Danette Tipton, right, executive director for Breakthrough
House and Lynn Davis, left, former Emergency Aid
program director and current Consumer Services Director,
talked about the end of the Emergency Aid program at
Breakthrough House. (Photo by Thad Allton/Topeka Capital-Journal)
A local nonprofit group that received United Way of Greater Topeka funding this year is giving the money back and ending the program it would have financed.
Breakthrough House says it is returning the $33,597 United Way awarded its Emergency Aid program. It already has ceased operating the program, which helped about 80 mentally ill clients pay for medications, rent and utilities.
The funding was short $4,372 from what the organization requested. But combined with the $6,100 it needed to provide food at its clubhouse — funds Breakthrough House didn’t apply for — the program is looking at a $10,000 shortfall.
The program had a total budget of $68,000. But Breakthrough House will have a difficult enough time raising the $57,000 it needs to keep its two core programs going, said executive director Danette Tipton.
"It was a tough decision for Breakthrough House, but they know (the Emergency Aid) clients will be taken care of by other providers," she said.
Breakthrough House asked United Way of Greater Topeka for $27,000 for its Compeer program, which serves children exhibiting or at risk for emotional or behavior problems. And it requested $30,000 for its payee program, which helps mentally ill clients stay in their homes by managing their finances — a rapidly growing need in the community, Tipton said.
"We have to keep this program functioning, or we could potentially have hundreds of clients become homeless or end up in the hospital," she said.
Neither program was awarded money from United Way this year.
Breakthrough House isn't alone in its United Way funding woes. At least 11 of the former 32 member agencies report receiving less or no money from the agency this year because of its new bidding process.
United Way of Greater Topeka opened all nondedicated funding to any area nonprofit group, and a panel of volunteers awarded proposals based on United Way’s five new focus areas. The change does away with United Way member agencies and reflects donors’ requests that the agency provide results for the programs it funds, Miriam Krehbiel, United Way of Greater Topeka president and chief executive officer, said previously. The agency is expected to release the list of funded agencies Friday.
United Way previously provided Breakthrough House with $70,000 between its payee and Emergency Aid programs, Tipton said. Past United Way funding for the Emergency Aid program helped pay the salary of the person who completed intake, provided case management, and worked with landlords and utility companies. The program paid between $18,000 and $22,000 a year to help the mentally ill meet basic payments.
Breakthrough House did what it could to help transition clients, she said. It visited with other emergency aid providers and had clients vote on agencies they wanted to see get the money — information that was passed to United Way, Tipton said.
Only one of those agencies was eligible for the money, Krehbiel said. The $33,000 will be split between it and a second organization, both of which were awarded money for rent and utility payment programs.
With the cuts, Tipton said she will have to rely more on community support.
Part of that has come through one of the other major funders of the Emergency Aid program, which agreed to allow Breakthrough House to transfer about $18,000 into its payee program. The funding will allow the program to serve another 40 clients, Tipton said. The program currently helps about 90 people, she said.
"This shows that our community and donors are really in tune with the local needs and willing to be flexible in how they support agencies and those we serve," she said in an email.
Breakthrough House has planned a concert in May to help raise $35,000 for its remaining programs.
Aly Van Dyke can be reached at (785) 295-1270 or aly.vandyke@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @alyvandyke.
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-01-19/area-agency-turns-back-united-way-funding