HSN COST-OF-DOING-BUSINESS SURVEY
For the past two years, as HSN advocated with the Mayor and the Board for an adequate nonprofit cost-of-doing-business increase (CODB), policy-makers have asked us for solid data on how much costs are rising. In 2005, DPH surveyed their contractors and estimated an average increase of about 6%. In 2006, the Human Services Agency took on an effort to gather data based on trends analysis, but the results were not as helpful as desired. In both years, we received CODB increases (3% and 3.45% respectively) that helped nonprofits address their needs, but were not enough.
HSN finally decided that we need to make our case by putting forward our own survey to assess how much costs are going up. A committee put together a two-page survey, one with background information and the other with a spreadsheet template for nonprofits to show their costs.
We need all of our members to pitch in with this effort in order to demonstrate to the city the real need for funding increases in order to maintain our existing level of services. This is especially true in a bad budget year, when nonprofit concerns, along with the needs of vulnerable city residents, are likely to be placed at a lower priority than other city needs. The failure to provide an adequate CODB forces nonprofits to reduce services, underpay hard-working staff, and even close programs.
We are asking the city to have departments distribute this form to contractors in order to assess nonprofit cost increases. We want to get it to our members right away so that you can be prepared with the data.
In addition, we ask that you return all completed surveys to HSN. We will keep all individual responses confidential, and use them to do our own analysis of rising costs.
We also welcome your feedback on the survey so that we can improve it in future years.
The CODB survey packet consists of three documents, which you can download here:
If you are having problems downloading the survey spreadsheet, please try these links or email Debbi Lerman.