Abstract
[Professional Administrative Study Title]
by
[your official name]
MA, [university], 20XX
BS, [university], 20XX
Abstract
[Professional Administrative Study Title]
by
[your official name]
MA, [university], 20XX
BS, [university], 20XX
Professional Administrative Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Public Administration
University
[last month of the term you graduate] 20XX
Abstract
Like any other non-profit organization, the firehouse Ministries of Birmingham faces financial challenges, lack of funds for general operations, existing programs, and lack of financial expertise and infrastructure. It is essential to address the need for the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham to play a vital role in building a healthy community through critical services, thus a significant contribution to economic stability and mobility. Also, the services it provides and the general running of the organization need funds for its sustainability. It is vital to understand that non-profit organizations require funding and the big question remains, how do they get their funds? This administrative study aimed to bring to the light analysis of how the non-profit organizations get their funding if it is enough and the challenges they undergo as far as funds are concerned. The research used questionnaires administered as a tool for the data collection on randomly selected heads in the organization and also had a one on one talk with the Financial Management Officer of the organization. The data collected were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools and the hypotheses tested at a 95% confidence level. The organization’s website, financial reports, and economic conference proceedings from the finance office of the organization are some sources of evidence that were used to base our conclusions. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis, and the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) analysis were the analytical strategies used in the study’s administration. The findings were that financial struggles are real for Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham and concluded that the organization needs financial assistance; thus, grantmakers should help alleviate the stress by providing flexible dollars, reducing the paperwork burden and take their time to give economic sustainability to grantees. For public administrative practice, the recommendations will imply that there will be a smooth running of the organization; thus, there will be the social change for the organization will continue to give its critical services to the society.
[Professional Administrative Study Title]
by
[your official name]
MA, [university], 20XX
BS, [university], 20XX
Professional Administrative Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Public Administration
Walden University
[last month of the term you graduate] 20XX
Dedication
This study wholeheartedly is dedicated to the Executive Director of The Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham, who has done his best to ensure that homeless men have a roof on their heads, thus impacting positivity in people’s lives and inspiring more people to be that generous and kind of heart.
To all the people working in the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham, who have given their lives to serving the needy people of the society.
Acknowledgments
I wish to express my sincere thanks to our learned faculty for all the guidance throughout the study; the good tutorial services made the whole exercise possible. I further send my debt of gratitude to my family and friends for all their support that has been useful to me to get to this point in my study. Finally, I would like to thank all those I cannot mention here but have played their role well to inspire me behind the curtains.
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction to the Problem.. 1
Financial Challenges Faced by the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham.. 1
Section 2: Conceptual Approach and Background. 4
Background and Approach to study. 4
Section 3: Data Collection Process and Analysis. 5
Section 4: Evaluation and Recommendations. 7
Concepts, Models Theories, Recommendations and Conclusion. 7
Appendix: Questions Included in Survey. 11
1………… What is the official name of this organization?. 11
2………… What role do you play in the running of the organization?. 11
3………… Who is the head of finance in the organization?. 11
4………… Do you know the current financial status of the organization?. 11
5………… Do you know the sources of funds for the organization? If yes, state at least four of them. 11
6………… Who is the most relied of the head of funds of the organization?. 11
Section 1: Introduction to the Problem
Financial Challenges Faced by the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham
Non-profit organizations play a vital role in the society we are in today. Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham is a non-profit organization, which was brought up in the year 1983 to help the chronically homeless men in the society around the Birmingham area by providing a roof for them to get the men into permanent supportive houses. Among the emergency services offered by the Firehouse Ministries are a soup kitchen that is open to everyone and not just the men, case management, clothing closet, emergency shelter, and a variety of housing options; permanent housing, transitional housing, and a haven that is meant for the men who have mental illnesses. With the emergency services offered, the Firehouse Ministries serve everyone who is unable to pay for such services, for they are a low barrier, and indeed, they have stayed true to their mission and vision. (Ministries, 2020)
Just like any other non-profit organization, Firehouse Ministries has many challenges: financial challenges, the pressure to give results to the society, attracting and retaining the right talent, technological problems, regulation, and compliance, among other problems (Schnurbein, 2019). However, the greatest challenge among the challenges the organization face is the challenge to do with finance because all the activities in the organization need money to run it. All services and programs offered by the organization need funding, and also, the growth and development of the organization need funding. Firehouse Ministries is a non-profit organization; it depends on different sources, such as well-wishers and grants for running its programs and activities. This study will be significant to the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham and other organizations for their running is the same, and more often than not, they face the same challenges that are solved in the same way.
