Foundation Asks SC Gubernatorial Candidates Questions Around Poverty

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina asked all South Carolina gubernatorial candidates five questions around poverty and economic opportunity in the state. The five questions reflect general issues and policies that are of concern to the underserved in South Carolina and the organizations and voters working with this population.

After repeated attempts to collect responses, the Foundation only received answers from Nikki Haley (R) and Jim Rex (D).

These questions are one means to assist voters in analyzing some of the significant poverty and opportunity issues of the campaign so that they can exercise their rights in a most effective manner. It is not the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina’s intention to you how to vote. Likewise, Foundation does not endorse or campaign for candidates or political parties. Our hope is that voters will examine the positions of candidates on these issues, as well as their personal integrity, beliefs and performance.

To view five questions and candidates' responses, click here.

Congress Needs to Reauthorize TANF and Change the Distribution Formula; But Right Now Replenish the Contingency Fund

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, along with other Southeastern Council of Foundations members, continue to raise awareness on the impact of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding in our states and advocate for TANF reauthorization.

TANF funding is critical to all states in the Southeastern Council of Foundations (SECF), and the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is advocating for Congress to reauthorize TANF, and once this occurs to change the funding distribution formula to one that is based on a state’s need. If the amount of funding is increased using the consumer-price index, states making up the SECF would receive a total over $1.5 billion, in addition to current funding, if a formula based on poverty is implemented. A formula that equalizes the payments to states based on the percentage of each state’s population living in poverty would benefit 33 of the 50 states.

Understanding TANF reauthorization may likely be pushed back a year, to 2011, the Foundation believes that there is a more immediate and pressing need, that of the TANF Contingency Fund. 

When TANF replaced the old Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program in 1996, Congress appropriated $2.5 billion to a TANF Contingency Fund. Congress created this fund to accommodate states’ increased caseload during a major economic downturn. In order to access this fund states had to have had an increase in needy families in the state as measured by families receiving food stamps (more than 10% increase for the same period in the prior year). The state was also required to invest additional state dollars on needy families. With the economic downturn in 2008, many states qualified for the fund and the fund was completely depleted in 2009.

Many states depend on this money to take people out of poverty and into work. According to information on the federal fiscal year that ended in September 2009, Arkansas will lose $36,260,975, Maryland will lose $38,183,005, North Carolina will lose $60,447,900, Tennessee will lose $38,304,759 and South Carolina will lose $40,000,000. (Some states may have drawn down dollars in 2010, but that information is not published yet.)

To get a better idea of how the TANF Contingency Fund affects South Carolina, read Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina President Tom’s Keith guest column, The Real Welfare Crisis, that appeared in last Sunday’s (May 23, 2010) The State newspaper. You can also tune into the following SC ETV radio stations or online at Your Day Thursday, May 27 from noon-1 p.m. to hear an interview with Tom Keith and South Carolina Department of Social Services State Director Dr. Kathleen Hayes on this very issue.

Last year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) created a new Emergency Fund under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. Congress provided $5 billion for the Emergency Fund in ARRA. However, this Emergency Fund is set to expire on September 30, 2010.

As you can see the, there is an immediate need for Congress to replenish the original TANF Contingency Fund or extend the TANF Emergency Fund. Since most southern states’ elected leaders do not support stimulus funding, the best approach is to ask Congress to replenish the original TANF Contingency Fund. This funding source was created for use in a down economy, and this is clearly a time when states need access to these funds. As advocates for the underserved in South Carolina, the Sisters of Charity Foundation is working with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, other organizations, foundations and elected officials to figure out how to get this much needed funding to South Carolina and all southern states.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina and other foundations comprising the Southeastern Council of Foundations are all familiar with the poverty that exists in the states they serve. It is a condition we all work hard to change every day. We know the enormous difference this funding can make in our states for families in poverty, and how detrimental it can if we don’t receive it. United, the Southeastern Council of Foundations can act to help our states get an equitable share of any new TANF funding. Working with the state TANF agency, the Governor’s office and our Congressional delegations we can make sure this issue gets the attention it deserves and results in equity for our states.


Brooke Bailey is the director of communications and public policy for the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Mothers

There are many things that have occurred at the Sisters of Charity Foundation over the last few months. We have a lot to be thankful for and proud of and our work continues to be fulfilling and promising. There have been some personal things going on too. I am going to share some of my personal thoughts with you as we approach Mother’s Day this year.

In the last four months, both my mother-in-law and my mother died. Both were in their late 80s so their passing was not unexpected but it was very sad and difficult. So as Mother’s Day arrives this year, it feels very different for me. My mother-in-law, Sara Jane, was a person that always put other people first. She was kind, loving, sensitive and genuine. I never once saw her put on airs or try to be somebody she wasn’t. She had a way of making each individual person feel extremely special. She could make or fix anything. My wife, Doris, her daughter, has a lot of those same qualities too. They say that we often grow up to be our parents and, for Doris, that is a wonderful thing. Her mother was as special as any woman I have ever met. Even though Alzheimer’s took her away from us a few years ago, her passing in December was a time of great sadness. I miss her dearly.

