Non-profits wise to rely less on government

In the past few years, with the state's budget in a shambles, its payments to school districts and others in arrears and largely written off, often the last in line to receive financial help have been the organizations that tend to rely on it the most — not-for-profits.

For a while, it seemed that every other week another do-gooder organization dependent primarily on the largesse of the state was in danger of giving up the ghost.

The myriad not-for-profits based in Elgin, in particular, faced a triple whammy. With casino revenues on the wane because of the ailing economy and a newly smoke-free casino, the organizations that had relied on casino taxes meted out by both the city and casino foundation saw their coffers empty quickly.

It seems, though, that with just about every threat of extinction came someone with a hefty donation to keep things going. Praying for a white knight, of course, is not a sustainable budgeting principle.

Across the suburbs, the not-for-profits that are the strongest today are the ones that have learned to diversify their sources of revenue.

On Tuesday, staff writer Madhu Krishnamurthy profiled one not-for-profit — suburban-based OMNI Youth Services — that has grown and diversified both its offerings and its funding sources well enough to celebrate 40 years of service.

OMNI — the largest and most comprehensive youth development organization in the Northwest suburbs — works with the courts and police departments essentially to keep teenagers out of the juvenile court system.

What began as a kitchen table-style, all-volunteer, 24-hour crisis hotline has blossomed into 11 programs and 63 staff members who provide crisis response, including counseling, mentoring and substance abuse treatment. Agents counsel kids dealing with drug and alcohol problems, pregnancy and thoughts of suicide. They help put juvenile offenders on a better path and help those with no specific problems develop life skills.

So far, more than half a million at-risk kids in the suburbs have benefited from the agency's services.

OMNI started in Wheeling with a three-year federal juvenile justice grant. As its services expanded, so did its funding sources: DCFS, United Way, municipalities, school districts.

Two-thirds of its annual budget still comes from government sources, and officials know those sources will continue to shrink. So they're making a concerted effort to attract more corporate and individual donations.

It's a sensible model to follow.

But anyone who works with a charity knows that a measure of good karma always helps.

OMNI will hold a big fundraiser April 28 at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago, which is sure to bring in a lot of cash. It sure doesn't hurt that Jay Leno will headline those passing the hat.