Experts have done their surveys and proven that the financial problem comes in different ways, and indeed, financial instability is posing a threat to the running of most non-profit organizations. Restriction on funding, misperception around sustainability and growth, onerous grant-making practices, and knowledge gaps by both the grant-makers and the non-profit organizations are some financial challenges faced by non-profit organizations.
Restriction in Funding
Non- profit organizations get funding from different finances, which include the government and well-wishers. However, direct delivery services or programs are mostly supported in an easy way by grantmakers leaving out the costs to deliver the services or programs. This leads to the organizations putting into use money intended for other matters such as left out programs or services.
Misperception around Growth and Sustainability
Grant-makers do not understand the term sustainability as it is according to the non-profit organizations. They take sustainability to be a point where non-profit organizations rely less on the funding. This learns how to fund their programs and services, not imagining that they are an important source of the funds. On the other hand, Non-profit organizations understand sustainability as having enough capital to run their programs and services that leads to growth and development of the organization, despite the funds’ sources. For these reasons of difference in understanding, grant-makers may reach a point where they do not easily fund organizations fully since they want to support just the programs and services and not the organization’s growth and development.
Onerous Grant-making Practices
In order to get funds from the grant-makers, there is too much data that is required, despite the amount an organization needs from them, which are a true burden for it is also time-consuming and expensive. Despite being a regular receiver of the funds from the grant-maker, there are so many documents required for the application.
Objectives of the Study
- To identify who funded or where the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham got its funds from.
- To find out the challenges that the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham faced in the process of getting the funds.
- To identify other ways in which non-profit organizations can get funding to enable the running of their programs and services.
- To recommend measures that can be used to curb the challenges faced by the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham in getting the funds.
This study will hold significance to other non-profit organizations for running similar organizations, and their needs are most likely the same, if not all.
In summary, there was the use of a mixed Approach of the study, the combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches with a variety of sources of data. The purpose of the study is to find out how non-profit organizations get their funds and the challenges they face in the process of accessing funds with reference to Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham. The key stakeholders in this research were the organization’s manager, the head of finance, and the workers of Firehouse Ministries, for they are directly affected by the lack of enough funds or any financial challenges within the organization. The project is of great contribution to the public organization administration for the key matter of financial challenges was well researched with conclusions and recommendations given. The project will impact the society for the non-profit organizations to have recommendations to their financial challenges from this study.
Section 2: Conceptual Approach and Background
Background and Approach of the study
I was inspired to take up this study by the fact that I have once worked as a volunteer in a non-profit organization and was curious about how the organizations got funded, for they gain no profits. Also, I have a friend who has been working as a volunteer at the Firehouse Ministries, and he suggested I should do this study in accordance with the organization. I had previous research on the challenges facing non-profit organizations and got the financial challenge as the number one rated challenge; thus had a question of how the organizations get their funds. One thing I found out in the past is that financial instability is a great threat to the non-profit organization and is what has led to the fall of many. In that case, there is a dire need for more well-wishers to chip in the little that can be found in order to keep our organizations running.
To find the sources in this study, I used the following approaches:
- I went to the library and did thorough research on non-profit organizations and their challenges.
