Evening star., 1932-11-06
COMMUNITY CHEST QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Of
Io Of Shownb m Outline

tions the cost Of personnel Is about 16
per cent Of the total expense.
"The child welfare organizations IN
the main house dependent and neg
lected children. They must have teach
ers, matrons nurses, cooks and others to
personnel cost is about 81 per cent OF
the total expense.
"The same general procedure Is true
Of the homes for the aged. Their per-
sonnel cost is 80 per cent.
organizations dealing with the care
OF the sick and the promotion of health
are in general expected to give their
primary attention to nursing the peo-
pie they care for and to giving neces-
sary medical and surgical care. Their
chief cost, naturally, would be for per-
SOnnel. And yet personnel only amounts
to AZ per cent of the expense Of these
organizations.
Character Building.
THE character building organiza
tons are responsible for providing
wholesome use of leisure time, in many
cases that of completely unemployed
people. Their task is to provide leader
ship. training and guidance. Obvious
ly this is matter in large part OF
personnel. These organizations, on the
other hand. SO effectively use volun-
teers that the cost of employed per-
sonnel Is only about - per cent Of the
total expense. Take, for example, the
Boy Scouts. They have q small Gen.
trail office staff. which supervises the
work of over 1000 volunteers and makes
effective the work of 200 troops includ-
ing 5000 scouts. These troops, Of course
pay their own way. No Chest fund goes
directly to any troop.
The group with the largest proper
ton Of personnel cost is the central
services, which promote cooperation
including the Washington Council OF
Social Agencies, the Jewish Welfare
Federation, the Social Service Exchange
and the Community Chest. Their task
in the main is to help the other or
ganizations work more effectively to
gether and to get the community as a
whole working as unit. They do not
directly help anyone in need at all but
serve the organizations which do help
those in need. Their task is effective
as they have trained and skilled per-
sonnel cost. is only SIS per cent of the
total expense; and their total expense
is only SIS per cent of the total Chest
appropriation.
quite clearly no fiat per cent viii
apply to all personnel OF all agencies
As matter Of fact, 1t would be neces-
sary to look into, the work of each ol
the 63 member organizations of the
Community Chest to make true esti-
mate Of the service rendered and the
value of the personnel,
Stan Is Loyal
"In general though, a charitable or
ganzation is effective to the degree
that its staff is loyal, devoted, well
trained. able and skillful In the sery-
ices of the personnel Of all these organi.
cations the contributor gets more fol
his money than he does in any expendi-
ture which is made, because the staf
members, being human beings, can
through their loyalty and devotion ano
long hours of service, give additiona
hours and quality OF service for which
no money can directly pay.
Expenses of Community Chest or.
ganizations have been reduced to tht
lowest point consistent with effectiv.
service. All salaries of 81 900 or more
year have been cut by 10 per CEN
and in many cases those of lesser
amounts have also been reduced on tht
initiative Of the particular organiza.
tions concerned More than that, ex.
cept in the relief organizations ane
those caring for the sick, and in spite
Of the pressure on all agencies, the
number of people employed has been re-
duced, with an overcrowding of work
on those already overWorked and by g
use of volunteers less skilled than those
they replace
The result has been that the cost
Of personnel for Community Chest
agencies. already low as compared with
business. with Government and with So
cial agencies in other cities, has beer
still further reduced.
Every Cent for Necessities.
las a matter of fact. from one point
of view. every cent contributed to ths
Community Chest goes into necessitie:
of life for those who are cared for BY
its member organiZa tions. because the
earnings of Community Chest organiza
tions far exceed in amount the tota
paid for salaries and wages of EN-.
pioyes.
THE important point. however, il
that these organizations which exist fol
service of various kinds. render tina
service economically and effectivel!
through the work of competent stat
members who. by comparison with al
standards of business, Government anc
of other progressive cities. are very Low
paid. indeed They are making a very
great contribution in the value Of theil
time and skill which are not adequate.
~ paid for
even in the family welfare organi
cations, where the main expenditure
are for relief staff members are neces
sary to prevent imposition, to see tina
aid is given according to need and t.
give constructive help and advice. Thes,
workers paw for their salaries man,
times over by preventing fraud, by de
weloping resources in the way OF sup
port, from friends. neighbors and rela
tives, and by getting people back OF
their feet caring for themselves soonel
than would be possible were it not fo
this service Man does not live b!
bread alone
Designation Encouraged.
"In order to keep up the persona
interest of subscribers the Communit,
Chest encourages designation by giyerS
mo deduction whatever is made b,
the Community Chest in forwardint
ucSlRIldlcQ SlllS W AlCIIbC1
tions because Community Chest ex'
penses are paid out of gifts designated
to the Community Chest itself and ou
of the general funds.
Designations are not accepted by thu
Community Chest for individual
families or individuals. It can only
forward money to member organization.
which must be left free to exercise
their judgment in the kind and nature
of service they give according to need
mo organization which is not 6
member OF the Community Chest may
be designated
Zone great advantage of the Com.
munity Chest has been in the increase
in the number of subscriptions Be
fore the Community Chest was formed
only $4,000 listed subscribers were
recorded BY the member organizations
This number has been increased almost