The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Dealing with fluctuating funding levels is not new for CANI. We administer lots of different programs and manage multiple funding streams… and they change literally every year.

However, this year has been a little more stressful than normal for CANI and the families we serve through our Energy Assistance Program (EAP). Our ability to help people pay their utility bills is heavily dependent on a Federal grant that we receive each year. Last year our funding was over $6 million and we served over 12,000 households with those dollars.

Right now we are waiting on Congress to finalize their budget for the upcoming year. What you generally hear on the news is the debate surrounding the politics involved. What we see locally is the effect of the debate not being resolved – thousands of people calling us each week and no guarantee that we will be able to help them.

Because the Federal budget has not been resolved, we can currently only count on 25% of last year’s funding level. This 25% is funding that the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority has allocated out of their own reserves to get us going. At this moment, no Federal funding has been allocated to support heating assistance as we head into the winter months in Northeast Indiana.

As of this week, we have received enough applications and set enough appointments to expend all of the funding we have received so far – and it is not even November yet.

As I said above, fluctuations in funding is normal for CANI as it is for most nonprofit organizations. But the last two years – as both our economy and political environment have been in flux – have been particularly tumultuous.

The most difficult aspect of trying to manage our programs and funds in an environment of uncertainty is seeing the need and not being able to help. And the waiting…

Waiting until we know more so we can make decisions about how to help people the best that we can. One of our least favorite things to do is tell families, “We don’t know… call back later.” We know that families – more than any other time since I’ve been here – are under stress, struggling to make ends meet. But we simply do not know right now whether the funding will be there to serve them.

What I do know is that despite the environment we’re in right now, we have not lost our focus on our mission. We are going to continue to do whatever we can to help communities, families, and individuals eliminate the causes and conditions of poverty. There have always been obstacles to overcome. There probably always will be. But we will keep on making the most of all the resources that are available to us and keep looking for new and better ways to help people overcome their obstacles.

This I am sure of.