UConn School of Public Policy (SPP) Director of Nonprofit Outreach and Adjunct Professor David Garvey recently penned a piece about SPP alum Barry Simon. Check out Dave’s article below.
Barry Simon, MPA ’92 serves as the President & CEO of Oak Hill and Board Chair of the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance spoke to thousands of nonprofit practitioners at a Connecticut State House Rally to Increase Funding for Nonprofits on April 24th. The issue at stake is that State contracts with nonprofits have not moved much with inflation over the last five years, resulting in depressed wages for nonprofit front-line employees serving our States’ citizens.
Through State contracts, the legislature and state agencies rely on Connecticut nonprofits to implement the work on the ground in addressing the current mental health and substance abuse crisis, supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, assisting those experiencing homelessness, hunger, and re-entering society after incarceration to rebuild their lives and contribute to Connecticut’s workforce.
With state contracts not keeping up with inflation, these core human services have been continually limited. In many cases nonprofits will have to close admissions or their program doors entirely in FY24 and FY25. What is being asked of the Connecticut legislature is to increase in funding by at least 5% in FY25 for community nonprofits to keep up with inflation and costs.
Barry has been advocating tirelessly for his entire career, asking the State elected officials to value the nonprofit workforce with a career path, not a sentence of poverty. At the rally he asked to close the wage and pay gap with equity and inclusion that stops the institutional discrimination. He said,
a 5% increase keeps us above inflation this year, anything less sets us back. Let us create the jobs to open up programs and reduce wait lists for the people of Connecticut that need these services. Help us solve the workforce crisis at hand as a partner and fund nonprofits.
Oak Hill partners with people with disabilities, to provide services and solutions promoting independence, education, health and dignity.