Federal Funding Cuts an Ill-Considered Blow to Non-Profit Sector
Wednesday November 22, 2006
Rene Mauthe
When the Conservative government announced $1 billion in spending cuts in late September, the news of the impact on the affected programs and agencies got a couple of days in the spotlight before being shunted aside by other issues.
But beyond the sound bites and the headlines, the funding cuts, made under the politically palatable catchphrase “effective spending”, have dealt a serious blow to struggling sectors and programs.
It is a given that new governments will try to find ways to cut spending from ineffective or outdated programs. All governments, regardless of their political leanings, comb through their books to find ways of getting the best bang for the taxpayers’ buck.
But with a budget surplus of some $13 billion, the Harper government had the fiscal latitude to finely focus the funding cuts.
Instead, they used an axe when a scalpel was needed.
In their haste to stake out some political distance from the scandal-plagued Liberal administrations and establish themselves as Canada’s New Government (a slogan sprinkled all over recent communications), the Harper government acted with more reflex than rational thought.
The targets of the federal cuts are the sectors which have been struggling under multiple burdens of rising costs, reduced budgets and stiff competition for their share of the ever-shrinking funding pie.
The $1 billion in spending cuts had many targets (for a full list, visit http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/media/nr-cp/2006/0925_e.asp), but two of the reductions illustrate the need for serious reconsideration.
The cuts to the Museum Assistance Program funding and the Canadian Volunteerism Initiative, among others, show a lack of understanding of the importance of the contributions these sectors make to Canadians` quality of life.
The Museums Assistance Program (MAP) funding, which was cut by $4.6 million under the government’s pledge to find efficiency, has funded many collections and museum upgrades across Canada, including significant projects at the Royal Alberta Museum and Art Gallery of Alberta.
However, a detailed reading of the actual MAP funding from 2003 through 2005 (available at http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pam-map/index_e.cfm) reveals that while some museums got large chunks of funding, many more smaller institutions got grants below $25,000, which seem small, but are crucial for organizations which have survived on limited budgets for years.
The news of the spending cuts galvanized museum supporters across Canada. Within weeks of the September 25 announcement, an online petition was set up, urging the government to “stop slashing funding and to honour its election promise to better support museums and our heritage across Canada.”
Many of the petition signers also expressed their dismay at the effect reduced museums funding would have on the preservation and enhancement of Canadian heritage.
“All mature and sophisticated societies recognize and actively support the role that museums have in protecting and preserving heritage for now and for future generations,” wrote Catherine Whalley of Edmonton.
On Oct. 24, Members of Parliament voted 146 in favour, 114 against to rescind the funding cuts. The vote came after a lengthy debate on Oct. 23 about museums funding and the importance of museums as vital heritage institutions.
The vote result is not binding on the government, but it sent a clear signal that the government cannot ignore the need for increased funding for Canadian museums.
The funding for the Canadian Volunteerism Initiative, eliminated under the rubric of non-core funding, takes dead aim at a sector that is critical to the quality of life for many people.
The Canadian Volunteerism Initiative, which was established to encourage Canadians to volunteer with organizations, to improve the capacity of organizations to involve volunteers, and to enhance the experience of volunteering, has a significant connection to Edmonton.
Voluntary organizations; those non-profit organizations with a volunteer board and often with paid staff supported by volunteers, deliver a comprehensive range of cultural, recreational, social service, and other programs and services. In our city, Volunteer Alberta has been the voice of the CVI, and has played a critical role in supporting and promoting volunteerism.
Edmonton is a city where volunteerism makes a critical contribution to the quality of life. Volunteers are an integral part of the many festivals and high-profile international events like the World Masters Games; indeed many festival organizations have a paid staff person responsible for managing the legions of volunteers needed for the event. Thousands of volunteers, working under the umbrella of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, help with local recreation programs and provide valuable input on local and city-wide issues like transportation, urban planning and crime prevention.
These organizations have benefited from the Canadian Volunteerism Initiative. For example, the Insurance Toolkit, developed by the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations and delivered through free workshops with help from Volunteer Alberta and the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, has helped many find answers about the thorny questions relating to insurance and liability for non-profit organizations.
Reducing funding for any initiative with the avowed goal of strengthening non-profit organizations will "adversely affect and significantly compromise the capacity of these organizations to deliver necessary programs and services to children, youth and adults in our neighbourhoods," the Edmonton Community Foundation, a significant funder of local non-profits, noted in an October letter to Prime Minister Harper.
Prime Minister Harper and the rest of the minority Conservative government should remember one crucial fact when the next election comes: volunteers are also voters.
Rene Mauthe is the communications officer with the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations. Read more about the federal funding cuts on the non-profit sector at http://www.ecvo.ca/fundingcutsimpact.htm.
Column ID#: 19
**Opinions expressed by guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Connect2Edmonton members, partners or sponsors.**
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