By Kristi Birkeland, President/CEO, United Way of Whatcom County
As someone who has worked in the nonprofit sector off and on since 2009, I know the stress and uncertainty so many agencies face as they constantly work to secure and maintain funding for the critical programs we trust and rely on.
United Way of Whatcom County has been providing unrestricted grant dollars to support a community safety net of over 20 local nonprofits for nearly 70 years. During that time, we’ve learned a ton about the life-changing work happening in Whatcom County, often on shoestring budgets, with very little in the way of reliable, long-term, general operating support. In fact, it’s often the norm for our local nonprofits to be scraping by day after day, wondering where the next dollar is going to come from, much like the families they serve.
These dedicated nonprofits are out there performing tiny miracles every day for our friends and neighbors who are struggling, even as they are dealing with funding cuts, decreasing revenues, and diminishing resources. All while being constantly asked and expected to do more.
The agencies we know and love aren’t just changing lives, they’re also working nonstop to patch together the funding to allow them to continue doing so. We’ve heard from so many nonprofit professionals who carry this weight, year after year, in service of their missions, and they’ve shared countless client stories demonstrating the power of their work.
Nonprofit funding can come from a variety of sources, including individual donors, local foundations and funders, and in many cases, significant state and federal dollars.
What people may not know is that state and federal grants can be quite specific regarding how the dollars must be spent, restricting them for particular purposes and expenses. Often, funding is service-based and cannot be used for staff wages or general operations. In other words, you can’t pay the people who are actually providing these great services or to keep the lights on while they do it. In addition, many state and federal grants are based on reimbursement, which means agencies must do the work first, then provide outcomes and/or receipts to get paid after the fact.
Still, nonprofits are depending on these dollars as part of their program budgets. And believe me when I tell you nonprofit leaders are creative. Out of necessity, they’ve become really good at building bridges as they are walking across them. Over deep waters. Filled with sharp rocks. And hungry crocodiles. These folks have figured out how to cobble together various funding streams to make things work. But it’s a delicate balance. And if a critical piece breaks down or goes missing, the crocodiles await.
The recent changes in federal funding strategies have added significant stress to the nonprofit community as organizations wonder how they will continue to provide services, or in some cases, continue to exist, without the support they receive from these sources. Not only is future revenue uncertain, but in some cases, federal reimbursement dollars that were already promised to be delivered are also being held. These are dollars that have already been spent, on services already delivered, in good faith by local agencies. While the federal government holds back dollars, our local nonprofits are left holding the bag.
One federal grant program United Way helps facilitate is the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). The EFSP National Board allocates grant funds to local communities using national population, unemployment, and poverty data. These dollars come in phases and support local agencies providing emergency food and shelter. A specific allocation procedure must be followed in order for the federal government to release the funds, and local United Ways are often the community organizations that lead that process. So while United Way doesn’t write the checks, we do handle the process that allows Emergency Food and Shelter Program dollars to come into our community. Unfortunately, EFSP has been put on hold indefinitely, which means Whatcom County’s allotted $103,291 won’t get to the agencies that need these dollars to keep people housed and fed.
Meanwhile, Washington State is facing its own budget battles, exacerbated by the sunsetting of ARPA dollars and other funding influxes provided throughout the pandemic years. Washington leaders need to make billions of dollars in cuts, and no matter how you slice it, social services will be affected. Even Dolly Parton’s beloved Imagination Library program is on the chopping block this year, despite both Dolly and the program being universally loved.
At this point you may be wondering, why am I writing this?
- To make you feel sad? No.
- To add to your doom scrolling? Heck, no!
Understanding how charitable organizations are funded is kind of interesting. And if you or someone you know has ever benefited from a nonprofit program or service, you might have an interest in keeping them around.
If you find yourself wondering how you can help, here are a few small things you can do today:
Volunteer
All of our local nonprofits need volunteers, whether it’s Board Members, special event help, or maybe just cleaning out that old storage unit so they can save a few bucks.* It could be a one-time ask or an ongoing engagement. Either way, it feels good and you’re making a difference. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to lend your time and talent, how about now?
Advocate
Tell people about the nonprofits you love and the wonderful work they are doing. Share your personal story if you have one. Help reduce the stigma around needing help and/or supporting the organizations who provide it. You could also take it a step further and reach out to your elected officials to let them know how you feel. Don’t be shy. Attend a County Council meeting. Write a letter. Testify for 60 seconds at a Ways and Means Committee about the importance of early learning.** Or whatever else feels right. If you don’t speak up, you won’t be heard.
Give
If you’re already donating to your favorite nonprofits, please don’t stop now. Your dollars mean so much! Even if you don’t hear from us on the regular, you’re in our hearts for real. If you’ve been giving the same amount for a while, ask yourself if that’s your habit amount or your feelgood amount. We get in all kinds of habits, including giving. Have you been donating $100 a year, a month, or a paycheck? Would it feel even better to give $110? Don’t give ‘til it hurts, as they say. But do give until it feels really darn good.***
And as always, reach out to our team if you want to connect or learn more.
* We actually did this!
** Totally did this too.
*** Yep. Did this as well.