Wesley House, AIDS Help share behind the scenes

 

BY PRU SOWERS

NEWS WRITER

Doing good just got a bit easier for two local non-profit organizations.

Following a trend started 18 months ago, AIDS Help, which provides services to people living with HIV, and the Wesley House, which serves neglected and abused children, are combining parts of their back office operations. It’s a not a merger between the two very different organizations, according to executives at both agencies. It’s a way to cut costs in a world of shrinking donations.

“We are at the mercy of fundraising, donations and grants,” said AIDS Help Executive Director Scott Pridgen. “When it’s not there we have to trim. Any non-profit that is not mindful of that is not going to be open very long.”

It may not seem as if the two agencies would have any overlap because of their very different missions. But behind the scenes, in the administrative offices, there are similar operations. Both need computer services. Both need to raise money and find volunteers to staff their fundraising events. And both need to let the public know about their services, even when those services are very different.

A strong connection already existed between the Wesley House and AIDS Help. Wesley House Interim CEO Bryan Green is president of the AIDS Help Board of Directors. Jeremy Wilkerson, the current manager of Outreach and Fundraising with Wesley House, and his wife were given the AIDS Help Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2012 for their extensive work with that organization.

Those relationships helped the former executive director of Wesley House, Doug Bloomberg, come up with an idea to merge the information technology departments of both agencies about 18 months ago, an idea that was enthusiastically support by both boards. That move has saved the organizations approximately $55,000 so far, primarily in salary reductions, Pridgen said. With the staff combinations and resulting layoffs, AIDS Help has been able to reduce its staff by seven people in the past year and a half.

“Two agencies could very easily share administrative costs without any disruption in each agency’s mission and client service,” Pridgen said.

“It cuts down costs but still provides what’s needed for both agencies,” said Wilkerson, who took over as the fundraising and outreach manager for both organizations last week.

In the past, AIDS Help had great success in finding volunteers to staff the 14 large and small fundraisers it holds each year. Wesley House, with its four or five large events each year, was struggling, Wilkerson said. So Terry Paulson, the volunteer coordinator for AIDS Help will now handle that function for both organizations. And Wilkerson, in addition to helming fundraising management for both groups, will also be the outreach coordinator. That requires him to meet with Florida Keys sponsoring groups, like local Rotaries and chambers of commerce. With the very different missions of both organizations, Wilkerson doesn’t think there will an overlap.

“I wouldn’t go in [to meetings with sponsors] saying, ‘choose.’ Depending on the time of the year, I’d go in for AIDS Help, or for Wesley House. I don’t think it will be tough. AIDS Help is serving HIV clients. We are helping neglected and abused children. They are two separate groups,” Wilkerson said, adding, “This is really showing [donors] how we are saving on overhead costs.”

“That’s our number one cost, our payrolls,” Pridgen said. “The more you are able to control your administrative costs, the more goes to your mission.

And that is what potential donors want to see, making not-so-strange bedfellows on the non-profit scene. As the move towards combining resources grows, staff will likely continue to be downsized. But more money will be left to serve clients, Pridgen said. Both AIDS Help and Wesley House will continue to maintain their separate identities. And fundraising results will not be shared. All money raised for either organization will flow into that agency alone

“It’s a win-win for both agencies and their communities,” Pridgen said.

 

 

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