361.9773582 T212d THE DECATUR SURVEY BY CARTER TAYLOR DECATUR WEEKLY NEWS FY FRIENDS ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY *£&&&> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign / THE DECATUR SURVEY A Two Weeks' Study of Social and Welfare Work in Decatur, 111. By CARTER TAYLOR PRICE 50c Copyrighted By Carter Taylor - 1930 Do not use without permission Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/decatursurveytwoOOtayl PREFACE Decatur, county seat of Macon County, is situated near the geograph- ical center of Illinois, 180 miles southwest of Chicago. It had a popula- tion of 57,478 in the 1930 census, representing a 30 per cent gain in the decade. It is the trading center for a large and rich agricultural area in which corn is the principal staple crop. It is the largest city on the main line of the Wabash between Chicago and St. Louis, and is served by four other railroads and three interurban lines. The Wabash with its car and locomotive shops furnishes employment to 3,357 persons. Decatur has a large factory engaged in the manufac- ture of plumbing goods and one of the largest independent starch plants in the country, most of the products of which are derived from corn. Electrical fixtures, soda fountains, small water supply units and electric pumps are among other manufactured articles. The population is mainly native white. The original drift was largely from Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania contributing to the early settle- ment. A colony of Poles from East Prussia came in the 70's, quickly adopting American customs and the English language. There are few Southern Europeans. Negroes number about 2,000, and many of them are industrious home owners. Decatur enjoys recreational advantages furnished by Lake Decatur, constructed primarily to afford a bounteous water supply, and has more than 774 acres of parks. The self contained house on its lot is the standard residence. The city government is vested in a mayor and four commissioners. Other jurisdictions are the park board and the sanitary district trustees. THE SURVEY In the belief that the whole question of Decatur's welfare activities should be subjected to thorough and expert investigation, a group of social agencies and other organizations arranged early in the year for such a study. The group included the Community Chest and affiliated agencies, the city council, Trades and Labor assembly, Business and Professional Women's club, Woman's Council, Macon county board of supervisors, service clubs and individuals. The cost, $1,000, was met by a council appropriation, a gift from the Millikin estate, and contributions by the Association of Commerce and private individuals. Carter H. Taylor, welfare director of Harrisburg, Pa., was secured to make the survey. His only instructions were to be thorough and fearless. Mr. Taylor was free to consult with any person who might be of aid to Jiim, and his requests for information were in most instances, cheerfully complied with. This fine co-operation greatly lightened his burden and enabled him to complete his work in a little more than two weeks. As a reading of the report will show, Mr. Taylor has gone deeply into the problem and has placed Decatur's welfare and character build- ing work under a critical examination. Most valuable is his comparison of costs and methods with those of other communities. The prime purpose was not merely to discover why the Community Chest has failed to reach its financial goal in successive drives, but to determine the infinitely more important question, whether its agencies were functioning to the best advantage, whether friction and duplica- tion existed, whether there was co-operation between voluntary and public relief agencies; in other words to see whether Decatur could do a better job than it had been doing. With most of Mr. Taylor's recommendations the sponsoring commit- tee is in hearty agreement. The committee regards the report as en- lightening and highly valuable. It trusts that it will be acted upon with as little delay as possible. The public was kept informed through the press of Mr. Taylor's im- pressions while the survey was proceeding. These stories were read with interest. To a large number of persons the community is indebted for assistance given Mr. Taylor. The committee wishes particularly to thank A. R. Krapp of the Y. M. C. A., who assisted with the charts, Miss Helen Stewart and Robert Lamar who tabulated newspaper publicity on the Chest, and Miss Louisa Parks, secretary of the Y. W. C. A., for special assistance. (Signed) Sponsoring Committee Hon. Charles E. Lee H. C. Schaub W. F. Hardy R. G. Williams Joseph Birt Rev. A. L. Eddy Lynn W. Clark O. B. Gorin Edgar Allen INTRODUCTION The length of time available for making this study and writing the reports was two weeks. It is of course impossible in so brief a period to undertake a systematic scientific survey of the social forces of a com- munity. What is attempted is somewhat as follows : A quick inspection is made of the various fields of social work. This is followed by a brief study of the programs of the various agencies or departments and their methods of operation. Service and financial sta- tistics are collected hurriedly. The effort is then made to cor-relate and analyze these facts and draw conclusions from them. On the basis of these conclusions an effort is made to