Recently, I’ve had a lot of people asking about how Bacon Street is “weathering the storm” that has recently hit the nonprofit world with the changes in federal leadership. It’s a complex question, but one I think is important to discuss and share with those who care about the work we do, and the clients that we serve.  

Bacon Street is fortunate to have what we call “diversified funding streams,” which essentially means that our funding comes from a variety of sources. This is ideal in the nonprofit sector from a financial perspective. BUT we don’t have the safety net of an endowment or a slush fund, so what comes in is what we have to work with on an annual basis. If giving is down, we struggle, and if giving is higher we are able to do more. It makes fundraising and giving SUPER important on an annual basis, so helping us meet our financial goals is a great way to support the work we do!  

We do have quite a number of grants that sustain us each year, many of which are from the federal government funding us either directly or via “pass through” funds. This funding is likely to go away in the near future as Congress looks at substantial funding cuts that will impact the nonprofit sector. 

My biggest worry, though, is about Medicaid. With the Medicaid expansion that happened pre-COVID, we saw a substantial increase in the number of clients who were able to use our services. Because they were covered by Medicaid, we were able to serve these clients and still set aside funds for those individuals and families who didn’t, for one reason or another, qualify for Medicaid. Currently over 60% of clients served by Bacon Street are on Medicaid, and it will be devastating for those families if Medicaid funding is reduced. Reductions in Medicaid also mean that Bacon Street will be reimbursed less for the services we provide, and will need to cover more of those costs on our own since we do not turn clients away if they are unable to pay for the full costs of our services. 

So, what we are ultimately expecting to see in the near future is a double-edged cut to funding support that comes from the federal government. 

How can you help, you ask?

You (yes, YOU!!) have an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of the people who we serve.  

Currently we are looking for participants, donors, volunteers, and sponsors to help us with our upcoming Mental Health Matters Awareness Walk, which will be held in Gloucester on May 10th. Visit our website for more information and a link to register. If you have questions, or your organization is interested in sponsoring the walk, reach out to Tiffany Phillips at tphillips@baconstreet.org. 

Consider a monthly gift to Bacon Street. Even if it’s $10 per month, it matters to the clients we are serving! That means that one full year of giving is enough to offset the cost of one clinical appointment for someone who can’t afford it. Click here to donate. You can also learn about legacy giving, where you include a nonprofit such as Bacon Street in your will, trust, or IRA, in this video.

Tell your story! Consider sharing with your friends about the awesome work we are doing to support our community. Our team is collecting stories from current and former clients who want to share about how Bacon Street impacted them. We’d love to hear yours! Reach out to Lauren Woomer at lwoomer@baconstreet.org if you’d like to participate. 

Contact your legislators to tell them how much our work means to you and how devastating a cut in Medicaid funding would be for our clients and for Bacon Street. Your words and support matter!

We can’t do this work WITHOUT YOU!!  You are the heartbeat of the community and your support and enthusiasm for our mission is what keeps all of us going. We are grateful for YOU!

Let me know what you think!  I’d love to hear from you if you have thoughts or ideas about how to make the work we do even better.

With heartfelt warmth,

Kim Dellinger
Executive Director
Bacon Street Youth and Family Services