Government & Nonprofits

This article from the San Mateo Daily Journal raises the question if government should fund nonprofits and the answer is yes and no.

Yes, if there is a mutual mission addressing the public good, which government and specific nonprofits are partnering on; and no, if not.

Subsidairity should also play a role here, and each mutual mission decision should be decided at the local level, so this local discussion is an excellent one.

An excerpt.

“Before Charlie Bronitsky was elected to the Foster City Council in November he did not realize the city was in the practice of doling out money to area nonprofits every year.

“Monday night, freshman councilman Bronitsky voted against all 12 requests the city received by nonprofit agencies for funding, with Mayor Rick Wykoff voting against the funding for most of the requests as well.

"Bronitsky’s stance is that the city should not be spending taxpayer money to fund nonprofit agencies at all.

“Wykoff, however, considers the request on a case-by-case basis, he said. Councilmembers Art Kiesel, Pam Frisella and Linda Koelling, however, approved most of the requests, although many were lower than the dollar amount sought.

“The city’s website currently features an opinion piece authored by Bronitsky that states the city should stop funding nonprofit agencies altogether.

“His contention worries some local nonprofit leaders, though, who hope his wave of thought doesn’t spread to other councilmembers in other cities.

“The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County provided services to 43 low-income households in Foster City last year, said Executive Director Lauren Zorfas.

“The society helped keep families in their homes who may have faced foreclosure due to medical conditions, for instance, Zorfas said.

“Cities and nonprofits need to get creative in leveraging limited resources to keep people housed, healthy and fed,” Zorfas said. Cities would have to pay more for public safety and other services without the support nonprofits provide for the most vulnerable, she said.

“The nonprofits that requested funding were CALL Primrose, PARCA, Samaritan House, San Mateo County Jobs for Youth, Shelter Network, Foster City Amateur Radio Emergency Services, Hillbarn Theatre, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, Sustainable San Mateo County, Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County and Sustainable Silicon Valley.”