compare Decatur with other com- munities which employ modern social practices. From these conclusions and comparisons recommendations and suggestions are attempted. To most laymen this seems a prodigious undertaking for two weeks. To many social workers who, like the author, have worked on com- munity surveys which devoted months to studying social programs and activities, it seems almost foolhardy and audacious to attempt to make a study such as this in two weeks' time. It might be well therefore to outline how a study is made in two weeks. This will make clear its limi tations and its possibilities, and will also indicate the degree of confi- dence that one is justified in placing in its findings and recommenda- tions. While the study itself only consumes two weeks, and while the direc- tor of the study is on the ground only for that length of time, a great deal of information is made ready prior to the beginning of the survey. For example, in preparation for the Decatur study the local committee was asked to prepare the following material, all of which was ready before the study actually began : (1) The names of the board members of each organiza- tion, with the dates and the attendance of the last six board meetings. (2) Financial figures showing the income and disburse- ments of each private organization and public de- partment (arranged in the form requested) for each of the past five years. (3) Statistical reports of service rendered by each agency. (4) A statement of the program and operating methods of each public and private agency. (5) An historical statement of each agency and depart- ment covering its purpose when organized, its transi- tion, and its present status. (6) Community Chest contributions for the past three years classified in the manner requested. (7) Community Chest contributions for the following groups, showing the name and amount of each per- son's or firm's contribution for each of the past three years, arranged in parallel columns on the forms pre- pared by the survey: (a) All board members of all private agencies; (b) All lawyers, doctors, dentists; (c) All banks and trust companies; (d) All business corporations other than banks and trust companies. (8) A list of all employes of all social agencies, showing the name of each person, a job-analysis, length of time employed, starting salary and present salary. For each person in a professional position the educa- tional and professional background was also re- quested. This information was prepared before the beginning of the active study, but was retained in Decatur. In addition, the committee was re- quested to obtain from the public library, the Chamber of Commerce, or from other sources, all available information on the history and de- velopment of Decatur and to send this material at once to the survey director. This gave the surveyor a fair knowledge of the community before his arrival in the city. About a month before the study was to begin a letter was written to each national organization which had a local agency in Decatur, tell- ing about the survey and inviting any suggestions which the national wished to offer in regard to its local program. Letters were written also to several national organizations which did not have any local program in Decatur, asking if they had any reports or other information in their files regarding the community, or any plans for establishing local pro- grams there. These letters to national organizations made it clear that the study wished to co-operate in furthering any program which would be for the social betterment of the community. The response to these communications was very pleasing. On arriving in Decatur the first thing that was done was to arrange for the "Survey Committee" to be called together. This group had been tentatively organized by correspondence with the executive of the Com- munity Chest, it having been agreed that each of the forty organizations which joined in the request for the survey would have one or more representatives on the Survey Committee. The first meeting of this com- mittee was scheduled for 4 :00 p. m. on the second day of the study. The first and second days of the study were spent chiefly in personal interviews with leading citizens of the community. Calls were made on the president of the Community Chest, the mayor, the editors of the two daily newspapers, the chairman of the county supervisors, and other community leaders. Care was exercised to call on any public officials or private citizens who might have felt that they should have been paid the courtesy of a call on the first day of the study. The president of the board of most social agencies were visited either the first or second day, but visits to the agencies were postponed until later in the week. By the time of the first meeting of the Survey Committee, on the sec- ond day of the study, it was possible to submit a fairly comprehensive outline suggesting what the study should include. This was discussed with the group and it was agreed in a quite definite way what to include and what to exclude. At this time the Survey Committee was asked to appoint a smaller group of nine or ten persons who would meet daily to discuss the facts brought out by the study and the possible recom- mendations. It was explained that this "Sui-vey-Executive-Committee" must be composed of outstanding and influential citizens. The purpose of