My mother, Johnnie, was a doting and loving mother. She was always worrying about my brother and me. She raised us in a strong Christian, small town environment. She gave us the grounding to treat others with respect and always try to do your best in every single situation. My mother lived a life of love surrounded by family and friends. She taught me to be kind and loving to all people no matter whom they were or where they came from. “God made us all equal” she would say and she meant it. Mother died suddenly in February and it has been extremely difficult. I miss her so much; I saw her on a regular basis and her death has left a void for me and my family.

But my mother and mother-in-law live on. They live in my wife and me and their memory lives in and with many people that we come in touch with each day.

On behalf of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, I would like to wish a happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers out there. May each of us give you the love and support you deserve and never take you for granted. Mothers are the lifeblood of each and every one of us and, they continue to touch us, either through their loving hands today or through the memories of that love from the past.

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Leaders of the Future Must have Different Skills

It is time for baby boomers to face the fact that our time is running out in the work force. Unless, we plan to work until we are 80, then our years are dwindling quickly and, sooner than later, we will be gone. You might ask, “so what?” and that is precisely why I write this.

I believe there is going to be a gaping hole between current leadership in the philanthropic world and the next group of leaders. Why? Because we don’t really have a plan in place to truly prepare the next group of leaders, and the skills and abilities needed for the next generation of leaders is going to be vastly different than those we exercise today.

Reflecting on when I first started with the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina back in the mid-90s, I think about how we only had one computer in the entire office and it belonged to the secretary. Everything was copied and filed manually. We still used an electric typewriter for goodness sakes! We transformed in the past 15 years and will continue to evolve in the next 15 years with new and innovative ways to operate. Information technology, communications, social media, etc. is at an accelerated pace.

Information technology will be the single most important force that will drive philanthropy over the next two decades. I think about the goals of the Sisters of Charity Foundation in the coming years. We will utilize technology to teach and train hundreds more nonprofit practitioners than ever before. We will communicate and inform through mediums that have not be used before. We will report and share findings in exciting new ways. We will be able to take the Foundation office with us no matter where we go. Everything will be a click away.

The next generation leaders must be willing and able to embrace this reality and treat it as an opportunity. We have a chance to make philanthropy more efficient, more informative and with better and more definable results. This may also change staffing patterns and the role of staff. Our future leaders will be able to utilize new tools and analyze old methods to improve the organization’s overall effectiveness both internally and externally. There is no prescriptive CEO manual that we can hand to the next generation of leaders. It is not available and it shouldn’t be. To me, it will come down to a select group of people that are high energy yet compassionate, mission-driven, flexible, innovative and technologically savvy.

People are at the heart of our work in philanthropy and that should never change. However, doing business in 2025 is going to be a whole new ballgame. I hope I am still alive to see these leaders in action. It will be as invigorating and exciting as anything you could ever imagine and I think the opportunities are endless. Oh, if only I was age 35 again!

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Research Through Listening

I recently visited a small rural community in South Carolina, and passed a homeless young woman sitting in her car on a side street. I learned that during the long, cold winter nights, she sleeps bundled up with in blankets. When it is too cold for her body to bear, she turns her car on―in desperation―to generate a little extra heat. As I entered the building across the street from her parked car, she discretely moved her vehicle farther down the street as not to attract any further attention.

Although she hoped to be “invisible,” her presence over the past few weeks had already been noticed by the local community pastor. Realizing her needs, he enlisted a community member to approach her car and compassionately inquire about her well-being, “Are you okay? It’s cold out here; you could die.”

“If I’m lucky, I will,” was her response, reflecting the vast depth of her hopelessness and despair. Since that encounter, the pastor has quietly worked behind the scenes recruiting the community to watch over her, acknowledging her presence in a way that maintains her fragile sense of dignity and respect.

As I saw this woman sitting in her car and heard the pastor share her story, a million questions flooded my mind. Did she have family or friends concerned about her well-being and looking for her? What had happened in her life that had brought her to this place of desperation and loneliness? Would she ever trust someone enough to express her current needs and concerns?

Unfortunately, this young woman is not alone. South Carolina is a state with a history of significant poverty.There are twelve counties that have experienced persistent poverty for years, and there are many other men or women facing the same sense of isolation and hopelessness.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina works to identify ways to document its collaborative efforts to reduce poverty in South Carolina. Often termed as “research,” it also includes listening to those experiencing poverty directly, along with other leaders and stakeholders in their community. It is one way to find answers to some of these questions and seek solutions to better our communities.

