Resources for Community Building Thinking

The non-profit often gets overlooked when discussions of the economy, the future and the well-being of the communities of our country is discussed. No one should ignore this industry, which continues to be the "doing good" sector even as resources get more and more strapped in our current fiscal woes. One of the resources that many people in the non-profit world look too is the NON PROFIT QUARTERLY, a forum for very high level discussions of all facets of this non-profit field. Ruth McCambridge, editor, does a nice job of covering what is in the new issue. This issue has a story on one of the major questions facing both for profit and nonprofit, is bigger better? Here is what the editor says about this lead story:


Paul Light has suggested that there are four possible scenarios for the future of our sector -- one of these being an "arbitrary winnowing" which would "result in a rebalancing [of] the sector towards larger, richer and fewer [nonprofit] organizations." Dr. Light said nothing in his NPQ article about the private sector but I have noticed a disturbing macro trend worth paying attention to if you are at all interested in retaining a modicum of local ownership and control over the organizations that so richly populate our communities.

In yesterday's New York Times was an article about how small businesses are faring in this downturn. Here is a shocking statistic: from the second quarter of 2007 through the third quarter of 2008, businesses with fewer than 20 employees have accounted for 53% of all job losses in the private sector -- even though those companies employ only 20% of the employees.

One observer comments that this is just the market "being cleansed of unneeded goods and services." Though far from an economist, I might suggest that this phenomenon may be more a question of available capital and a function of a further monopolization of our markets by large business concerns. Slate.com runs a story about CIT Group, the number one lender to these very small firms under the Small Business Administration's 7(a) program. The 7(a) program typically makes loans to small businesses that have exhausted other options. Close to bankruptcy itself, it is under consideration for a bailout -- a step supported by Lloyd Chapman of the American Small Business League, who has traditionally opposed providing bailout funds for large financial institutions. "If my tax dollars are going to be used to rescue banks and other financial institutions," says Chapman, "CIT is the kind of firm I want to see saved." But Slate reports that the "thinking within the administration . . . is that because its collapse would have little or no effect on the larger financial system, bailing out CIT may not be worth the time or the money."

Chapman is concerned that small business is largely overlooked in the federal government's credit programs, pointing out that America's Recovery Capital Loan program (part of the ARRA) will make only $225 million in loans to small business, where CIT made more than three times that in 2008 alone.
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I worry that there is an insufficient understanding within this administration about the value of small, locally controlled organizations to civic life and I, for one object, as much on behalf of local owned business as locally controlled nonprofits. We are in danger of losing the essential character of the nation in this trend.

So when the administration proposes working hand in hand with large philanthropic institutions to craft collaborative approaches to "social innovation," and if that conversation remains less than fully transparent to date, excuse us if we wince a little at the more downside potential of that, particularly when the groups mentioned as models are very large, well connected and well funded.

If you are not familiar with this publication and you find the above relevant to some of your thinking in community building and non profits, you will find this publication a treasure trove of discussion over the long term.

Some quick observations of Hartsville in July

1 -- Great exhibit of photographs of Hartsville or by Hartsville area photographers at the Black Creek Arts Council. And there is lots of activity with the kids art camp this week.

2 -- Really good to see some dilapidated houses disappearing in the Washington Street area. I have noticed three new empty lots and they have been a long time coming but sure are welcome. City is taking down some of those dangerous, falling-down buildings.

3 -- Good number of people appeared to be giving blood this afternoon (7/13) at the Presbyterian Church and it appears there is another bloodmobile at Heritage Bank tomorrow.

4 -- Even when the temperatures are not in the 90s it feels hot and steam in July yet even in the heat volunteers come out to help build Habitat for Humanity homes.

Coordinating Council is important for collaboration, communication, cooperation

The Darlington County Coordinating Council is a loose organization of representatives from many of the social service type of agencies that serve the people of Darlington County. The Council meets monthly in Hartsville or Darlington. And, very importantly, the group has a web presence at darcocc.org.

Last week, July 9, the group had its meeting in Hartsville with about 17 people in attendance -- a relatively light crowd but some pretty heavy discussion. One of the key issues that arose was what appears to be an increasing incidence of teenage pregnancy in the Pee Dee. Kathy J. W. Smith of DHEC was doing the monthly organization presentation and she distributed some 2006 statistics on Teen Pregnancy. That handout started some intense discussion around the table and was one of the issues used as the reason for a need of more collaboration among agencies and service providers. The statistics on the page were provisional data for 2006 but they said that Darlington County has a 41.4 teen pregnancy rate, that is calculated per 1000 female population for the specific age group. For comparison, the overall South Carolina rate is 29.6.

SERVICES SUMMIT is September 10, 2009
One of the major announcements at this meeting was that the Services Summit for the county will be at Lakeview Baptist Church Fellowship Hall on September 10. This is an opportunity for service providers to get to know even more about each other's services and provide opportunities for people to meet one another to make coordination of service activities more realistic.

(Interest of full disclosure -- The Byerly Foundation has provided a multi-year grant for the Darlington County Coordinating Council to lay a solid foundation for improved communication among the various service providers. I am the executive director of The Foundation.)