this Survey-Executive-Committee was twofold. First, it was desirable to weigh all suggestions and contemplated recommenda- tions with a group of well-balanced local persons who would know the traditions of their community. If a suggested course of action seemed impracticable for Decatur the daily discussions with this group should bring out the reasons. Second, it was desired to present the recommen- dations of the survey to the community with the endorsement of a local group in whom the city had confidence, and who also knew how to get changes effected if they themselves were convinced that the suggested changes were sound and desirable. It was not planned that this group would deliver the recommendations of the survey as their own. This would hardly be a fair request. The plan was that this group would say to the community that it had considered the recommendations of the survey and commended them to the thoughtful attention of the citizens of Decatur. This Survey-Executive-Committee was organized along the above lines. All of the important recommendations of the survey were weighed and discussed here before being incorporated in the final reports. This provided a safeguard against recommendations which might have been sound in view of the facts, but which would have been unwise and impracticable for Decatur. The first week of the study was spent in visiting agencies, usually in company with the president or some member of the board, in return visits to agencies, and in interviews with business men or other citizens. Almost every day at noon there was a luncheon meeting with some agency board, or with some other discussion group. The nights were spent in making notes on the facts collected, and in arranging these so that they were immediately available whenever wanted. The first week of the survey was the period of fact-finding. By the end of the week all of the agencies and public departments had been visited, some as many as four or five times, and virtually all of the needed information had been collected and filed and cross-filed for ready reference later on. The second week was devoted mainly to analyzing the facts which had been collected, to drawing conclusions from these facts, and to dis- cussing the facts and conclusions with various persons and groups in the community. All reports were checked by an auditing firm for ac- curacy of tables, charts, and graphs. During the course of the study the survey director did not make any analysis or tabulations which could be done as well by others. The study of relief cases, showing that 25% of the families were known to more than one relief agency, was done by volunteers under direction of the Community Chest executive. The analysis of newspaper publicity, showing the number of news-stories and the news-space given each agency each month of the year, was also done by volunteers on forms provided by the survey. Several financial analysis were made by an accounting firm. A number of requests for special information were attended to by the Chest executive and the finished reports given the survey. By arranging for much of this work to be done by others it was possible for the director of the survey to devote his time to interviews and other matters as suggested above. In the second week of the survey meetings were held separately with the boards of directors of six organizations. At these meetings the rec- ommendations proposed by the survey were presented and very frank discussions took place. In addition, discussion meetings were held with all of the luncheon clubs, with the ministers, and with other civic groups. The final meeting of the Survey Committee was open to the public and more than one hundred persons attended. From this brief description of how the study was made in two weeks, it is clear that the methods used were as careful and systematic as pos- sible for so hurried an effort. The facts have been carefully gathered and checked, the conclusions which were drawn from the facts have been weighed as thoughtfully as possible, and the recommendations and suggestions which are based on the conclusions have been discussed with local individuals and groups. A two-weeks' community study cannot hope to achieve the scientific accuracy that would be possible in a longer survey. Some of the recom- mendations which have been made might have been altered upon longer acquaintance with the community. It is possible that some of the state- ments which have been made in connection with various aspects of the community program would have been modified if the study had lasted longer. On the whole, however, it is believed that the suggestions and recommendations which are submitted are sound and warrant the th^qrhtful consideration of those who have at heart the advancement of Decatur's social service program. CARTER TAYLOR. LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Decatur's Total Welfare Bill for 1929 14 2. Income Compared with Other Cities ----15 3. Per Capita Expenditure 16 4. Public Funds Spent 17 5. Total Welfare Bill Classified According to Use 18 6. Per Capita Expenditure Including Hospital 19 7. Expenditure with Hospital Omitted 20 8. Decatur's Total Welfare Bill— Hospital Omitted 21 9. Decatur's Total Welfare Bill Per Capita 21 10. Total Income of Community Chest Agencies 22 11. Macon County's Appropriation to Chest Agencies - ... 