Recession has little effect on Big Bro's Big Sis

The non-profit organization Big Brothers Big Sister of the Tri-State has seen little change in volunteers and contributions over the past three years despite the effects the recession had on Americans.
The recession has done little damage to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State because the bulk of their funding consists of the grants and contributions they have receive from the government and other organizations. Their volunteer numbers have also remained steady because of the help they receive from Marshall University students and the local community.
Sam Thacker of Huntington has been involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters for three years and has given her time to change the lives of local teens. “I love being a Big Sister,” Thacker said. “It’s really a great program for the kids because it gives them someone to look up to.”
The most recent tax return filed by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State was from 2008, and these numbers show that the organization received $143,722 in grants and contributions, which was up from $2,298 in 2007 when the organization received $141,424.
Patricia Price, executive director of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State, said the organization is lucky to have seen no real change over the past few years because of the recession, but 2010 could change that.
“Fortunately, due to some grant funding the past two years, our agency has not been greatly affected by the recession,” Price said. “We have seen a slight decline in fundraising proceeds and corporate sponsorships but nothing substantial as of yet, of course this could change in 2010.”
Some of the major contributors to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State in 2008 include the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, which gave $32,000 to the organization, the Big Brothers of South Central W.Va., which gave $8,500 to the organization and the Henry L. Doherty Charitable Foundation, which gave $8,300 to the organization.
The total revenue of the organization in 2008 was $259,336 this is a difference of $2,534 from 2007 in which the organization reported $261,870 in revenue. The 2009 tax return has not yet been filed, but Price said there was no significant change in the amount of funding. There was no comment on the change in total revenue.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State depends on the helpful hands of volunteers. According to the tax return from 2008, the organization reported 200 volunteers over the course of the year. RaShawna Smalley, case manager for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State said the organization has seen a jump in the number of volunteers so far in 2010 with some help from Marshall University.
“This year has been one of my biggest years in terms of volunteers,” Smalley said. “I get a lot of volunteers from the service learning project at Marshall University. Professor Kimberly Detardo-Bora, who teaches a juvenile justice class at Marshall, requires her students to volunteer 12 hours at some kind of facility for kids.”
“We tend to stay pretty consistent with the number of people through the years,” Lee McCloud, case manager for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State said. “Our numbers are close. In 2009 we had about 187 people volunteer, but this does not include the amount of people who help out in our Christmas tree sale, because we have over 500 people who attend these events.”
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State has survived the recession because of the help they receive through Marshall University and the local community. The grant and contribution numbers show people that the local communities are willing to donate their money and time to help children stay in school and keep them away from drugs.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State has been helping the Huntington area community for 36 years, providing opportunities for underprivileged children to grow and have a mentor to look up to. Even with the effects of the recession hitting home, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State has seen little to no change in funding and an increase to the number of volunteers.








Big Brothers Big Sisters Contributions, Grants and Total Revenue 2006-2008

Year Grants and Contribution Change Total Revenue
2006 $175,059 N A $282,389
2007 $141,424 -$33,635 $261,870
2008 $143,722 +2,298 $259,336

Source: 2007, 2008 Federal 990 Tax Return Document.