OneAthens meeting
I'm planning on going to the OneAthens meeting tonight, and I hope y'all are too. I'm very curious to see what progress has been made, and I think we all want to know what the next step is.
Some random thoughts ...
- I'm still somewhat concerned over the fundraising element of this, and I hope that gets touched on tonight. Again, unless OneAthens is using its clout and status to pursue larger grants that can be distributed to area non-profits who would otherwise be unable to aggressively seek them, I still feel that you're going to see some unnecessary competition for funding. This has the potential, at best, to merely shift funding from the funder to OneAthens to the non-profit or, at worst, deprive some non-profits which have performed well of much-needed funds.
- Case in point, I'm troubled by the language that stresses OneAthens would seek 'to improve efficiency and communication' by reducing the number of available grants. While I do think a number of area non-profits aren't performing to their best level, I don't think it's my business to advocate that, say, the Athens Area Homeless Coalition should shut them down. Why not let the funder determine that and not folks not connected with the process. Competing over funding is already hard enough, and if you don't believe me then you should attend a United Way meeting some time and watch folks fight for those dollars.
- I think Tim Johnson's group taking this over would be a fantastic idea. There are few people in this community who are more dedicated to the fight against poverty than him, and he would do an excellent job.
- Furthermore, I think a staff of five is appropriate. While I sympathize with Pat Allen's sentiment - that one person would be dedicated and focused - I also think it would potentially overburden said person and limit effectiveness.
- I will say kudos to UGA for taking some positive steps toward alleviating this process. Don't get me wrong, I think they've got a long way to go, but it's encouraging to see them start to get the ball rolling. I'm really impressed by the committment to help low-wage employees pursue their GED.
Some random thoughts ...
- I'm still somewhat concerned over the fundraising element of this, and I hope that gets touched on tonight. Again, unless OneAthens is using its clout and status to pursue larger grants that can be distributed to area non-profits who would otherwise be unable to aggressively seek them, I still feel that you're going to see some unnecessary competition for funding. This has the potential, at best, to merely shift funding from the funder to OneAthens to the non-profit or, at worst, deprive some non-profits which have performed well of much-needed funds.
- Case in point, I'm troubled by the language that stresses OneAthens would seek 'to improve efficiency and communication' by reducing the number of available grants. While I do think a number of area non-profits aren't performing to their best level, I don't think it's my business to advocate that, say, the Athens Area Homeless Coalition should shut them down. Why not let the funder determine that and not folks not connected with the process. Competing over funding is already hard enough, and if you don't believe me then you should attend a United Way meeting some time and watch folks fight for those dollars.
- I think Tim Johnson's group taking this over would be a fantastic idea. There are few people in this community who are more dedicated to the fight against poverty than him, and he would do an excellent job.
- Furthermore, I think a staff of five is appropriate. While I sympathize with Pat Allen's sentiment - that one person would be dedicated and focused - I also think it would potentially overburden said person and limit effectiveness.
- I will say kudos to UGA for taking some positive steps toward alleviating this process. Don't get me wrong, I think they've got a long way to go, but it's encouraging to see them start to get the ball rolling. I'm really impressed by the committment to help low-wage employees pursue their GED.
posted by Jmac at 9:06 AM
4 Comments:
My random thoughts...
1. You know where I stand on fundraising and effectiveness. Basically, if handled correctly, I see it as a good thing. Furthermore, no matter how good any individual non-profit is, that non-profit still sets its audience and is unequipped to address poverty as a whole in the way that a non-profit with a holistic mandate is. Also, unless a nonprofit is a secondary agency of the ACC government, how would OneAthens do anything to reduce funding to other nonprofits other than to possible compete?
2. My big quibble with OneAthens, and with the argument about nonprofits, is that I have a very cynical view of the whole nonprofit handling of societal issues thing. Is poverty important enough to be addressed as a societal issue? If so, then why are we pawning it off on volunteers, or volunteers being partially funded through government dollars, instead of making a decision about what needs to be done, and funding and staffing those decisions completely? The discussion above, an ongoing here, is about continued viability of the nonprofits who do this sort of thing, and what happens to the people they serve if they can't remain viable, but other people aren't being served at all, or are being managed by the justice system. That, to me, is the larger issue. The problem won't be solved by any one non-profit, but at the same time it's b.s. that the responsibility for it falls to non-profits in the absence of any authority.
3. Kudos to UGA on the internship program. I'd like to see how it pans out, but it is a common-sense, logical approach to both addressing poverty and benefiting UGA through a stable, well-equipped workforce.
There are a lot of people in the AA community and other social service agencies that are tired of Tim Johnson controlling the funding process of HED behind the scenes. We are disgusted that his record of NOT really doing anything but resource and referral work is even being considered for reward. He also has a large hand in the United Way funding process.
Now don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy, well intended, but part of the same social service structure that has been ineffective and intolerant of any new approaches to poverty.
He sat there and helped preside over this process, which does NOT raise wages for the poor, but blames them for lacking education and "soft skills" and is now hoping to rake in the bucks that he couldn't raise himself to fund his agency. If he were being effective, he would have no trouble getting funding from foundations all over the country.
But he's not, and he's old school, telling poor people what they need, and keeping the resources in his agency, promoting his agency, and getting money to pour into staff instead of actually directly helping the poor.
Just ask some of the new groups taht have tried to address these issues over the past 15 or 16 years since he took over Community Connection from Gwen O'Looney. He is a brick wall, he will act as if he supports your initiave to your face, but when it comes time to divide up the money, he goes w/his cronies, every time.
He and Rob Trevena are thick as theives, and as far as I'm concerned, both need to move a long, maybe retire, get over themselves and all their self righteous do gooderness, and think about what's best for Athens, not just themselves.
For example, why not spend that money he wants for minions to the transit service, to do whatever part of the million dollar expansion of service that everyone agrees is essential to turning this community around?
Give me a break. Family Connection should pay it's own way, based on either being effective, or not. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the very definition of insanity, isn't it? So use the money for the poor, not to plump up the agencies that pretend to serve them, while merely paying their own and additional salaries.
I think it would be great to have an Ombudsman do an evaluation of what Family Connection has actually done, accomplished, who they've helped actually get out of poverty... and the same w/EADC and HCDC, and other HED and United Way programs.
Anonymous:
Tim Johnson has not been the Director of Community Connection for (at least) five years now. He is the Director of Family Connection/Communities in Schools, which does not receive funding through HED.
At least get your background facts straight before you pitch your crazy conspiracy theories.
I know both Tim and Rob pretty well and I've never known them to work or socialize together.
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