REPRESENTATIVE JAY LUCAS TO COORDINATE
Representative Jay Lucas is going to be the Legislative Delegation's connection to the Coordinating Council. Many of the issues that arise from social service agencies are issues that are governed by state law and all of the issues affect people. In communities where a state legislative delegation takes an active interest in what is happening with social service providers it seems the social services are both more effective and more efficient. In fact, this group had a great deal of impetus a few years ago from State Senator Gerald Malloy, who gave one of the key notes at the first Summit.

NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Darlington County Coordinating Council is August 13, 2009 at the McLeod Medical Center - Resource Center in Darlington. Anyone wanting more information on this group can go to the web site, call Kathy Baxley, executive director of the Darlington County Free Medical Clinic, Dr. Nick Nicholson at the Darlington County Community Action Agency or Todd Shifflett at Care South.

Why do people work to make a difference?

There have been studies done of what motivates people to become what The Harwood Institute calls public innovators. I am sure there are many organizations and colleges studying the motivations of volunteering and volunteerism. On the citizen journalism website called hartsvilletoday we have an interesting answer for ONE person on why she gives so much. I have provided the link but just in case you don't want to go there, here is a copy of what she said. It feels like there is a lot here that will be of interest to lots of people:


This is who I am
Submitted by NM on Sun, 07/12/2009 - 16:19. Arts, Entertainment, Reviews

My husband and I returned from church today and we finished our “Sunday Brunch”. But while I was eating I kept thinking of everyone’s comments about my energy, strength and drive for the Good Living Marketplace – and why is “she” driving herself so hard. Well, this is what I’ve decided. I would like to share my heart with you.

Do you have a friend, neighbor or acquaintance that needs help or just a smile? Do you offer your assistance? Do you bake a pie with your last ounce of flour and take it to your friend to make them feel better? When you see someone hurting do you reach out and give that person a hug? Do you say to people, if you need something or anything please call me and really mean it? Do you have friends that are suffering with some horrible disease and you wish that you could just reach in and pull that disease out and make them well again? Do you take a friend flowers or send a card just to say “Hi”?

You see, Hartsville is my friend and I want to do what I can to help her get through a very bad time. Hartsville is like so many other small towns in the United States - aching, throbbing, and hurting. But Hartsville is just not a name of a small town. It’s a small town overflowing with wonderful loving & caring people. Do you shun away, go somewhere else or do you bake that pie and stay in Hartsville. I’ve lived in several other states but I’m finally able to say that I’ve found “home”. So I’m baking those pies and staying in Hartsville “just because”.

I’ve saved the strongest statement for last. God gives me my energy and strength. We work very hard together and it is a beautiful relationship. God has given my family extra strength and energy during some very difficult years and I know He will continue. My drive for life and for the Good Living Marketplace comes from “doing” the questions in paragraph two.

Now you know what’s in my heart, and where I get my energy, strength and drive.

This is who I am.

I find it really cool that a person would share that personal motivation and I am hoping her personal motivations will also get more people to think about being involved.

People on the ground make the difference

Earlier today I was reading a "Facebook" post by Mark Hanenchen, executive director of the Darlington County Habitat for Humanity. He was observing how thankful he is for people who give up weekends in the heat to help others by working on Habitat homes. He also noted how the ethos of a caring community is one of the major attractions for others to come to live and be part of that community. Hartsville does have a lot of people who care and who put their caring into action. Our goal has to be to get even more people who care involved to ensure we can solve the problems, or what we have called in the Selling Hartsville discussions, "fix the holes."

Butler Heritage is Community Heritage

It was one of the largest crowds at a Butler Heritage Foundation dinner that graced the Thornwell Elementary cafeteria on Thursday evening.

This was a continuation of the week long Butler Heritage Foundation celebration that takes place the last days of June and first days of July every year. This is a celebration of the Butler High School impact on all who attended and the community of which the school was a major part. Butler was the all-Black high school in Hartsville until integration closed the doors back in the late 1970s. The Butler Heritage Foundation has a mission to keep those memories alive to remind everyone of the enormous contributions of the school to the life of Hartsville. There is a new community center under construction on the Butler campus and a secondary reason for the celebrations is to continue the important job of fund raising to make this project a reality for the community. The Byerly Foundation has contributed more than $350 for the reconstruction of the community center where the administration building used to be. Currently, the Boys and Girls Club is housed in the Gym wing of this school.

The Butler High Heritage Glee Club opened the dinner on Thursday night and that is the video that is part of this post.

Rufus Bess, an educator in Minnesota and graduate of Butler High, was the evening's keynote speaker. He spoke of the importance of recognizing and seizing opportunities and the foundation he was given at Butler that helped him to a nine-year National Football League career and so far 17 years of teaching students at the high school level.

The heritage that was on display in the faces of those in the audience is the foundation on which community is built. In a city like Hartsville, this type of heritage is one of our major strengths as it shows the SENSE OF PLACE of people for their home community. The sense of pride in Butler and in Hartsville was evidence in the remarks of all who spoke.