In an effort to really listen to those experiencing poverty and hear the voices of those who work daily in service to the poor, the Foundation is conducting several “Listening Sessions” in selected communities across the state this year. The first Listening Session was held in Allendale in March, and the Foundation will travel to Johns Island this month.

According to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, “Change can only happen when everyone who is affected has a seat at the table and has the opportunity to speak.” The Foundation hopes the listening sessions will allow us to use the gift of listening in order to better understand the potential concerns and solutions that could be utilized to meet unmet needs, and identify ways to facilitate change across the state where persistent poverty and hopelessness can abound.

Stephanie Cooper-Lewter is the senior director of research and special programs for the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

What Are We Thinking?

I was reminded recently of the “fine line” that we walk in philanthropy as it pertains to expectations of grantees. Also, we sometimes send mixed messages to those seeking funds. Let me explain. Two questions that most funders ask potential grantees are “what is your sustainability plan?” and “how do you intend to fund this project/program beyond this grant?” In isolation, these questions are relevant and fair. Foundation’s don’t want to fund something that is going to have a short life span and they don’t want to be “on the hook” for a long-term financial commitment to organizations they fund, thus the significance of these questions.

But what are the results in the relationship between grantee and funder if the grantee does or does not reach sustainability as the funder expects? Good question. Does the funder let the program die because they are unwilling to put up additional funding to get a program to sustainability even if it takes longer than expected? Another good question: do they walk away from a grantee that is a high achiever, reaches success with the grant funds and is sustained, but needs additional funding to take the program further?
Here is what I think? Funders, in large part, are fundamentally unrealistic about their expectations around sustainability. That is not to say that the questions should not be asked, but the reality is that nine times out of ten an organization is not going to be able to answer that question with certainty that they will or will not be able to sustain themselves following the grant award period. There are just too many variables that make the answers to the questions unachievable unless there is a funding stream that is ongoing, which is not the case for most nonprofits. Individual and corporate donors come and go, grant funding has a short life, special events take time and energy and wills and bequests happen infrequently.

Yes, foundations must be good stewards of their resources and they must operate within certain guidelines to be fair and accountable. But arbitrary time limits for grant funding and high expectations for sustainability is not helping, but rather hurting the very nonprofits that funders intend to help. So, if funders truly want to get the biggest bang for their buck then they need to consider some flexibility in decision-making and more realistic expectations around results, particularly as it applies to sustainability. During this economy, more nonprofits are fighting to survive than ever before. We, in the foundation business are investors; investors during good times and bad times. If we want a realistic return on that investment then we need to employ some alternative investment strategies. These include: a longer commitment for funding, more flexibility for those who can’t promise sustainability and let’s not punish those who have sustained themselves either.

The goal for nonprofits is to succeed with their mission and survive this difficult economy. We, in philanthropy, should not be obstacles toward achieving those goals but a catalyst for reaching those goals. This starts with a little self reflection about our processes and procedures, expectations and, yes, the questions we ask. If we can do that, then more realistic outcomes can be attained and our relationship with grantees will be stronger because they will know that we understand them better.


Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Counting People Counts for South Carolina

The year 2010 is an important one as it pertains to gathering census data. The recession has depleted many of the government resources necessary to adequately prepare and implement the process of collecting data. Many funders around the country have invested resources to supplement the government’s efforts. For example, the California Endowment gave more than $4 million to nonprofit groups working to draw attention to the census in that state.

Although South Carolina is significantly smaller than California the issues around identifying and effectively collecting census data are the same, if not worse. In poor areas of the state and many of our minority communities, it appears more difficult to gather data and to get individuals to participate. For example, the growing Hispanic population in the state, not only has language barrier issue, but also the need for confidentiality. It is important that the census is protective of undocumented immigrants and that an awareness campaign is developed to let individuals know that being counted will not be a risk to them in any way, shape or form.

Attention must also be given to our large homeless population in our more populated cities around South Carolina. Alternative census locations need to be aimed towards food banks, homeless shelters, free medical clinics and other places where the homeless population is likely to frequent. It is also important that the census representatives are inclusive of the population they are attempting to identify and gather information. In other words, the census staff needs to be representative of the ethnic composition of the communities and neighborhoods where they will be working. These workers need to be able to “speak the language” and be trusted messengers in the data gathering process. Otherwise, many individuals will disappear and not be counted, which could have an adverse affect on our state’s resources and federal funding to adequately serve our actual population.

Some estimates suggest that nearly 10% of South Carolina’s true population went uncounted in 2000 which equates to nearly 400,000 people. That represents a huge gap between actual and collected data in the state. We must invest in the right tools and the right strategy to collect accurate census data this time. If not, then all South Carolinians will suffer in the long run. It will mean fewer dollars to support our state which has already been decimated by a poor economy and huge budget shortfalls.

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina