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The ongoing debate around access to health care continues. People have become vocal with varying opinions and emotions are running high. I will be the first to say that I don’t think we need huge government and I don’t know how we are going to pay for a lot of what has already been spent via the recent bailout of several financial institutions. However, there are people in this country─some poor and some who simply have unusual circumstances─that need access to health care. They need it because they are sick or suffering.
I recently heard a story about a 59-year-old construction worker who could no longer work due to bad knees. He could barely stand. When he visited a Federally Qualified Health Center, the doctors worked with him. The treatment: give him pain medication until he reaches the age to qualify for Medicare; then, he can get the two knee replacements he needs. So for the next few years, this gentleman is going to suffer in pain, struggling to walk and he will wait. Guess what? He is waiting for government senior care to kick in.
What a sad commentary for a country with supposedly the best health care in the world. We may have the best health care but it says a lot about our system when these types of scenarios occur. Insurance companies are unhappy, doctors are unhappy and pharmaceutical companies are unhappy. Why? Because it threatens their bottom line and it weakens their market share and they will make less money, pure and simple. If I were a doctor or a big insurance company executive, I might not like that either.
However, health care should not be a privilege but a human right. People were put on this earth through no decision that involved them, and everyone’s health should be something we all care about – mine and yours. Right now, our uninsured are wandering into hospital emergency rooms and seeking assistance where medical care is at its highest cost. Hospitals are then forced to write off the expense and those that are insured end up paying more. What is right about that system?
I do not know what the answer is and do not profess to be a health care expert by any stretch of the imagination. However, as caring and compassionate human beings, we need to do some serious thinking about what is the “right thing to do.” Families are struggling through tough economic times and so are businesses. We don’t need bigger government, but we do need a plan that will allow any human being on this earth the opportunity to have or buy health care and not break the budget doing it. Cut through all the spin, scare tactics and opinions and this should be where we end up. Life is filled with challenges and sacrifices. People’s health should not be number one on the sacrifice list, particularly if your wallet is really thin. It’s just not right.Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina.
Foundations must find a way to create balance during difficult economic times. It is without question that all foundation assets are down significantly since mid 2008. It was an unavoidable consequence of the U.S. economic downturn. Here is the dilemma. Should foundations spend into their corpus to maintain a consistent spending level when they know their assets have dropped by several million dollars? This is where the balance part comes into play.
Foundations have to spend into the corpus at some level but cannot afford to spend too much and, as a result, put the foundation’s long-term viability at risk. If a foundation is going to survive and thrive for decades to come, then it must be realistic and pragmatic about its funding decisions. On the other hand, nonprofit organizations cannot be left “high and dry.” Thus, foundations are finding creative ways to provide some funds─albeit reduced─and also provide other services to enhance the work of nonprofit organizations and their leaders. An example of these supplementary services is the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina Learning Academy’s leadership tract, offering nonprofit executive directors graduate-level training and credit in effective leadership strategies, and its forthcoming distance learning opportunities throughout the state.
Foundations have to partner too. The Sisters of Charity Foundation collaborates with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia College, Columbia Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Midlands and the Central Carolina Community Foundation. The two latter partners and the Foundation are working to leverage a Bank of America grant to assist and address issues around the merging of struggling and failing nonprofits.
It is certain that our Foundation’s available grant funds will be less in 2010 than they were in 2009. However, through creativity and balance we plan to accomplish as much or more than ever next year. Through capacity building, listening sessions, knowledge sharing, distance learning opportunities, social media and other communications tools and more workshops for nonprofit staff and volunteers, we will make an impact next year. This is all in addition to the grant funds that we will still distribute. Though, fewer funds will force us to be more focused and have even higher expectations and a higher level of confidence in our potential grantees.
We must continue to be willing to shift out of our own comfort zone and capture opportunities in a new and different way. There is a fine line for foundations between protecting their existence and accomplishing their mission. The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina and other foundations must be proactive and strike the perfect balance between our missions and long-term survival. We understand the complexities of this situation and that a lot of other people and organizations are effected by our decisions. The Sisters of Charity Foundation will continue to be a foundation of mission and purpose. That is our first and most important priority. Survival is important too, and we are putting the necessary tools in place to insure that a fine balance is reached both for 2010 and long into the future.
Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
In speaking with several nonprofit executives over the past few months, it is evident that nonprofit organizations, as are others, are still struggling. Money is really tight and fund raising is down. As we hit the halfway point for the year, many organizations are facing the reality that this is not going to be a successful year and certain changes are going to be necessary. Some of these changes may include staff layoffs, downsizing of office space, reducing or eradicating projects that involve printing and mailing costs and eliminating travel, conferences, training and other opportunities that would enhance the organization. I will share what I believe are important elements for surviving these difficult economic times.
