Evening star., 1949-05-01
Work on Chest Budget
Begun by.Committee;;
AGENCIES Submit Data
By Harriet Griffiths

BY Harriet Giffiths
With the 1850 fund drive Of the
Community Chest Federation still
several months away. a group OF
Washington citizens already has
q head start on the job of finding
out how much money Chest
agencies here will need next year
That group Is the United Com
munity Services Budget Commit
tee. headed by Robert w. Wilson
executive assistant to the presi-
dent Of the Potomac Electric
Power Co.
During this month and next,
these "a men and women will hold
at least 80 full or subcommittee
meetings to map out next years
budget picture. agency by agency,
In relation to Washington's needs.
Ferdinand v. Grayson, assistant
executive director and budget
director of UCS, estimates that
each member will attend at least
i've meetings during May and
June, and each will put in 20
to IS hours of work.
To Study SO agencies.
They will study the 50 health,
welfare and recreation agencies
who want Chest support in 1850.
Tomorrow is the deadline for re-
turning the forms which the
agencies must submit. giving de-
tailed information about their
financial set ups.
The full Budget Committee must
make definite 1850 ALLEGATION rec
concentrations. But the UCS
board Of trustees has the final
say as to what agencies will be
admitted to Chest support and
the size budgets which will be
sought for them.
The finally approved budget
then goes to the Chest Federation.
which is the fund-raising agency
for UCS and the Community
Chests of Alexandria, Arlington
and Fairfax, Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties The
Federation determines the overall
campaign goal.
After the campaign is over. the
Budget Committee must adjust
the approved allocations to the
amount of money actually allotted
to the UCS agencies from the
funds raised.
Only 75% Raised.
Last falls campaign. for in
stance, raised only about rs per
cent of its goal. The UCS re-
ceived $1,S66,785. as compared
with the $2,300.000 1t requested.
Ultimately. the agencies re-
ceived 81.9 per cent Of the origi-
nally approved budget.
This figure was possible because
of a scaling down Of the amount
going to the hospitals after the
campaign failure and the avail
ability Of some $4,000 carried
over from the year before.
Mr.. Grayson explained the cut
back has meant reductions of
staff and services on the part e Of
the agencies, some of them hav-
ing to turn away people who heed
help.
"One agency reduced its stat
one-third," he said. I'm another
the staff has been cut down to two
people, one of whom, "a clerk has
made. herself sick from working
so hard. @aS ~a sA=g
One Institution May Close. g
There must be fewer visits to
the chronically-ill and old people
by nurses. One institution for
children is saying 1t probably will
have to close its doors by fall be-
cause it will have used up avail
able money in September or Oc-
tober.
Many children who need foster
home care are not getting it be-
cause neither the agencies nor
their parents have the money to
pay for it. Applicants for mental
health service have to wait several
months.
"The whole salary level for
agency workers is terribly low.
And many agencies are reporting
deficits for fo49 amounting to
from is to 20 per cent of their
total budgets"
This leads to the question of
the agencies themselves raising
money to supplement their budg-
cts. Such drives are restricted
carefully. since the whole Chest
idea is centered in a unified cam
paign for all the agencies. The
agencies must submit proposals
for money raising functions to
the Budget Committee for ap-
proval.
Committee Receives ADULTS.
The Budget Committee gets an
audit of all agencies receiving
support. It reviews the agencies
expenditures with a watchful eye
on their relation to the overall
social planning for the community.
The committee also distributes
the fund for emergency repairs
which arise among the agencies
This fund amounts only to about
$4,000. It was set UP separately
as a system preferable to having
each agency maintain emergency
funds which 1t might not need.
The "one-man repair commit
tee" of the Budget Committee is
Mark Lansburgh, department
store executive. who goes out and
tnspects equipment breakdowns
with Mr.. Grayson. When it Is
decided an emergency repair Is
called for two bids are obtained