Local nonprofits should be on high alert

For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, Gillette Reproductive Health could be getting Optional 1% Sales Tax from the county. But, there’s a catch: If the organization wants $15,000 in 1% from the county, it must first raise $40,000 on its own.

Supporters of the nonprofit organization likely won’t be pleased with this, and neither will be those who are fans of not giving taxpayer dollars to the agency because they’re under the impression that it provides abortion referrals or services.

On one hand, it is refreshing to see some of the commissioners not fall for the propaganda spread by the organization’s detractors.

On the other hand, I understand the frustration from the agency. Executive Director Julie Price Carroll called the stipulation “an almost impossible hurdle.” And none of the other social service agencies are required to do this in order to get the county’s 1%.

The only other nonprofit I’m aware of that the county put a fundraising requirement on was Energy Capital Economic Development, but that was on top of the county funding its initial 1% request.

The other social service agencies in Campbell County may not have this stipulation currently, but they should be on high alert in the coming years. Commissioner Bob Jordan said that this may be the way things are done in the future, that nonprofits are going to have to “figure out your own funding” without going to the city or the county.

Fundraising can be difficult, and for some organizations, it requires a full-time employee. Relying solely on volunteers to raise money depends on how much time and effort the volunteers are willing to put in. If that responsibility falls on the staff, that just means that they’ll have to take time away from doing their regular jobs, and the level of service may suffer.

Now, private fundraisers have been held in the past that brought in tens of thousands of dollars for Gillette Reproductive Health. There’s a chance that could happen again, but $40,000 is nothing to sneeze at. A resident suggested the commissioners remove that and just provide a 1:1 match, up to $15,000. Hopefully the commissioners consider this next budget cycle.

But if the organization is successful in reaching this goal, that could convince commissioners that this is a sustainable way moving forward, and the agency would be a victim of its own success and support.

The next time you go to a fundraiser in Campbell County, look at the list of sponsors. See how many of the sponsors are businesses that work directly or indirectly with the energy industries.

If coal continues to decline, yes, that will mean there will be less money coming into the county and city, but that also will mean there will be less money coming in to these local businesses that have supported charitable causes for decades.

And that’s not to mention the volunteer pool, which has been shrinking for years, not just locally but nationally. Many of Campbell County’s most active volunteers are growing older, and they won’t be able to continue forever. Meanwhile, my generation — yes, the millennials — has not stepped up to take their place.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that when the economy goes down, the nonprofits only get busier. That’s been the case as long as Gillette’s been around.

Gillette is a very giving community. But it can only give so much.

This stipulation for Gillette Reproductive Health may just be the beginning of a huge paradigm shift when it comes to funding local nonprofits.

Buckle up.