23 12. Total Expenditures Chest Agencies in Decatur 24 13. Percentage of Chest Fund Spent for Various Types Social Work 25 14. Per Capita Gift to Community Chest 27 15. Source of Subscriptions 28 16. Source of Subscriptions Compared with Other Cities - - - - 30 17. Number of Subscriptions Received by Community Chest - - 30 18. Amounts from Big Givers 31 19. Total Contributed by Agency Boards 35 20. Chest Contributions by Lawyers, Physicians and Dentists - - 36 21. Eight Years Campaign Results 39 22. Boards of Directors of Chest Agencies 41 23 and 24. Seasonal Flow of Newspaper Publicity on Community Chest — Decatur Herald and Decatur Review - - - - 72 25 and 26. News Stories on Community Chest 73 LIST OF CHARTS Chart Page 1. Where the Money Comes From - 15 2. Per Capita Tax Expenditures in Ten Cities 16 3. How the Money Is Spent 19 4. Yearly Receipts of Community Chest Agencies 23 5. Total Welfare Expenditures Compared 24 6. How the Fund Is Spent 26 7. Per Capita Gift to Chest in Decatur and Other Cities - - - 28 8. Source of Chest Support in Decatur and Other Cities - - - 29 9. Total Amount Received from Gifts of $500 and Over in Deca- tur and Other Cities 32 10. Analysis of Gifts of 189 Board Members 34 11. Total Sum Contributed to Chest by Board Members - - - - 35 12. Support of Welfare Work by Professional Groups 36 13. Number of Children in Institutions per 10,000 Population - - 95 14. Number of Children in Foster Homes per 10,000 Population - 95 15. Average Cost per Days Care in Day Nurseries in Sixteen Cities 102 16. Chart Showing Chest Allotment to Salvation Army per Capita Population 106 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. Decatur's Annual Welfare Bill Purpose of study. Comparison with other cities. Decatur's annual welfare bill, amount. Annual bill by source of income. Per-capita tax expenditure for welfare work. How Decatur's welfare bill is spent. List of public funds spent for welfare work. Decatur's welfare bill classified by use. Decatur's welfare bill compared with other cities. The welfare bill with hospitals omitted. Total income and expenditure of Community Chest agencies. County appropriations to Community Chest agencies. Total expenditure of Chest agencies, by functions. Total welfare bill compared with total Chest expenditure. How Chest contributions are spent here and elsewhere. CHAPTER II. Decatur's Giving Habit Per capita gift here is low. Per capita gift to Community Chest in different cities. Chest gifts analyzed. Source of Community Chest subscriptions. Number of subscribers to Chest, classified by amounts. Amounts received from big givers and elsewhere. Total subscriptions from $500-and-over givers. Board members' subscriptions to the Chest. Totals contributed by agency boards. Subscriptions made by lawyers, physicians and dentists. Subscriptions from banks and trust companies . Corporation contributions to the Chest. Summary of Decatur's giving habit. CHAPTER III. The Community Chest Historical background of the Chest. Eight years' campaign results. Agencies included in Chest, and their functions. Present organizations of the Community Chest. Board members of Chest agencies. Salaries of social workers are low in Decatur. The budget-making process. Recommendations on Community Chest budgeting. The budget committee. Budget committee of nine recommended. Preparation of the annual budget. Year-round budget control. Monthly financial reports. Monthly meetings of the budget committee. Monthly statistical reports. CHAPTER IV. An Educational Program for the Decatur Chest Present publicity program. Newspaper co-operation. Seasonal flow of publicity. Spread of publicity among chest agencies. A publicity committee is recommended. A year-round publicity program is necessary. Suggestions for a year-round publicity program. CHAPTER V. The Annual Campaign Campaign plan formerly used. Diagram of proposed campaign plan. Permanent campaign committee. Advance solicitation for big gifts. A "Foreign Gifts Division" is recommended. An employee division is recommended. Plan for organizing the employee division. A minimum gift is suggested. Schools division is recommended. Publishing names of contributors recommended. Annual audits of agencies. Insurance carried by agencies. National dues paid by agencies. Red Cross national program. Central purchasing. Central offices for agencies. Centralized service saves money. Social planning programs. Council of social agencies. Program for council of social agencies. A central index is recommended. One Community Chest campaign or two ? One campaign recommended. A designation plan for Decatur. Building-fund campaigns. The capital account committee. Statement of principles regarding building-fund campaigns. Miscellaneous campaigns and appeals. Reorganization of the Chest. Tax support of welfare work. Endowment income for social agencies. Should Community Chest be on city or county basis. Trained leadership is needed by the Chest. Diagram of new organization plan for Chest. New constitution and by-laws for Chest and council. List of board members and agency affiliations. CHAPTER VI. Reports on Community Chest Agencies Section I — Children's Agencies Dependent and neglected children. Institutional care and child-placing for children. 