Philanthropic Leadership Group Says Illinois' Human Service System Is Broken

Calls for Stable, Fair Funding; Offers Reform Blueprint

CHICAGO, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Donors Forum, which represents the state's leading philanthropic organizations, said today that the state's system for providing human services is broken and called on legislators to "pursue sources of new, stable, fair, and diversified revenue," in order to fund services "critical to the health and well-being of the people of Illinois."

Invited by Speaker of the House Michael Madigan and State Representatives Sarah Feigenholtz to speak to the Appropriations-Human Services Committee, Donors Forum President Valerie Lies said:

"Declining state funding over the past 10 years, lack of coordinated planning across the breadth of the human service system, and wide-ranging and increasing reporting and accountability requirements without the funding to support their implementation, among other challenges, have all weakened individual providers and the system."

Lies pledged to work with legislators to reform the system while urging them to adopt and endorse Fair and Accountable: Partnership Principles for a Sustainable Human Service System, a new document from the Donors Forum outlining six critical steps to reform:

• Comprehensive Planning to determine what services need to be available where.
• Transparent Selection for selecting service providers
• Performance-Based Renewals. Contract renewals based on performance and consumer best interest
• Fair Payment for services and payment should be timely
• Streamlined Reporting through elimination of duplicative reporting and monitoring
• Better Communication among government agencies, with providers and to the public

"We need to recognize the magnitude of what is at stake in our current budget crisis. Residents in need will go without essential supports. Anchor institutions within our community will be forced to close their doors. And we will lose system-level gains in early childhood education, community-based living for people with developmental disabilities or mental health issues, preventive health and many other programs. These gains are all the result of investments made over many years by the private sector, government and philanthropic organizations," Lies added.

In 2007, private philanthropy contributed $280 million to human service providers in Illinois, according to Donors Forum.

Donors Forum is a membership association that strengthens philanthropy and the nonprofit community in Illinois by providing resources -- education, networking, public policy leadership, research, library services, publications, and a website (www.DonorsForum.org) -- for grantmakers and nonprofits.  In so doing, Donors Forum increases the ability of the nonprofit and philanthropic sector to meet the needs and enhance the lives of individuals, families, and communities throughout Illinois.

SOURCE Donors Forum