Notes from the Field...
November-December 2009 Notes
'Tis the season and in that spirit let me first share with you some holiday cheer!
On November 22nd Governor Quinn signed an executive order establishing the Illinois Human Services Commission. This Commission was the brainchild and hopefully the first of many progeny birthed by the emerging coalition Illinois Partners for Human Service which United Way of Illinois helped found and continues to play an active role in. (More about Illinois Partners shortly.) The Commission will make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly concerning the provision of high quality, efficient and effective human services for all Illinois citizens. The Commission is comprised of members with expertise in both the public and private sectors and includes two legislators from each of the four caucuses; chief administrators of seven of the State's major human service agencies; human service providers and advocates; and community leaders. The Commission has two co-chairs designated by the Governor- Toni Irving, a deputy chief of staff and Ngoan Le, Vice President of Programs at the Chicago Community Trust. Its members include one of our own, Laura Thrall, President and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, as well as several others recommended by our own membership.(See press release attached) The Commission will hold its first meeting in January and will make its initial report to the Governor in June, 2010. We will continue to monitor and participate in the work of the Commission throughout its existence.
Another one of our recent successes, the 2-1-1 Service Act, is set to take effect on January 1, 2010. A statewide business planning process has made excellent progress and is expected to issue a report early in 2010. The Illinois Department of Human Services plans to issue an RFP in January to select the lead entity, which is charged with the governance, management and day-to-day operations of 2-1-1. A new organization, 2-1-1 Illinois, has been established under Illinois law and has applied for tax-exempt status with the intention of responding to the RFP. We continue to benefit from the excellent leadership of Greg Cott, President of United Way of McLean County as well as Scott Crane, President of United Way of the Quad Cities and Jeanene Harris, Regional and Administration Officer of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.
The first stage of work on the Illinois Human Services Database is wrapping up this month. We continue to work closely with the Governor's office and key state human service departments, the Chicago Community Trust and the Donors Forum on this undertaking. We have had the considerable resources of Deloitte to assist us in completing the planning phase of this project. Our goal is to create a database that will track the flow of public and private resources to various service areas, identify funding gaps by service area and geography and develop analytical tools to assess the financial strength of providers and potential new strategies for delivery of services. We have recently added the pro bono legal services of Mayer Brown, a major Chicago law firm to our team and hope to secure a continued commitment from Deloitte for the next phase of the project.
Now for a lump of coal-
As 2009 comes to an end and we hit the midpoint of the State's fiscal year we are confronted with continuing bad news for the human service sector. Just this past week I attended a meeting at which the director of the Illinois Department of Human Services, Michelle Saddler, reported that all state departments and agencies are expected to make a 3% cut in their budgets for the balance of the fiscal year. This will translate to a 6% cut for the last 6 months and will not be evenly felt because of the legal mandates and federal leveraging incentives state government must consider in parceling out those reductions. Respondents to our State Budget Impact survey reported decreased funding and a growing account receivable for services already rendered to the increasing number of individuals and families they are serving during these difficult economic times. Here is the link to the latest results from those surveys:
Survey Results
The picture for next year only looks worse. The current budget's reliance on one time and non recurring revenue sources and new and increased debt are creating an estimated $13 billion crater that must be filled before any additional revenue goes to current operations. There is no evidence thus far of the political will necessary to make the combination of spending cuts and revenue enhancements necessary to deliver anywhere close to a balanced budget, let alone one that includes adequate appropriations for human services. This will continue to be a primary focus of our advocacy efforts during the coming year.
Looking towards the coming year I would like to invite all of you to consider becoming members of Illinois Partners for Human Service. We now have a full time coordinator, Judith Gethner, and she is quickly seeking to increase the size of our membership and our activity and visibility throughout the state. I will be sending you a separate announcement and further information about this effort shortly and would ask you to share this opportunity with your partner agencies and other key stakeholders.
I also want you to mark your calendars for the Community Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. which will kickoff on Thursday, March 18 with a Day on Capitol Hill and continue with learning and networking for CEOs, board leaders, key volunteers and community partners through March 20. We would like to have a large Illinois contingent descend upon our Congressional delegation that week and hope you will be a part of the group.
In closing I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the good and important work you are doing everyday and all year long to benefit the communities you serve so well. These are difficult times for a growing number of individuals and families throughout Illinois and our job is to continue seeking the full range of resources available, both human and financial, and connect them in the best ways we know how with programs and initiatives that help those in need. Best wishes for a happy holiday season and healthy New Year.
Live United!
Jack Kaplan
Director, Public Policy and Advocacy
United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and United Way of Illinois