Youth Service Struggles for Life : Loss of Private Funds Threatens Referral Agency

A Van Nuys-based agency that matches troubled children with appropriate counseling services is in the midst of a financial crisis that has left its staff members struggling to keep the doors open for the next 2 1/2 months.

The Juvenile Justice Connection Project, which relies almost entirely on private donations for its annual operating budget, needs $121,000 to pay the minimum expenses of running the agency for the rest of the fiscal year ending June 30, said executive director Valerie Hopkins. Staff members said Wednesday that their board of directors is carrying out an emergency fund-raising campaign to keep the agency running.

“We’re working like crazy not to close the doors,” said Barbara Bruckman, the agency’s development director.

Referrals for Children

Founded eight years ago by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Irwin Nebron, the project aims to keep troubled children from becoming criminals by referring them to psychological counselors, educational therapists, alcohol and drug abuse programs and other support services.

Children, who are sent by police officers, judges, school officials, ministers and others, are assessed by one of the agency’s counselors and then directed to appropriate treatment programs. The assessment and referrals are free. The treatment programs also are free to those can’t afford them, while others pay a low fee based on their financial resources.

‘Stop the Cycle’

“We are trying to act as a preventive to help kids before they get into gangs, before they drop out of school, before they become criminals. Somebody has to stop the cycle,” Hopkins said.

The budget shortfall stems from several charitable foundations’ decisions not to give the agency any more grant support, Hopkins said. These foundations supported the project in past years, and the staff was counting on the money for the balance of their $769,000 annual budget.

“These foundations tell us we are a fantastic organization, with a fantastic history, and they are so thrilled we are doing so well, and then tell us we should seek a permanent source of funding,” Hopkins said.

Support Often Cut

A consultant to charitable groups said foundations often cut off support for projects they help launch, since a growing number of nonprofit agencies are competing for their support.

“It’s the curse of the nonprofit organization,” said Alan Kumamoto of the Center for Non-Profit Management. “Foundations have limited dollars and they are trying to spread their monies around because of all the different needs out there.”

Hopkins said the agency pared its annual budget down to $572,000, which covers only minimum operating costs, such as employee salaries, rent and insurance. The staff of 25 has dwindled by attrition to 16 people working overtime to continue to provide the same level of services as before the financial crisis.

Despite the cutbacks, the agency still does not have enough money to cover its basic expenses for the next 2 1/2 months, she said. “We are in a real cash crunch, and we don’t have any money to carry us.”

In July, the project will receive grant monies for the next fiscal year, she said, adding that by then the staff hopes to have new sources of funding that will prevent it from similar crises in the future.