non-profits suck.

The agency I work for is mainly funded by grants. That means I have a butt-load of reports to do. One of our main funders has a huge report that is due twice a year. I turned my information into the report writer back in May, one week before the day it was due to her. The program director just called me to ask me why my data was screwed up. She proceeded to try to explain to me why my data was screwed up and I could hear the report writer in the background explaining it to her. Finally I asked to speak to the report writer because I had no idea what the program director was talking about. Of course when I talked to the report writer she realized that I didn't screw it up, she did. I hate this place.

Even though I have a ton of reports to write for funders, the aforementioned program director decided to make up an agency report so she can more easily give program statistics to the board of directors or anyone else who gives a shit. If she wasn't so lazy, incompetent, whatever, she would be able to get these statistics from any of the other reports we do. It would just take a minute to compile them. I decided that doing another report just so the program director could be lazy was ridiculous so for the past year and a half I just haven't done it. It is supposed to be done quarterly. Every three months I giggle at my rebellious self and am more and more convinced that the report is useless. If nobody has even noticed that I haven't done it, how important can it be? Last week I got an email from the program director. She CC'ed it to my supervisor. It was all about my report being way overdue and she needs it because the board of directors needs the numbers. Damnit. My supervisor emailed me and told me to do it. I guess I will do it. I hate this place.

It's really quite sad that we are so heavily grant funded. Every other non-profit agency in the world has realized that you can't run programs solely on grants. You have to be out in the community getting donations and setting up legacy programs and long-term giving crap. Isn't it pretty common knowledge that the government continues to cut funding to social service programs? I think the people in charge are finally understanding that this isn't going to work. But I'm wondering if it is too late. For years they have applied for grants for programs that bring in funding, but it's a constant struggle to run the programs well with the limited money provided by the grant. So now we have a bzillion programs that are all run with the minimum amount of staff and resources. But we have to keep the programs because we have to keep that grant money coming in just so the agency can remain open. Who the hell thought that was a good idea??

I guess I don't think I could do any better. Maybe I do. I'm probably wrong. So I'll shut up now.

I hope nobody from work ever reads this.