Washington Budget Cuts Have Charities Scrambling
July 21, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
Nonprofit groups in Washington are poring over their books in search of new reductions on the heels of Mayor Adrian Fenty’s revised fiscal 2010 budget, which eliminates $13-million in earmarks for the groups, The Washington Post reports.
Mr. Fenty reduced the allocations from $21-million to $8-million amid a growing deficit and rising public anger over the noncompetitive grants, which critics claim are used to reward political backers rather than support effective service.
But nonprofit leaders say the reduction in earmarks for youth, arts, and social-service charities will further limit their effectiveness in a time of reduced donations and rising demand for their programs. “The word that comes to mind is ‘devastating,’” said Ed Orzechowski, leader of Catholic Charities, in a statement yesterday.
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