- I followed the citations in the library sources I got, which took me to primary sources of information on non-profit organizations.
- Got some secondary sources of information from the Firehouse Ministries on its financial status, financial challenges, and how it got its funding.
- The website of the Firehouse Ministries was of great importance to know more about it. (Institute, 2018)
Section 3: Data Collection Process and Analysis
The research was a formal one. Therefore appropriate procedures and techniques were used to identify, select, process, and analyze the information about the research questions. A case study of how the Firehouse Ministries if Birmingham got its funds for the past three years was done, and we identified the most frequent and reliable sources for their growth and development. In the data collection section, we went through the past three years documented financial reports from the organization’s finance office to find out how their funds were gotten and who made the highest percentage in their financial records. Records of grants applications were given to us, and I went through all the paperwork needed for the grant application’s success. Questionnaires were given to randomly selected workers in the organization to find out whether they knew the sources of funding of the organization and the financial challenges the organization went through. The data so collected were the primary ones and were assumed to be an accurate description of the sampled person’s opinion. Additionally, we had a one on one talk with the chief financial officer, who explained to us how challenging it was to get funds from the different sources they had. The data collected was validated and subjected to appropriate statistical tools, and significant tests were carried out at a 95% level of confidence with non-parametric tests being applied in the critical areas.
The simple random sampling strategy was put into use, where each individual chosen in the data collection procedure was chosen entirely by chance. All the group members we chose from were given an equal chance or probability of being selected. This method proved to be efficient as it reduced biasness. It allowed sampling error to be calculated, and it is the most straightforward method in finding out the probability of a given event. Convenience sampling was also put into use for the participants selected were based on their availability, and their willingness to take part in the survey. Though useful, the results were prone to biasness, but I hoped for non-bias results from the participants.
The Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham organization needs the study in order to get recommendations towards their financial challenges, which is also applicable to other non-profit organizations. The study was institutional, for it took part in accordance with the running of Firehouse Ministries and is very applicable to other non-profit organizations. My role in the project was to carry out the whole study by collecting data from the chosen sources, analyzing the data, and giving my conclusions and recommendations. My motivations were my parents, faculty, and friends who work as volunteers at the organization; they kept me on toes to finish the study as desired. The potential biasness in the study could be from the sampling technique used; the convenience sampling for one could be willing to take part in the study but not willing to give the truth in the questionnaires.
Section 4: Evaluation and Recommendations
Concepts, Models Theories, Recommendations and Conclusion
Financial challenges are the top-ranked problems facing the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham for an organization that needs funds for its running; without funds, no programs or services can be done. The big question was, is that a non-profit organization does not have to gain money from its programs and services, where does the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham get the funds to run it from? Are there challenges it undergoes in the process of outsourcing the funds from the respective sources? Do the other workers in the organization, apart from the financial officer, know about the organization’s sources of funds?
The primary purpose of this study is to answer the questions of how the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham gets its funds and the financial challenges faced in outsourcing the funds, which is among other problems that arose within the study. We also wanted to find out whether the staff at Firehouse Ministries know about the organization’s financial conditions, where they get their funds from, and who is their primary source of funds is. This was done with the help of the organization manager, the head of finance in the organization, and the randomly selected staff who helped in giving the data we required in the study. With this, we’re able to do the research and come up with conclusions and recommendations towards the challenge in question that would be of great importance not only to Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham but also other no-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations all similarly run their programs and services. Thus, the financial challenges at Firehouse Ministries are just the same as those at other non-profit organizations; if there is a difference, then it is a very minute matter.
