Evening star., 1925-04-19

about 10 years ago. when IL social
agencies agreed to cooperate in the
matter of raising funds. In 1918 this
developed into the war chest. and
two years later the war chest be-
came the community chest, which
now has So participating agencies.
In 1915 about 1000 persons in Gin
cinnai were contributing regularly
TO the support of various social
agencies. Last year the number of
contributors to the community chest
was considerably in excess of $4,000.
Under the old system it cost on an
average OF 10 per cent to raise funds
This expense has been reduced to Ia
per cent under the community chest
plan. The annual drive will be made
this month in Cincinnati and a total
of {1,S59,293 is being sought
How the System Works.
1t is the purpose of the community
chest organization to include all the
social agencies of a city-Protestant
Catholic, Jewish and non-sectarian.
The usual form of procedure is to Gre
ate a board of directors, a certain
number of whom are chosen by the
participating agencies and the others
by the Chamber of Commerce or some
such civic organization. This board
or directors manages the chest and
passes upon applications for partici-
patton.
Participating agencies are required
to file detailed statements OF their
financial condition, submit monthly re.
ports of their expenditures, have their
books audited by expert accountants,
make reports of the specific services
rendered and submit an estimate of
their annual requirements The ex-
ecutive budget committee of the COM
munity chest passes upon these esti-
mates and allocates to each agency
the amount of money it is to receive
from the chest fund, always giving
any agency dissatisfied with its allot-
ment a full hearing
The public is then notified that for
the year in question a certain aggre-
gate sum Is required for the COM
munity welfare work and that each
agency is to receive a certain stfpu-
lated share of that aggregate. No
participating agency can solicit funds
on its own account.
For example. the Cincinnati budget
last year included items ranging from
$3.50 for the Eclectic Maternity So.
ciety to S130.29S for the Associated
Charities, $4,000 for the emergency
fund and $161,244 for the United Jew.
ish Social Agencies, which included II
separate organizations. The Y. M. O.
A. was listed for $94,210 and the Y. w.
Z. A. for s47,942. Settlements and dav
nurseries received sums ranging from
$1,000 to $4,000, and hospitals and
other health agencies were budeeted
at from $1,000 to $57,s00.
Contributors to the communit,,
chest may make their gifts to the gen.
eral fund, or they may designate the
specific charities or agencies among
which they wish it divided. Thus q
person giving total of 81 900 NAV
allot 500 to the Boy Scouts. 800 To
the Salvation Army, $500 to the Visit
ing Nurse Association, $500 to the B,,.
reau of Catholic Charities, etc. Each
agency is notified of his interest in
its work. If more money is desig.
mated, in the aggregate, to an agency
than its budget calls for, such excess
amounts are assigned to the undesig.
mated fund or held for the agency
until the next fiscal year.
In Cincinnati they say that the
community chest is a logical answer
to the demand for a more business.
like administration and efficient oper-
alton of charities and social service
work. One of it's functions is to
serve as the treasury of az social serv-
ice democracy. An even greater
function is that which puts vision into
the whole work of social service and
lifts this work into the constructive
field. 1t builds for the future and
does not only repair the past and
present. ~