Pages

25.1.09

Economic Circles

Sometimes it frightens me to realise how much is circular, repetitive and shamefully misunderstood. One of these circles is the funding of services, and non-profits for social services in particular.

Having spent approximately half (1/2) my life in academic medicine or public health, it chills me to think that folks don't get it, and that it is

(a) equals (b) = (c)/ =
funds = services = people
real people, not statistics, not publications, but people.

When I worked in academic medicine, or medical publishing, more than 70% or 50%, respectively, of our revenue was government funded.

When I worked in a health non profit, 90% of our revenue was government funded.

When I worked in public health we provided 50-100% of our direct and trickle down funds to non profits.

If State funding gets tight all those agencies receiving direct or trickle down Federal funding can't meet their payroll.

If an agency can't meet its payroll, service providers within the agency can't serve its intended client base.

If a bank won't give an agency "a line of credit" to ease the short-fall, it will collapse.

What does all this mean?

In this critical time of unemployment (~7-10%) and an already overburdened social service system, millions (yes, that large a number) will not be able to access health care services, social services, legal services...the list goes on.

However, I haven't read of any plan to rescue these agencies, who support and rescue the millions who need these services.






No comments:

Post a Comment