Changes aimed at replacing the departed Wildrose Foundation and streamlining community funding programs don’t change the bottom line — Alberta charities will have to do more with fewer dollars, critics say.
Culture and Community Spirit Minister Lindsay Blackett released changes Wednesday aimed at placating the non-profit sector, which reacted angrily after he axed the Wildrose Foundation in this spring’s budget.
After weeks of review, Blackett issued a press release stating that his department was setting aside $6 million from the Community Initiatives Program (CIP) grant program for small, community-based, service organizations. He’s also establishing a citizen advisory group to provide guidance on the allocation of the $6 million.
The rationale, he said in an interview, is that there had been a lot of duplication between the Wildrose Foundation and CIP. Now with just one program, he’s boosted eligibility from $50,000 to $75,000, a change he thinks will satisfy the non-profit sector.
“They get their funding, they got all their programs. They lost the name of the Wildrose Foundation and they lost the board, but in tough economic times when you’re dealing with shrinking dollars you can’t get everything you want,” Blackett said.
The citizens’ advisory group will recommend to Blackett’s department how to disperse the $6 million, but ultimate decision-making will rest with him. He’s already offered spots on the council to four former members of the Wildrose Foundation, he said.
With this advisory group and through better dialogue between his department and the sector, Blackett feels the sector will have a bigger say in programming in the future than it did under the Wildrose Foundation.
“It was one of those groups that thought that they were independent of government and they wanted to have it kept that way,” he said. “They’re not the ones who are accountable to the taxpayer. I am.”
Blackett has been talking about these changes for weeks within charitable circles, said Karen Lynch, executive director of Volunteer Alberta. What the sector is waiting for are clear guidelines, which still aren’t available.
“I think he sent out the news release because he was aware he promised a deadline and they haven’t been able to meet it,” Lynch said.
Alberta Liberal critic Laurie Blakeman said there are improvements happening, such as a more streamlined application process, but the bottom line is there is still less money overall for charities. Blackett’s overall charitable funding was cut by $7.2 million in the budget.
“The way he helps these groups with their missing $6 million was to take it from another pot of money. That will affect a whole bunch of other groups,” Blakeman said.
“It’s a smaller pool of money. There will be more competition,” agreed Doreen Slessor, project co-ordinator with the St. Albert Stop Abuse In Families Society.
The landscape for charities is “really tough” this year, she said, as businesses and foundations are being very careful where and how much they contribute.
“It’s tougher than I’ve seen in the last six years,” she said. “As a charity, we just can’t anticipate the money that we used to get.”
