Prompt: Budget

Link to Organization Annual Report

Description (Describe some aspect of the community experience)

When looking at the organization’s budget and annual report, it is amazing to see the
impact the organization has. While it describes the financial expenditures of the organization, it
also breaks down the exact number of showers taken, socks distributed, and houses built. The
annual report truly accounts for everything and holds the organization liable for its practices. As
a volunteer, it was moving for me to see their volunteer report. They had over 180 volunteers
who worked over for 6,000 hours. They ascribed this labor as being worth $92,864. Knowing the
procedures for logging volunteer hours, this number is likely underestimated. However, the
organization received over $90,000 just in the donation of people’s time.

Analysis (Analyze how course content relates to the community experience)

Something unpleasant about the report was seeing that the organization was around
$200,000 in the red if comparing the revenue of 2021 alone to the spending of 2021 alone. There
is no information regarding whether or not the organization is experiencing financial difficulties,
and my assumption is that it is alright, but it was truly difficult to see that an organization that
provides such vital services is primarily dependent on grants and gifts that are often not enough.
While I knew that many nonprofit organizations were sustained by grants, the organization
received only $1.3 million dollars from grants and gifts but spent $2 million just to continue to
provide their services. This gap truly illustrates, in a broader sense, the hardship of operating a
nonprofit organization.

Application (How the experience and course content can be applied to personal or
professional life)
Personally, during one of the morning briefs, an employee discussed how a $17 fee for a
State ID can define a person’s life. For less than a $20 bill, someone can get a job and get back
on their feet. Seeing how much one small fee can impact a life illustrates the importance to me of
the over $2 million dollars spent by the organization.
In my professional life, this report has demonstrated the importance of organization and
accountability. As mentioned earlier, Back Bay Mission accounts for everything, even down to
the socks they hand out. This report allows them to demonstrate to their board, supporters, and
community members what services they provide and the value those services hold.
Professionally, particularly when running an organization that depends largely on donations, this
kind of transparency is essential for operation. It proves the value of the organization and
provides a tangible example of its accomplishments. I strive toward this level of organization and
accountability.