For the sources of evidence, the organization’s financial records over the past three years were looked into to see who are the most reliable sources of funding in the company, and the results are as shown in table one below. Questionnaires were put up asking whether the workers knew of the origins of funding of the company, and randomly selected workers, who were available, were put to the test, and the results were as shown in table two below. From the above, conclusions were made, which were non-bias to everyone. Analytical strategies were used to identify and eliminate the seemingly irrelevant data we had collected with the use of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis, and the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) analysis. (NIBUSINESS, 2020)
A Table Showing the Percentage of Funds from Different Sources in the Finance Records of Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham in the Past Three Years.
| Financial Year | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 |
| Financial Sources | |||
| Grants | 90% | 88% | 92% |
| Well-wishers | 7% | 8% | 5% |
| Planned Giving Programs | 3% | 4% | 3% |
A Table Showing How Much the workers at Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham Know of the Sources of Funding of the organization.
| No. of Workers | |
| Yes I know | 10 |
| No, I do not Know | 18 |
| I am not Sure | 5 |
From the above results, the following are the recommendations I came up with:
- The organization should create time to discuss the organization’s financial matters with the other workers, for they also could be of help to it.
- Being the most relied on source of funds, the grant-makers should make work easier for the organization as they apply for the funds.
- The grant-makers should also remember. Thus the organizations need to grow; hence should help the organization fully and not just fund the programs and services but also the growth and development.
In conclusion, the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham is a non-profit organization that works so hard to provide the best programs and services to society’s needy people. Grant-makers and well-wishers should see that their efforts are not in vain, thus continuing giving a hand to the organization. The company is in need of more organizations that positively impact the community, bringing change to the necessary areas in the community.
References
Ministries, F. (2020). Firehouse Ministries. Bham Wiki.
NIBUSINESS. (2020). Measure Performance and set Targets: SWOT, PESTLE, and Other Models for Strategic Analysis. BUSINESS INFO.
Schnurbein, V. (2019). Investment- Readiness of Non-Profit Organizations- Criteria to Diagnose the Investment-readiness Level of a Non-Profit Organization. Expert Focus, 125-128.
Appendix: Questions Included in the Survey
- What is the official name of this organization?
- What role do you play in the running of the organization?
- Who is the head of finance in the organization?
- Do you know the current financial status of the organization?
- Do you know the sources of funds for the organization? If yes, state at least four of them.
- Who is the most relied on source of funds of the organization?
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of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Public Administration
University
[last month of the term you graduate] 20XX
Abstract
Like any other non-profit organization, the firehouse Ministries of Birmingham faces financial challenges, lack of funds for general operations, existing programs, and lack of financial expertise and infrastructure. It is essential to address the need for the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham to play a vital role in building a healthy community through critical services, thus a significant contribution to economic stability and mobility. Also, the services it provides and the general running of the organization need funds for its sustainability. It is vital to understand that non-profit organizations require funding and the big question remains, how do they get their funds? This administrative study aimed to bring to the light analysis of how the non-profit organizations get their funding if it is enough and the challenges they undergo as far as funds are concerned. The research used questionnaires administered as a tool for the data collection on randomly selected heads in the organization and also had a one on one talk with the Financial Management Officer of the organization. The data collected were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools and the hypotheses tested at a 95% confidence level. The organization’s website, financial reports, and economic conference proceedings from the finance office of the organization are some sources of evidence that were used to base our conclusions. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis, and the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) analysis were the analytical strategies used in the study’s administration. The findings were that financial struggles are real for Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham and concluded that the organization needs financial assistance; thus, grantmakers should help alleviate the stress by providing flexible dollars, reducing the paperwork burden and take their time to give economic sustainability to grantees. For public administrative practice, the recommendations will imply that there will be a smooth running of the organization; thus, there will be the social change for the organization will continue to give its critical services to the society.
[Professional Administrative Study Title]
by
[your official name]
MA, [university], 20XX
BS, [university], 20XX
Professional Administrative Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Public Administration
Walden University
[last month of the term you graduate] 20XX
Dedication
This study wholeheartedly is dedicated to the Executive Director of The Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham, who has done his best to ensure that homeless men have a roof on their heads, thus impacting positivity in people’s lives and inspiring more people to be that generous and kind of heart.
