insurance, along with debit cards for workers without bank accounts.
For more information on the organization, call John Hess at 312-895-7160 or visit employamerica.org.
At Human Services, for grants information contact Deputy Commissioner Moleto A. Smith at 774-0930, ext. 4116, or, for contract information, Natalie T. Pickering at 774-0930, ext. 4117 or 4420.
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