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Update report on non-profit funding expected this month By Christina Commisso METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP New funding requirements for Halton's not-for-profit sector has raised red flags from some agencies who said without long-term funding commitments their work in the community will suffer. The Halton Region Community Investment Fund (HRCIF) -- a significant financial lifeline for nine community agencies -- recently underwent a review that would open up funding opportunities to more organizations. The revised HRCIF framework was presented to the health and social services committee in December. It was recommended that regional funding be split into two categories: one-time grants for specific short-term projects up to a oneyear $25,000 maximum and multi-year grants for operational funding to a maximum of $100,000 per year for three years. The HRCIF annual budget is expected to be approximately $851,000 for the next three years. "This presents an opportunity for more agencies to receive support for their programs," said Halton Region's commissioner of social services Sheldon Wolfson. He said the one-time funding could help up to 12 organizations and the long-term funding could support five organizations. However, the committee deferred voting on the revised funding formula to this month (January), after one delegate raised concerns about the non-profit sector begin left out of the decision-making process. Jody Orr, co-ordinator of the Halton NonProfit Network, told the committee she was "deeply concerned" about the lack of openness and transparency in shaping the recommendations of the staff report. "There was, to the best of our knowledge, no consultation with the nonprofit sector in relation to these staff recommendations," Orr told the committee. "This most recent re-thinking of grantmaking would have been a wonderful opportunity to engage in such dialogue and why it had not occurred in this case, we do not know." She said the new revised funding formula provides no guarantee that agencies can move from one-time funding for a particular project to multi-year funding. "It takes a huge amount of staff time to seek out grants and do the paper work and then eight months into a one-year grant you're back in the same place, reapplying," she said. "This move to project funding is one of the most significant elements and trends that led to the crisis non-profits are experi- 7 · Wednesday, January 4, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com The committee deferred voting on the HRCIF encing from a funding perspective." She also noted the Region's pri- funding revisions until staff consult with Halton's orities for funding are too narrowly non-profit agencies. An update report is expected to come before the defined, "making it impossible for some direct-service organizations committee in January. that provide essential critical services to residents of Halton to meet the criteria for Regional support." THIS WINTER LEAVE THE COLD Burlington Councillor Marianne OUTSIDE AND EXPERIENCE THE Meed Ward was concerned that oneyear funding would mean communi- WARMTH OF A MODERN FIREPLACE. ty agencies would spend much of their time and resources reapplying for funding rather than serving the community. When asked about the limitations one-year funding imposes, Burlington's Steve Hopkins, rector of St. Christopher's Anglican Church, said, "The more time spent in accountability exercises reduces the time you have to do the work itself." The Guelph Line church is the lead agency for the Halton Fresh Food Box and operates a number of social service programs such as a free clothing store. 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