To all the people working in the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham, who have given their lives to serving the needy people of the society.
Acknowledgments
I wish to express my sincere thanks to our learned faculty for all the guidance throughout the study; the good tutorial services made the whole exercise possible. I further send my debt of gratitude to my family and friends for all their support that has been useful to me to get to this point in my study. Finally, I would like to thank all those I cannot mention here but have played their role well to inspire me behind the curtains.
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction to the Problem.. 1
Financial Challenges Faced by the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham.. 1
Section 2: Conceptual Approach and Background. 4
Background and Approach to study. 4
Section 3: Data Collection Process and Analysis. 5
Section 4: Evaluation and Recommendations. 7
Concepts, Models Theories, Recommendations and Conclusion. 7
Appendix: Questions Included in Survey. 11
1………… What is the official name of this organization?. 11
2………… What role do you play in the running of the organization?. 11
3………… Who is the head of finance in the organization?. 11
4………… Do you know the current financial status of the organization?. 11
5………… Do you know the sources of funds for the organization? If yes, state at least four of them. 11
6………… Who is the most relied of the head of funds of the organization?. 11
Section 1: Introduction to the Problem
Financial Challenges Faced by the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham
Non-profit organizations play a vital role in the society we are in today. Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham is a non-profit organization, which was brought up in the year 1983 to help the chronically homeless men in the society around the Birmingham area by providing a roof for them to get the men into permanent supportive houses. Among the emergency services offered by the Firehouse Ministries are a soup kitchen that is open to everyone and not just the men, case management, clothing closet, emergency shelter, and a variety of housing options; permanent housing, transitional housing, and a haven that is meant for the men who have mental illnesses. With the emergency services offered, the Firehouse Ministries serve everyone who is unable to pay for such services, for they are a low barrier, and indeed, they have stayed true to their mission and vision. (Ministries, 2020)
Just like any other non-profit organization, Firehouse Ministries has many challenges: financial challenges, the pressure to give results to the society, attracting and retaining the right talent, technological problems, regulation, and compliance, among other problems (Schnurbein, 2019). However, the greatest challenge among the challenges the organization face is the challenge to do with finance because all the activities in the organization need money to run it. All services and programs offered by the organization need funding, and also, the growth and development of the organization need funding. Firehouse Ministries is a non-profit organization; it depends on different sources, such as well-wishers and grants for running its programs and activities. This study will be significant to the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham and other organizations for their running is the same, and more often than not, they face the same challenges that are solved in the same way.
Experts have done their surveys and proven that the financial problem comes in different ways, and indeed, financial instability is posing a threat to the running of most non-profit organizations. Restriction on funding, misperception around sustainability and growth, onerous grant-making practices, and knowledge gaps by both the grant-makers and the non-profit organizations are some financial challenges faced by non-profit organizations.
Restriction in Funding
Non- profit organizations get funding from different finances, which include the government and well-wishers. However, direct delivery services or programs are mostly supported in an easy way by grantmakers leaving out the costs to deliver the services or programs. This leads to the organizations putting into use money intended for other matters such as left out programs or services.
Misperception around Growth and Sustainability
Grant-makers do not understand the term sustainability as it is according to the non-profit organizations. They take sustainability to be a point where non-profit organizations rely less on the funding. This learns how to fund their programs and services, not imagining that they are an important source of the funds. On the other hand, Non-profit organizations understand sustainability as having enough capital to run their programs and services that leads to growth and development of the organization, despite the funds’ sources. For these reasons of difference in understanding, grant-makers may reach a point where they do not easily fund organizations fully since they want to support just the programs and services and not the organization’s growth and development.
Onerous Grant-making Practices
In order to get funds from the grant-makers, there is too much data that is required, despite the amount an organization needs from them, which are a true burden for it is also time-consuming and expensive. Despite being a regular receiver of the funds from the grant-maker, there are so many documents required for the application.
