Over the last several years, Focus on the Family has undergone a drastic budget reduction that has forced round after round of lay-offs … and it looks like things just keep getting worse, as the organization is now desperately trying to raise more than $2 million in the next thirty days:
The email doesn’t have the drama of the late evangelist Oral Roberts’ announcement in 1986 that God would call him home if he didn’t raise $8 million by a certain date. But the message from CitizenLink, the lobbying arm of Focus on the Family, was nevertheless clear: Act now or there could be consequences.
CitizenLink this week sent an email to constituents pleading for $2.3 million in 30 days to avoid a budget shortfall. If the money is not raised, “our ability to act on your behalf will be severely, and perhaps irreparably, hurt,” wrote Tom Minnery, CitizenLink executive director.
“The threat is still very real,” Minnery writes. “If we don’t stay vigilant, last year’s victories can AND WILL be taken from us!”
Like most nonprofits, CitizenLink has experienced a dramatic drop in donations in recent years. In fiscal 2009, donations were $6.5 million, according to CitizenLink financial records. A year later, donations fell to $5 million. In the run-up to the November 2010 midterm elections, the organization received a sharp increase in donations. But since then, Minnery said Wednesday, giving has fallen off to a worrying degree.
CitizenLink’s 2011 fiscal budget is $5.8 million. The $2.3 million shortfall needs to be balanced by Sept. 30.
The article notes that the organization “has spent millions fighting against gay marriage, gay unions and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” but reports that CitizenLink won’t have another round of layoffs if the budget is not met, though it will have to cut back on planned projects.