• Go back to your core annual donors (both present and lapsed) and ask them to support you again. If the ask was made through an annual donor letter campaign in the past, you may want to make a personal phone call this time. Who knows, a $100 gift might turn into a larger gift if you have an opportunity to explain your circumstances.
• You should already have personal contact with your major gift donors, but I would use the same approach. If they gave $5000 last year or in previous years, have a frank conversation with them about your situation. It may help shore up the same amount of the previous gift or even secure a larger gift. But you need to walk away with something from these core supporters.
• Explore partnerships that may involve government dollars. There are a lot of funds are out there through the federal government and they are from a variety of sources. There is stimulus money, faith-based funds and other sources through various governmental agencies. Learn about these opportunities and see if there is a good fit for your organization. Do your homework and find a partner if that is what it takes.
• Build relationships with foundations whose mission coincides with your mission. Let them hear from you and learn about you. Communicate throughout the year and not only when you are seeking funding. A foundation feels much more comfortable providing funds to an organization it knows and trusts.
• Push your board and other internal stakeholders to give and to help obtain funds. They are as close as anybody to your mission. Fund raising should never be a complete staff function, but staff can facilitate ways for others to find donors. I would start with your board.
The economic climate is troublesome and there are many external factors that are affecting success, but make sure you are doing everything you can with your organization’s internal decisions and strategies. The year is only half over and there is still time to have some successes in the second half of the year. Good luck with your efforts.Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina.
The fifth and last core value of the Sisters of Charity Health System and the Foundation is compassion. I saved it for last, because compassion is at the very essence of every single thing we do as a ministry. It is an awareness and understanding of the human pain and suffering of others and the desire to do something about it.
I believe that each of us has a sense of compassion. The extent of a person’s compassion varies from individual to individual. In the Bible, God demonstrates his compassion and graciousness in scripture. For example, in Psalm 145:8 and Isaiah 54:8 reference is given to God’s everlasting kindness for each one of us. One of God’s greatest messages to us is that he is compassionate and he expects us to be compassionate as well.
Compassion is a human quality that is divinely inspired. When we see someone that is in distress and we feel their pain as if it were our own and strive to eliminate or lessen it, then this is compassion. Compassion also comes out of having a true understanding of one’s self. We can really see the needs of others more clearly when we truly understand ourselves and can apply that understanding in a compassionate and unselfish way.
I see compassion for the sick and suffering in our hospitals. I see it through our outreach ministries to help low-income fathers and uninsured children. I see it through the work in our Foundation as we reach out to help the poor and underserved of all ages and in every community.
In the New Testament, there is the parable of the Good Samaritan. He happened by a man who had been beaten by robbers. The man was hurt and was avoided by two religious men who walked on the other side of the street. Along came a common man who cared for him and tended to his wounds.
We see those suffering every day in our own lives. Seeing suffering and acting on it are two different things. I feel like we all have the capacity to be compassionate in both big ways and small ways and, to me, it really does not matter which way you choose. What matters, is recognizing the need that someone else has and acting upon that need with whatever means you have.
The best thing of all is that compassion for others is free of charge. It does not cost one single penny to act compassionately towards someone or in some situation. I have been blessed to work with compassionate Sisters and fellow servant leaders. Compassion is one of our core values and it is at the root of all of our work every day.Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
Collaboration is another core value of the Sisters of Charity and the Foundation. The definition for collaboration is pretty basic. It is to work with others to achieve a common goal.
When I was in Boy Scouts we had a “tug of war” contest. There were eight guys on one side, eight on the other and a huge mud pit in the middle. When the contest began, the pulling began. I was on the front of the team and I became acutely aware of the muddy pit only a few feet in front of me. I yelled back to my team members to pull harder. One guy on our team was bigger and stronger than the rest of us. He gave a big heave and that was all it took. The guys on the other side lurched forward and half of them plunged into the mud pit, much to our delight.
It was my first known experience where collaboration was pretty clear to me. I could not have done this task alone but with seven other guys helping me pull in one direction, the mission was easier and it was more achievable. This same concept can be applied to so many other things. For example, I have witnessed hundreds of volunteers clean an entire town in one day by working together picking up trash.
When foundations and other organizations collaborate, several things occur. It gives you added human capacity, it gives additional financial resources and it also gives focus to a bigger goal that will better the community. This has also been accomplished through partnerships with business and government.
Collaboration is a great concept but it is not always easy to implement. It requires flexibility, group thinking, a willingness to give up control and a belief that the “greater good” will benefit from multiple partners. Collaboration really works when we become less about territory and more about opportunity.
I have seen more and more nonprofit organizations willing to collaborate during these difficult economic times. It makes sense financially, organizationally and some times it can be the only way they will sustain themselves and survive over the long run. With philanthropic dollars as scarce as we have ever seen, collaboration is a “must” in today’s nonprofit world.
