Club president: Lack of funding may lead to closure

By JACOB LOPEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Boys & Girls Club (640 px)

Boys & Girls Club of San Benito Board President Tommy Ramirez recently expressed fear in the possibility of the nonprofit organization closing due to lack of funding.

At a San Benito City Commission meeting held Sept. 2, commissioners voted to deny a yearly commitment of $25,000 to the club. The money, according to Ramirez, would have helped fund the facility and keep it in operation.

“It’s not that we don’t want to help the club, but there are budget constraints this year and then there’s the fact that they (club) left money on the table for services that are there,” said Place 4 City Commissioner Rene Villafranco, who once served as the assistant director at the club. “Whatever they’ve asked for, we’ve helped them out, but that’s where we’re at today.”

The club did, however, receive $12,000 CDBG (Community Development Block Grant Program) funding – allocated by the City Commission – which Ramirez said they are “very grateful” for. But Ramirez stressed that the $25,000 he requested is “very necessary, because every dollar is critical right now for that club.”

Consequently, Ramirez does not believe that the club has the funding to be adequately sustained.

Most of the funding comes from the Cameron County Juvenile Justice Department and its Early Prevention Project, and “that can’t continue forever,” Ramirez said. Once those funds are no longer available, Ramirez said it may mean the end of the San Benito club.

Still, Ramirez said he’s continuing attempts to create resources that can generate sustained income for the club.

United Way also provides $32,000, and thanks to partnership with San Benito CISD and the 21st Century Grant, it’s possible that the club will receive $20,000 over a 12-month period, “if everything goes well,” said Ramirez.

The club also receives an additional $15,000 to $20,000 from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

“Other than that,” said Ramirez, “it’s just what little membership money we can put together.”

While Ramirez did express “disappointment” and “frustration” with the city’s decision, he added, “I know it’s a tough situation that they’re in. City funds are limited, and they have to make decisions — you know — based on what they see are the most important priorities. And I respect that.”

While the aforementioned funding may appear sufficient, Ramirez assured that club operations are not inexpensive.

“I wish that people could see what kind of money it takes to run the club, even just adequately,” he said.

According to Ramirez, “it takes about $200,000 to run that club, even remotely adequately. And that’s bare minimum.”

Ramirez cited such expenses as utilities, multiple insurances, organization fees to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, maintenance and staff, adding that volunteers to help with day-to-day operations are difficult to find.

“It’s going to take the community to come together, along with the city government to bring in, pull in the resources to keep that club sustained for the long-term,” said Ramirez. “Otherwise, there will be no club.”

 

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2014/09/09/club-president-lack-of-funding-may-lead-to-closur/

10 comments

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    • Tell it Like it Is on September 12, 2014 at 11:41 am
    • Reply

    Without defending anyone…this is like it is…

    Chamber of Commerce vs the Boys and Girls Club? Apples and oranges.
    There are a few similarities as both have a board of directors. In both cases their leadership is responsible for the activities of their respective businesses.
    While they can be granted monies or enter into contracts with the government, foundations and other organizations, they are not part of any government body and must operate as any other business. As nonprofits they do not generate a ‘profit for their shareholders, but they must be able to pay their own way and live up to the terms of their contracts or risk loss of funding.
    Chamber is a membership driven business association, a private 501c6 nonprofit with a board of directors.
    Boys and Girls Club is a private 501c3 nonprofit with a board of directors.

    .

    1. As a general rule, I try not to respond to comments made under the guise of anonymity.

      However, I will respond because, from a macro point of view, I am basically in “complete agreement” with the points you raised in your comment. I also erred in not being specific with my comment “predictable comparison between the two non-profits”.

      When viewed as an “apples vs oranges” comparison they are both considered “fruits” and their common denominator is a “seed” or in this case (CofC vs B&G Club), “funding or money”. I am approaching this comparison from a micro view or “HOW or WHY (not to who or whom) the City Commission is allocating funding to both non-profits). That will be the topic of my next OP ED in the San Benito News at a later date.

      The now non-existent Chamber of Commerce was a “membership driven business association” and thus the reason I penned the OP ED titled “What’s the difference?” which you can read here if you haven’t already. Although membership driven, the Chamber was being allotted or receiving a check for $4,479.16 per month without a contract or service agreement and no accountability for how the funds were being expended. Not defending the City Manager, but he was against paying the Chamber of Commerce without a contract. It is what it is!

