Human Services and Priority Setting

The Health, Education and Environment Committee of Cincinnati City Council will hold a special meeting this Thursday, May 7, at noon to hear from residents and from human services organizations and clients about the city's Human Services funding priorities. It's an important meeting because City Council will use these priorities to shape Human Service funding decisions for 2010 and possibly beyond.

Some agencies were surprised this past March by the city's dramatic change in its approach to funding Human Services. The intent of the changes were to be more strategic and focused with limited dollars available from the city for Human Services. This effort is similar to what most major funders in the Cincinnati community have done as everyone focuses on measurable outcomes for clients and the community. Unfortunately, the implementation of the city's changed review and award processes resulted in 50 of 76 programs being cut with one day's notice.

Cincinnati's Human Services funding levels are very small in comparison to the major community funders. Once Human Services funding was set at 1.5% of the city's operating budget. Today, it is less than 1% of the operating budget. We will spend a little over $3 million in 2009 on Human Services.

Priority setting is just the first step for City Council. Then the members must establish goals and criteria and do so using a very tight time line so that we can announce grant awards by October 1, 2009 for 2010. Our last effort was marred by how it was implemented. This time around it is very important as we proceed that we ask for and accept help from the United Way and other community funders to insure that we implement any changes equitably, transparently and reasonably.