By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

United Way of Central Carolinas said Tuesday it will give $14.1 million to 197 programs across the Charlotte region in the fiscal year beginning July 1, a 35 percent decrease from this year. But in the Mooresville-Lake Norman area, grants were down about half as much, an average 17.8 percent, as the agency allocated $900,000 to help meet critical needs in the areas of education, income and health.

Programs that didn’t fit the description “critical needs” took the biggest cuts.

Funding decisions were made with the help of local councils throughout the Charlotte area that included people involved in community services and volunteers. From the start, their task was a difficult one: Charlotte-area United Way pledges were down by one-third this year, to $30 million, from $45 million the year before. Giving slowed amid the weak economy and controversies and problems at the agency.

In the Lake Norman-Mooresville area, donations were down about 25 percent. “We knew that we had to start this process with less funding. And we knew that our agencies were dealing with increased demand for their services,” Michael Griggs, a vice president in the Mooresville-Lake Norman office of the United Way, told DavidsonNews.net Tuesday. “So we went into (the allocation process) with a pretty realistic understanding that needs were up and money was down.”

So the agency and its advisory groups focused on funding critical needs first. “We knew that crisis needs and programs serving those who were in imminent crisis situations had to be number one on our priority list. Basic needs – food clothing, shelter, access to health and mental health services – that was our overarching priority,” Mr. Griggs said.

In fact, programs that fell under the heading “crisis and disaster” were funded close to this year’s levels, receiving $118,700, or 1.6 percent less. Financial Stability grants – which accounted for more than half of allocations in the Lake Norman-Mooresville region – were down 16 percent, to $588,161.

Family & Youth programs were cut 17.1 percent, to $119,621, while Health & Wellness programs were down 43 percent, to $73,518.

One organization in the Lake Norman-Mooresville region actually will get more money this year: American Red Cross Greater Carolinas Chapter will get $76,137, or 17.3 percent more than last year. All of the increase came in a boost of money to be spent on transportation, which was up 76 percent. Meanwhile, funding for disaster services is down 8 percent, to $12,486, health and safety programs are down 20 percent to $17,897, and military services will get $3,841, or 25 percent less.

HOW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FARED

Davidson’s Ada Jenkins Center saw its funding decline by 11.2 percent, to $191,226. Georgia Krueger, executive director at the regional social services center, had said last week she had been told to expect a cut of up to 40 percent.

“I’m personally relieved and thrilled,” Ms. Krueger said Tuesday afternoon. “We had developed a budget based on a 40 percent decrease.”

Health programs, including the center’s health and dental clinics, were cut the least, 2 percent, to $37,044. Human services programs got $128,478 (down 8 percent). And the center’s Learnworks after-school program will receive $25,704, or 32 percent below the 2008-9 level.

Given the numbers she received Tuesday, she said, “We don’t have any plans to cut programs or services.” The United Way funding leaves Ada Jenkins Center about $24,000 short of this year’s level, but she said the board is committed to making up the gap through additional fund-raising.

That work will have to wait a bit. Ada Jenkins is still facing a $50,000 shortfall in the current year (which ends June 30). A fund-raiser last weekend will cover part of that, and the organization can use reserves as well. “What we’d really like to be able to do is to be putting money back into those reserves,” Ms. Krueger said.

United Way gave $77,957 to Cornelius-based Our Towns Habitat for Humanity – 30 percent less than this year’s grant. United Way officials said Tuesday afternoon the group submitted three different budget scenarios, and that the 30 percent did not qualify as the worst-case “nightmare scenario.”

Christine Boone, director of resources development at Our Towns Habitat, said Wednesday her organization expected a cut in United Way money. “We were prepared. Like everyone, we’ve had reduced donations and done some cost cutting,” she said.

Tamara Roach, the United Way’s Lake Norman area relationship manager, said Tuesday she would meet in the next two weeks with Our Towns Habitat director Terry Laney to discuss how the reduction might affect programming and the number of homes built next year.

Ms. Boone said United Way money accounted for only about 5 percent of her organization’s $2.7 million budget this year, so the 30 percent reduction won’t have as great an effect as it would at organizations more reliant on United Way.

Asked if the loss of funding or shortfall in other fund-raising might force the group to reduce the number of homes it builds next year, Ms. Boone said, “We hope not.” She said the organization is still budgeting to help 15 families next year, and hopes to serve at least 20. The group built 19 in calendar year 2008.

Cornelius-based United Family Services received grants in several areas totaling $227,818, or 17.8 percent less than this year. Domestic violence and consumer credit counseling programs both will get 32 percent fewer dollars. But mental health counseling and education through the organization is only losing about 8 percent of its funding.

“We had already done what we needed to do to get to a 30 percent cut,” Kathryn Firmin-Sellers, director of United Family Services Mooresville-Lake Norman region, said Wednesday morning. “We were relieved that it didn’t go any deeper.”

She said the agency throughout the Charlotte area gets about one-quarter  of its funding from United Way. The Cornelius office gets about half its support from the United Way.

SOME PAINFUL CUTS

The biggest funding hit percentage-wise in the Lake Norman-Mooresville region came at Boy Scouts of America Piedmont Council, which will get $20,213, or 42 percent less than this year.

Elsewhere in the United Way of Central Carolinas region, other cuts were similarly deep. The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs, which has a program at the Ada Jenkins Center, was cut 45 percent, to $379,902, or 45 percent.

And some major programs at the YMCA were cut by as much as 50 percent.

Mr. Griggs said with the emphasis on the most critical needs, some other kinds of services could face difficulties. “Some of the smaller agencies that aren’t necessarily crisis agencies, they’re going to need some extra help,” he said.

LINKS

June 23, 2009, “The Cliff” blog on CharlotteObserver.com, “Who took the hardest United Way hits (and who didn’t).”

June 23, 2009, United Way Lake Norman-Mooresville press release about 2009-10 funding, (PDF)

June 23, 2009, List of Lake Norman area grants from United Way. (PDF)

June 23, 2009, United Way of Central Carolinas regional allocations press release. (PDF)

June 23, 2009, United Way 2009-2010 fund distribution report for full Charlotte area, a listing of who gets what. (PDF)

June 23, 2009, United Way “results summary” describing the allocation process (PDF)

Charlotte Mission Possible page on DavidsonNews.net, with information and links to a consortium of local news outlets that are focusing on nonprofits, needs and ideas.

Updated Tues., June 23, 5:58 p.m., Wed., June 24, 8:44 a.m., Wed., June 24, 3:45 p.m.