Objectives of the Study
- To identify who funded or where the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham got its funds from.
- To find out the challenges that the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham faced in the process of getting the funds.
- To identify other ways in which non-profit organizations can get funding to enable the running of their programs and services.
- To recommend measures that can be used to curb the challenges faced by the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham in getting the funds.
This study will hold significance to other non-profit organizations for running similar organizations, and their needs are most likely the same, if not all.
In summary, there was the use of a mixed Approach of the study, the combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches with a variety of sources of data. The purpose of the study is to find out how non-profit organizations get their funds and the challenges they face in the process of accessing funds with reference to Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham. The key stakeholders in this research were the organization’s manager, the head of finance, and the workers of Firehouse Ministries, for they are directly affected by the lack of enough funds or any financial challenges within the organization. The project is of great contribution to the public organization administration for the key matter of financial challenges was well researched with conclusions and recommendations given. The project will impact the society for the non-profit organizations to have recommendations to their financial challenges from this study.
Section 2: Conceptual Approach and Background
Background and Approach of the study
I was inspired to take up this study by the fact that I have once worked as a volunteer in a non-profit organization and was curious about how the organizations got funded, for they gain no profits. Also, I have a friend who has been working as a volunteer at the Firehouse Ministries, and he suggested I should do this study in accordance with the organization. I had previous research on the challenges facing non-profit organizations and got the financial challenge as the number one rated challenge; thus had a question of how the organizations get their funds. One thing I found out in the past is that financial instability is a great threat to the non-profit organization and is what has led to the fall of many. In that case, there is a dire need for more well-wishers to chip in the little that can be found in order to keep our organizations running.
To find the sources in this study, I used the following approaches:
- I went to the library and did thorough research on non-profit organizations and their challenges.
- I followed the citations in the library sources I got, which took me to primary sources of information on non-profit organizations.
- Got some secondary sources of information from the Firehouse Ministries on its financial status, financial challenges, and how it got its funding.
- The website of the Firehouse Ministries was of great importance to know more about it. (Institute, 2018)
Section 3: Data Collection Process and Analysis
The research was a formal one. Therefore appropriate procedures and techniques were used to identify, select, process, and analyze the information about the research questions. A case study of how the Firehouse Ministries if Birmingham got its funds for the past three years was done, and we identified the most frequent and reliable sources for their growth and development. In the data collection section, we went through the past three years documented financial reports from the organization’s finance office to find out how their funds were gotten and who made the highest percentage in their financial records. Records of grants applications were given to us, and I went through all the paperwork needed for the grant application’s success. Questionnaires were given to randomly selected workers in the organization to find out whether they knew the sources of funding of the organization and the financial challenges the organization went through. The data so collected were the primary ones and were assumed to be an accurate description of the sampled person’s opinion. Additionally, we had a one on one talk with the chief financial officer, who explained to us how challenging it was to get funds from the different sources they had. The data collected was validated and subjected to appropriate statistical tools, and significant tests were carried out at a 95% level of confidence with non-parametric tests being applied in the critical areas.
The simple random sampling strategy was put into use, where each individual chosen in the data collection procedure was chosen entirely by chance. All the group members we chose from were given an equal chance or probability of being selected. This method proved to be efficient as it reduced biasness. It allowed sampling error to be calculated, and it is the most straightforward method in finding out the probability of a given event. Convenience sampling was also put into use for the participants selected were based on their availability, and their willingness to take part in the survey. Though useful, the results were prone to biasness, but I hoped for non-bias results from the participants.
The Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham organization needs the study in order to get recommendations towards their financial challenges, which is also applicable to other non-profit organizations. The study was institutional, for it took part in accordance with the running of Firehouse Ministries and is very applicable to other non-profit organizations. My role in the project was to carry out the whole study by collecting data from the chosen sources, analyzing the data, and giving my conclusions and recommendations. My motivations were my parents, faculty, and friends who work as volunteers at the organization; they kept me on toes to finish the study as desired. The potential biasness in the study could be from the sampling technique used; the convenience sampling for one could be willing to take part in the study but not willing to give the truth in the questionnaires.