We must be willing to put our own self interests aside and find common ground that will benefit more people and communities. It is not only the way to survive this economic storm, but it is the right thing to do and the right time to do it.
Collaboration is an important core value of the Foundation and the Sisters of Charity Health System as a whole. It is basically working together to maximize your potential to meet your mission and goals. Here is hoping we can find new ways to all work together collaboratively both now and in the future.
Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
Today marks a little known or celebrated 100th anniversary. In 1909, a woman named Sonora Dodd in Spokane, Wash., was listening to her preacher’s sermon about the importance of honoring Mother's Day. Although she agreed it was an important day, she felt it unfair that no recognition was given to fathers. After Sonora's mother died, it was her father who made the big sacrifices in her life. He was the one who made sure she had food on the table, warm clothes to wear and that she said her nightly prayers. Why then, she wondered, were fathers not being honored in the same fashion?
Sonora began her life's mission to see that fathers received the same recognition as mothers for making the necessary sacrifices for their children. She began having a father’s day celebration during June, her birth month, every year thereafter in Spokane. But, it was not until 1972 (63 years later) that a permanent national observance of Father's Day on the third Sunday of June was established.
Today, we need to ask a similar question as the one posed by Sonora 100 years ago. Why is it that the importance of having an engaged and active father remains largely devalued and unrecognized? While Sonora’s father was loving and attentive, many fathers today are not so involved. Father absence has dramatically increased since the 1960’s. More children are living today in father absent households than during the height of World War II. Research clearly reveals that father absence has significant negative consequences for children, including child poverty. Society and taxpayers pay a tremendous price as well. Because many disregard a father’s worth and fewer people reach out to them, support for fathers is spotty and underfunded throughout our nation.
However, progress is being made in South Carolina. The Sisters of Charity Foundation has invested more than $16.5 million to support advocacy and fatherhood programs in South Carolina over the past ten years. The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, an outgrowth of this initiative, supports six fatherhood programs in 12 locations across the state and serves more than 1,500 low-income fathers who want to become great dads. Fathers receive guidance, support, information and resources. They earn respect and are respected.
Support for these programs is worthwhile. They save taxpayers money and change lives. Not just for this generation but for our future generations. We can not afford to wait 50 or 100 more years to prioritize this issue that impacts us all. Yes all of us. Join Sonora’s legacy, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families and countless other partners who are working to recognize and reach out to fathers. Let your voice be heard. For more information about the Fatherhood Initiative, visit the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families or the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina Web site.Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
Another core value of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is justice. Justice is so important and it is certainly subject to different interpretations and meanings. To me, every issue we encounter deals with ethics and comes under the notion of justice. Justice is a set of principles which guide others in determining what is right and what is wrong no matter what culture we live in. It is to elevate the dignity of each and every human person.
At the Foundation, we work with the underserved population. Many are homeless, most have no health insurance, thousands are in need of food and an unimaginable number attend dilapidated schools that are inadequate for learning. We find ourselves living in a world where there is a huge disparity between those who have life’s necessities to live and succeed and those who do not. The core question around justice is, “Do I have a responsibility to others who have less than me and cannot take care of themselves or their families?” My answer is, “Yes.”
Social justice provides the very foundation for a healthy community. It grows out of a sense that each individual person in our society has value. Only as we realize the value and dignity of each individual person can we build a healthy community. This can be a slow process of learning and growing. To help the process along we develop attitudes of respect for one another regardless of where they rest on the socio-economic scale.
Isn’t justice about helping every person realize their full human potential? Shouldn’t we reward people in our society for being loving and caring, ethical, kind and generous? We have systems in place that are suppose to address justice issues but frankly, they just “scratch the surface” towards solving problems around justice and fairness.
Each one of us can make a difference, even if it is in a small way. I believe that social justice imposes on each individual a personal responsibility to help one another. In the end, we are not going to be judged by how many houses, cars and clothes we own or how much money is in our bank accounts. Our individual legacy will be measured by what we have done to make a difference in the lives of others and, in particular, those who cannot make it on their own.
When I think about justice as a core value, I believe it is one of the most difficult to affect and it is one of the most important values. Look around; make yourself aware of the injustices that occur in our society everyday. Then ask yourself, “What can I do to help?” Isn’t that really what matters in the long run?
Tom Keith is is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
The ongoing debate around access to health care continues. People have become vocal with varying opinions and emotions are running high. I will be the first to say that I don’t think we need huge government and I don’t know how we are going to pay for a lot of what has already been spent via the recent bailout of several financial institutions. However, there are people in this country─some poor and some who simply have unusual circumstances─that need access to health care. They need it because they are sick or suffering.