10 Number of children in institutions. Number of children in foster homes. Trained social workers recommended. Per diem cost of child care in institutions. Recommend county should pay full cost of care. Anna B. Millikin Home report. Boys' Opportunity Home report. Girls' Welfare Home report. Colored Children's Welfare Home report. Recommend that colored home be closed. Section II — Relief Agencies County relief bill is pyramiding. Experiments made by other counties. Recommend combining public and private offices. Three plans for county outdoor relief. Mothers' pensions. Decatur Day Nursery report. Red Cross report. Salvation Army report. Social Service Bureau report. DECATUR'S TRANSIENT PROBLEM No organized effort for handling. Summary of services available under present local methods. Conclusions. More accurate records should be kept. Confidential exchange essential. Committee on transients should be appointed. Suggested program for a committee on transients. Section III — Recreation and Character Building Expansion program needed. Relationship to delinquency. City plan needed in field of organized recreation. Recommend that committee be appointed by Council of Social Agen- cies to work out program of organized recreation. BOY SCOUTS Purpose and program. Program not up to standard. Encouraging outlook. Summer camp rate should be increased. Chest allotment to Boy Scouts. PINES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Organized recreation under trained directors. Program should be financed by. Recommend that the Community Chest and the agree on a three-year finance program. Y. M. C. A. Active and comprehensive program. More use of building than in most cities. New building desired, to include dormitories. Staff and salaries. Recommend — that building be deferred for a time. Y. W. C. A. Usual program, with summer camp and travelers aid. Salaries low. Camp rates and other fees low. Average of other cities. 11 LIST OF CHAPTERS CHAPTER I. Decatur's Total Welfare Bill 13 CHAPTER II. Decatur's Giving Habit 27 CHAPTER III. The Community Chest 39 CHAPTER IV. An Educational Program for Decatur -71 CHAPTER V. The Annual Campaign 76 CHAPTER VI. Reports on the Agencies 87 Section I, Children's Agencies 88 Section II, Relief Agencies 98 Section III, Character-Building Agencies 115 Section IV, Health Agencies 126 12 CHAPTER I. DECATUR'S ANNUAL WELFARE BILL Purpose of Study The purpose of this section of the survey is to discover the total amount of money being spent annually in Decatur for all phases of social and welfare work. In arriving at this figure it is desired to include money spent by public departments from tax funds, as well as all money spent for social and welfare work by private organizations and civic and social groups. In addition to finding the total amount spent annually for all classes of welfare work, the survey wishes to classify the city's total welfare bill according to the various sources of income and according to the purposes for which the money is spent. By reducing these figures to a per capita basis and comparing them with the experience of other communities, it will be possible to compare the cost of different parts of Decatur's welfare program with the cost in other cities. Comparison With Other Cities In comparing Decatur's annual welfare bill with that of other cities it has been necessary to select cities on which information was avail- able. The cities which have been selected for this purpose are those in which a study similar to that being made in Decatur has been con- ducted. The study which was made in the other cities was under the direction of the National Association of Community Chests and was directed by Mr. Raymond Clapp, who is director of the Cleveland Wel- fare Federation. The figures on other cities were collected and tabulated in 1926. These are the latest authentic figures available. The population figure used for Decatur is 58,200. A Study of County Expenditures In studying the expenditures from county funds for relief and wel- fare purposes, the greatest possible care has been exercised to arrive at the amount which the county spends for citizens of Decatur Town- ship. For example, the figure on the County Home includes only the cost of the care of Decatur persons. The same is true for the County Blind Relief, Soldiers' Burials, various forms of veterans' relief and so on. Decatur's Annual Welfare Bill Is $812,354.55 Decatur's welfare bill for 1929 totaled $812,354.55 as shown by the accompanying table No. 1. This includes the expenditures of Community Chest agencies, the City Health department, all money spent by the county for social and welfare work, and all money spent by luncheon clubs and civic groups to finance welfare programs. 13 TOTAL. TABLE No. 1 DECATUR'S TOTAL WELFARE BILL FOR 1929 By Source of Income From From From From From Contri- Earn- Tax Endow. Miscel- butiona inga Funds Income laneoua i^tUMia American Leffion Aui. $ 225.89 $ 225.89 Anna B. Millikin Home «24.42 $ 4,622.28 $ 4.161.00 $ 2,111.11 $1,067.49 12,586.30 Boys Opportunity Home 7,475.27 1,300.21 3,821.00 104.83 1,066.38 13.767.69 Boy Scouts 5,979.95 5,902.05 11,882.09 Bus. and Prof. Womana Club 160.00 160.00 Catholic Daughters of A... .. 440.80 440.80 City Health Dept 18,833.29 18,833,29 Community Chest Cen. Off.. . 5,500.00 5,500.00 County, Relief — City Poor ., 13,697.02 13.697.02 Mothers Penaions 14,302.00 14,302.00 At Poor Farm 13,987.35 13,987.35 Blind Pensiona 20,952.00 20,952.00 War Veterans 7,032.93 7.032.9S Spanish War Veterans ... 135.39 135.39 I>ept. Children 3,406.75 3,406.75 Soldiers* