Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nonprofit Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Children’s Home Society defends shelter funding after commissioner criticism
Summary
Jack Marsh, chairman of the South Dakota Children’s Home Society, told the Lincoln County Commission that the organization’s shelter serves 251 county residents last year and urged a commissioner who opposed a $15,000 allocation to reconsider; Marsh disputed comments that nonprofits should not receive taxpayer funds and offered transparency and tours.
Jack Marsh, chairman of the South Dakota Children’s Home Society, told the Lincoln County Commission on Sept. 23 that the nonprofit’s shelter for family safety serves vulnerable residents across South Dakota and urged reconsideration after a commissioner questioned taxpayer support for nonprofits.
Marsh said Children’s Home operates multiple programs statewide with an annual organization budget he gave as $37,000,000 and that the shelter itself operates with an annual budget the transcript records as $5,500,000. He said the shelter provided nearly 29,000 days of residential care last year and that 251 Lincoln County residents used the shelter at an average cost of about $2,000 per stay, which Marsh said amounts to roughly $500,000 in services for county residents.
Marsh addressed criticism recorded in the meeting minutes that Commissioner Joel Ahrens opposed the county allocation and singled out a CEO salary as an example; Marsh said the criticism was misplaced and offered to host tours and review finances to demonstrate stewardship. ‘‘Perhaps you were misinformed or simply unaware of the profound impact that Children’s Home has on Lincoln County families,’’ Marsh told commissioners, urging them to reconsider support for the shelter.
Commissioner Arons later clarified in a commission report that he had singled out a different nonprofit CEO (LifeScape) and its reported salary, not the Children’s Home CEO. Commissioners discussed nonprofit funding philosophy; one commissioner said property taxpayers should decide charitable giving for themselves, not the government.
The commission had previously approved a $15,000 allocation to the shelter; Marsh said that funding covers roughly four of the 251 Lincoln County resident stays cited in his remarks and reiterated the organization’s request for continued support.
Procedural note: Marsh requested that commissioners consider the shelter’s work and offered transparency measures, including tours and financial review; no formal board action followed the public comment during the meeting.
