Financial Woes Force Girls Inc. To Close
By Katherine Tam, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.
Dec. 14–A nonprofit organization that serves teenage girls in high-risk parts of West County has suspended its after-school program amid financial troubles.
Richmond-based Girls Inc. of West Contra Costa County laid off five part-time employees and suspended operations Nov. 30, infuriating some who say the decision came without community input or adequate notice.
"Children felt it was a safe place and a good program," said Laura Johnson, a resident spearheading the newly formed Save Girls Inc. of Richmond Committee. "We know all nonprofits have problems, but it seems to me that the first step should be to try to come to the community."
Programs are on hold temporarily, Audrey Goins-Brichi, chairwoman of the organization’s board of directors, said Thursday. The board tried to give adequate notice so parents would have time to find alternatives, she said, and will spend the next few months mapping out a strategic plan for how Girls Inc. can regain stability and sustain itself.
"We need funding," Goins-Brichi said. "We had exhausted all the resources we had at this point. The board is committing to providing programs for girls in Richmond."
The board and Save Girls Inc. of Richmond Committee are scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon.
Girls Inc. is a national organization with 94 chapters nationwide and in Canada. California is home to 10 chapters, including two in Alameda County and the West County chapter, which is the only Contra Costa operation.
Local
affiliates raise their own money, often relying on grants and donations, said Susan Houchin, director of national services for Girls Inc. Some are more successful than others. Chapters do not receive financial aid from the national office in New York.
The West County branch got its start in 1975 and has served about 15,000 girls in the three decades since. It owns its one-story building at 260 Broadway in Richmond and typically operates on an annual budget of about $120,000.
The girls learn math and science, get help with homework and scholarships, prepare for the SAT and network with professional women. They also learn about health, including sexually transmitted diseases, and participate in dance troupes.
Students can seek some of the $60,000 in scholarships that the national office doles out each year. The West County chapter has had nine winners since its inception, each receiving $10,000 to $15,000.
The local organization has successfully landed some grants, but Goins-Brichi said securing revenue has become more challenging. More volunteers are needed to keep programs afloat, she added.
"The climate for nonprofits has changed," Goins-Brichi said. "There’s a lot of competition from other agencies that cost less to run, and parents make choices of where to send their children. Enrollment has dropped, and with reduced number of girls attending, that reduces revenue."
The board has been in talks with Houchin over the financial troubles.
"Any time a nonprofit is in that tier of smaller agencies, it doesn’t take much to push them over the edge" financially, Houchin said.
Last month, staff notified parents coming to pick up their children from Girls Inc. that the programs would be suspended in two weeks. Some parents are upset that they did not receive more notice.
The Save Girls Inc. of Richmond Committee wrote a letter to the board and the city of Richmond this week, calling for the restoration of programs and that the Girls Inc. building not be sold or leased.
The board does not plan to sell the building, Goins-Brichi said Thursday.
The committee is offering to help raise funds, and keep and expand programs, said Johnson, who is a former Girls Inc. board member.
Reach Katherine Tam at 510-262-2787 or ktam@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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