      I will have to verify this, but I believe BOTH non-profits are considered “PUBLIC non-profits” under state law because they both receive “public taxpayer funds”. Additionally, they are also both membership driven; the Club also collects membership fees.

      The driving force behind my blog RESACACITY and my letters to the editor and OP ED’s ( LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, Ethics Ordinance) are to invite or encourage more citizen involvement. After all, these are “YOUR taxpayer dollars” being spent by the City Commission and the School Board with basically “no accountability” from the citizens. Elections have become more of a “popularity contest” based on who knows the most people.

      Just complaining here on this newspaper blog is not going to do it! Citizens need to get more involved!

      Have a Good (albeit wet) Weekend!

      Jose F. Rodriguez


  1. “It’s not that we don’t want to help the club, but there are budget constraints this year and then there’s the fact that they (club) left money on the table for services that are there,” said Place 4 City Commissioner Rene Villafranco, who once served as the assistant director at the club.”

    I am not defending the Boys & Girls Club per se and if I correctly interpret Mr. Villafranco’s statement, but What an absurd and ludicrous argument to justify not to help fund an organization because they [left money on the table….], did “NOT spend the money budgeted or allotted to them”. There could be numerous valid reasons the Club did not spend the money (i.e. not enough staff to coordinate more programs, etc). Try asking them.

    Government, at all levels, from local to state to federal, have a proneness or propensity to spend all monies budgeted just because it is budgeted. The problem being is that “the money is not all coming out of their pockets” but the “taxpayer’s pocket”.

    I present you with a “novel idea”; how about “not spending” the budgeted money if no need or priority exists to spend it and save the money to increase the cash reserves. The City currently has a cash reserve of $2.8 million on hand to meet its short-term and emergency funding needs. This equates to 90 days (three months) of funds for maintaining the City operations. The optimum cash reserve is 120 days (4 months).

    Here, we have an organization who is exercising its fiduciary duty acting solely in another party’s interest, the taxpayer, by not spending their allotted monies just for the sake of spending it because it is available. For that, they are being punished.

    I was going to address the predictable comparison between the two non-profits, the Chamber of Commerce vs the Boys and Girls Club, but I will retain that argument in my back pocket for a future OP-ED.

    Furthermore, how about Commissioner Rene Villafranco or the rest of the City Commission explain to the citizens what these budget constraints are! The statement is nothing more than a “Talking Point” cited every year during the budget process as a justification for some action or inaction.

    Jose F. Rodriguez

    • Peter on September 10, 2014 at 8:48 pm
    • Reply

    ‘gird up their loins’???

    Brother, you’re too highbrow for this crowd.

      • Anony_mouse on September 11, 2014 at 3:09 pm
      • Reply

      Touché, Dude!

      • Uncle Sugar on September 11, 2014 at 4:46 pm
      • Reply

      Translation: Get some pantalones, and take some responsibility!
      I agree with others. SB taxpayers are sick of being the public teat for every little whim of the City Administration, Commissioners and their pals!

    • SMH on September 10, 2014 at 9:10 am
    • Reply

    Harlingen has about 3 or 4 maybe more boys and girls club and San Benito can’t manage to keep one open so sad !

      • WeThePeople on September 10, 2014 at 9:55 am
      • Reply

      And the Harlingen Club doesn’t blame all of their problems on the taxpayers either. In fact, we know several SB families that drive their kids to the Harlingen Club to participate in activities there. All B/G Clubs are private nonprofits that should have a board in place that is accountable for their own operation. All the public hears from the SB Club is whining. For years they didn’t have these problems. Why now? Is there a responsible board in place? Is there a responsible manager in place? They need to ‘gird up their loins’ and sustain themselves for a while, without relying on SB taxpayers!

        • SMH on September 12, 2014 at 1:26 pm
        • Reply

        I’m one of those parents , this club has been a mess for as far as I can remember from their summer camps to their football / cheer program its just been a big mess for way to long and I don’t recall our taxes been raised to help fund the club .

    • Tell it Like it Is on September 10, 2014 at 9:04 am
    • Reply

    I thought they had over a thousand members? They should have a meeting with the parents that use the club. Time for someone else to step it up besides the taxpayers!

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