The Columbia Foundation's winter grants to 31 nonprofits for 2003 came with a caveat: Cut your costs, and rethink your new programs.
Unless there is an undeniable need in the community, "it's not a good time in today's environment to be starting a new project," said Barbara K. Lawson, foundation president and chief executive officer.
This month, the group awarded $188,500 in operating grants ranging from $2,000 to $16,000 to support Howard County charitable organizations struggling because of the economic downturn. The money is unrestricted - it can be used to pay for salaries, rent and other expenses.
Hospice of Howard County, part of Hospice of Baltimore, will receive $5,000 to pay for indigent patient care as well as to cover costs that are not re- imbursed by insurance or Medicare, such as chaplain services.
"We need to sustain what we're doing now," said Stephanie DeAbreu, development associate.
But the need for services is greater when the economy is poor. The predicted $1.3 billion shortfall in the state budget is just one factor that will affect nonprofits, Lawson said.
"Everybody's going to be behaving conservatively for a while because there's so many unknowns," she said.
As a result, the Columbia Foundation will offer only $75,000 in project grants in the spring - half of what was given this year.
Arts groups are typically the hardest hit during tight times, Lawson said.
"If you sit down to write a check, you're going to go for hunger-shelter," she said. "Most people don't see arts as essential which is unfortunate, because they really are."
The Howard County Arts Council, which received $5,000, is not initiating or expanding programs, said Executive Director Coleen West. The group has also raised studio rental and summer camp fees and cut the class times offered in the spring.
"Simple requests just to paint the inside of our theater, for instance - those are things we just can't do," West said.
The foundation has undertaken some measures to boost giving and cut costs, Lawson said. The group held a drive instead of its traditional dinner in October. Donors were asked to contribute the cost of two $50 tickets, which would go into the grant budget. About 80 percent of the 350 to 400 people who typically attend the function participated in the drive, she said.
The foundation awarded 16 grants to human services groups, totaling $122,000. They are: Adaptive Living, Inc., $3,500; National Family Resiliency Center, Inc., $12,000; Congregations Concerned for the Homeless, $10,000; Domestic Violence Center of Howard County, $15,000; Family & Children's Services of Central Maryland, Inc., $8,000; Foreign-born Information and Referral Network, $16,000; Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, $6,000; Health Alliance, Inc., $5,000; Helping Hands Enrichment and Leadership Foundation, Inc., $10,000; Hospice of Howard County, $5,000; The Link at Christ Church, $4,000; National Alliance for Mentally Ill, $2,000; St. Matthews Housing Development, Inc., $2,500; Urban Rural Transportation Alliance, Inc. $10,000; Voices of Children, Inc., $3,000; and Sexual Trauma Treatment, Advocacy and Recovery Center Inc., $10,000.
Eleven arts and cultural grants were awarded, totaling $53,500. They are: Candlelight Concert Society, Inc., $8,000; Columbia Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble, $2,000; The Columbia Orchestra, $9,000; Eva Anderson Dancers, Ltd., $2,000; Kinetics Dance Theatre, $2,000; Howard County Arts Council, $5,000; Howard County Poetry and Literature Society, $7,000; Maryland Youth Symphony Orchestra, $1,500; Sundays at Three, $2,000; Columbia Pro Cantare, Ltd., $9,000 and African Art Museum of Maryland, $6,000.
The foundation also awarded $13,000 to four education and community affairs groups. They are: Howard County Conservancy, $2,000; Howard County Foundation for Black Education and Cultural Achievement, Inc., $3,500; Howard County Historical Society, Inc., $2,500; and Vision Howard County, $5,000.