The Giving Campaign and Wallingford

October is Giving Campaign month, a time when Microsoft and other large companies encourage employees to pony up for nonprofits by providing for matching funds and automatic payroll deductions.

You may struggle with this decision- you know there’s lots more worthwhile things to blow cash on than the old materialism treadmill, but unlike when you buy stuff it’s hard to assess if the money is getting the job done. How do you know if a good sounding organization follows through? What difference will your money make? If the group is large and has dedicated fund raisers or executives making more than you do, doesn’t donating make you a sucker?

I think the best way to address these sorts of issues is to give locally, both so you can get involved to see that money is well spent and to avoid the sort of overhead issues you see in larger organizations. In particular, there’s virtually nothing better to give money to than a public school PTA, as they will watch that money like a hawk, it will be spent on improving education for all income levels, and 100% will improve the lot for kids in the classroom (or on the playground- John Stanford and McDonald School are both busy working on their playgrounds).

Beyond our public school PTAs, here is the list of our local nonprofits…

FamilyWorks (EIN 91-1757277) provides a food bank which delivers food to people in need and a resource center which provides parenting programs, playgroups, elementary school tutoring, toys, books, and childrens’ clothing. FamilyWorks relies on Wallingford volunteers in the food bank, as school tutors, to provide childcare during classes, and to coordinate food drives.

FamilyWorks has an annual budget of $550,000, with approximately $230,000 needed for the food bank and $270,000 for the resource center. This money sustains three full time staff, seven part time staff, operates facilities, and stocks the food bank.

Seattle Tilth (EIN 94-3261971) inspires and educates people to grow food organically in order to support our local food system, conserve natural resources, and build a healthier community. Tilth has more than 700 individuals volunteer each year by working in our learning gardens, helping with classes, supporting community events, and assisting in the office.

Seattle Tilth has an annual budget of $1.1 million, of which 81% is spent on programs and 19% supports general administration and fundraising. Financial support is needed to increase Seattle Tilth’s capacity to respond to the surge of public interest in strengthening our local food system, providing green jobs training through the expansion of urban agriculture, eliminating pollutants from entering our environment, and to launch two new programs – Seattle Youth Garden Works and a refugee farm incubator.

Solid Ground (EIN 23-7421892) helps low income families meet their needs and realize their dreams by providing 30 programs for housing, case management, financial assistance, legal advocacy, food systems support, nutritional education, and transportation. Solid Ground relies on Wallingford volunteers to grow vegetable starts and produce for our Lettuce Link program, to phone bank for lobbying efforts, to work at our community farm, and to tutor kids who live in transitional housing.

Solid Ground has an annual operating budget of $22 million, with 26% addressing homelessness, 6% addressing hunger, 41% for transportation, 2% for building life skills, 4% for advocacy, 7% for national service, 3% for building affordable housing, and 11% for administration and fundraising.

The Wallingford Boys and Girls Club (EIN 91-0532600) provides a safe and positive place for youth to go after school, with three licensed child care centers and a free drop-in program on 45th Street that serves more than 250 kids each year, most of whom would be home alone if we were not available to provide homework help, games, small group activities, service opportunities, and a daily snack. The Wallingford Boys and Girls Club mostly serves kids from the local schools or the neighborhood, and needs volunteers for program support, mentoring, special events, and their advisory board.

The Wallingford Boys and Girls Club has an annual budget of $1 million as part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, with almost all of the money going to direct program support, of which staffing is the biggest expense. In these times, they need operational donors to help keep the drop-in program open and available, extending later hours for teens and continuing to be open for free during the summer.

The Wallingford Community Senior Center (EIN 91-1631962) provides programs and services to foster healthy, active aging and living, and helps build community across generations through positive connections, conversations and learning. The WCSC serves North-Central & North-East Seattle neighborhoods (where aging services are thin) and needs volunteers for both organizational / planning / community building work and also hands-on, direct program or service roles.

The Wallingford Community Senior Center has a projected budget is $300,000, with 71% for direct program support, 13% for fundraising & membership, and 17% for administrative costs. Emerging after a 2009 crisis threatened closure, WCSC is reshaping itself into a sustainable model for new realities & growth of the aging population and the challenges of the current economic environment.   In 2011, WCSC will need to generate $130,000 (43% of budget) from private fund-raising sources (individuals, corporate support, foundations) to support core operations and programs.

WEaving Wallingford (not a typo, EIN 91-2029736) operates the neighborhood office, runs wallingford.org / the e-news, and organizes local events including spring clean, the home tour, the garden tour, and the kiddie parade / street fair. Volunteers are needed for ongoing services like hosting the neighborhood office or for particular events, such as opening up your home for the home tour.

WEaving Wallingford has an annual budget of $38,300, broken down by program expenses (19%), occupancy (24%), technology (2%), administrative (8%), and payroll (47%). They expect a rent increase and kiddie parade fee increases, and expect that donations will be reduced in accordance with the economy, so funds are needed to maintain presence in the community.

Other neighborhood organizations serve the community in a more particular way or aren’t really in the business of raising funds, so I’m listing them separately:

• InterConnection recycles and donates used electronics, so bring your old laptop or desktop there and do the world some good
• PEPs provides social groups for new parents, so you can finally share those stories about poo that your other friends don’t care to hear
• The Wallingford Community Council acts as fiscal sponsor for several local organizations and works with city government on land use, transportation, and parks- all we want is for you to show up to our meetings
• The Wallingford Chamber works for the benefit of local businesses and operates such activities as the art walk, and of course asks that you patronize local businesses
• Sustainable Wallingford fosters activities that improve the self reliance of our neighborhood and lesson our environment impact

Phew! There you have it, there’s a lot to choose from if you’ve got the time or the cash. Ideally, you’ve got both and can get involved and see to it that the money is going where you want it to. Wallingford thanks you!