Section 4: Evaluation and Recommendations
Concepts, Models Theories, Recommendations and Conclusion
Financial challenges are the top-ranked problems facing the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham for an organization that needs funds for its running; without funds, no programs or services can be done. The big question was, is that a non-profit organization does not have to gain money from its programs and services, where does the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham get the funds to run it from? Are there challenges it undergoes in the process of outsourcing the funds from the respective sources? Do the other workers in the organization, apart from the financial officer, know about the organization’s sources of funds?
The primary purpose of this study is to answer the questions of how the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham gets its funds and the financial challenges faced in outsourcing the funds, which is among other problems that arose within the study. We also wanted to find out whether the staff at Firehouse Ministries know about the organization’s financial conditions, where they get their funds from, and who is their primary source of funds is. This was done with the help of the organization manager, the head of finance in the organization, and the randomly selected staff who helped in giving the data we required in the study. With this, we’re able to do the research and come up with conclusions and recommendations towards the challenge in question that would be of great importance not only to Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham but also other no-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations all similarly run their programs and services. Thus, the financial challenges at Firehouse Ministries are just the same as those at other non-profit organizations; if there is a difference, then it is a very minute matter.
For the sources of evidence, the organization’s financial records over the past three years were looked into to see who are the most reliable sources of funding in the company, and the results are as shown in table one below. Questionnaires were put up asking whether the workers knew of the origins of funding of the company, and randomly selected workers, who were available, were put to the test, and the results were as shown in table two below. From the above, conclusions were made, which were non-bias to everyone. Analytical strategies were used to identify and eliminate the seemingly irrelevant data we had collected with the use of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis, and the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) analysis. (NIBUSINESS, 2020)
A Table Showing the Percentage of Funds from Different Sources in the Finance Records of Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham in the Past Three Years.
| Financial Year | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 |
| Financial Sources | |||
| Grants | 90% | 88% | 92% |
| Well-wishers | 7% | 8% | 5% |
| Planned Giving Programs | 3% | 4% | 3% |
A Table Showing How Much the workers at Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham Know of the Sources of Funding of the organization.
| No. of Workers | |
| Yes I know | 10 |
| No, I do not Know | 18 |
| I am not Sure | 5 |
From the above results, the following are the recommendations I came up with:
- The organization should create time to discuss the organization’s financial matters with the other workers, for they also could be of help to it.
- Being the most relied on source of funds, the grant-makers should make work easier for the organization as they apply for the funds.
- The grant-makers should also remember. Thus the organizations need to grow; hence should help the organization fully and not just fund the programs and services but also the growth and development.
In conclusion, the Firehouse Ministries of Birmingham is a non-profit organization that works so hard to provide the best programs and services to society’s needy people. Grant-makers and well-wishers should see that their efforts are not in vain, thus continuing giving a hand to the organization. The company is in need of more organizations that positively impact the community, bringing change to the necessary areas in the community.
References
Ministries, F. (2020). Firehouse Ministries. Bham Wiki.
NIBUSINESS. (2020). Measure Performance and set Targets: SWOT, PESTLE, and Other Models for Strategic Analysis. BUSINESS INFO.
Schnurbein, V. (2019). Investment- Readiness of Non-Profit Organizations- Criteria to Diagnose the Investment-readiness Level of a Non-Profit Organization. Expert Focus, 125-128.
Appendix: Questions Included in the Survey
- What is the official name of this organization?
- What role do you play in the running of the organization?
- Who is the head of finance in the organization?
- Do you know the current financial status of the organization?
- Do you know the sources of funds for the organization? If yes, state at least four of them.
- Who is the most relied on source of funds of the organization?
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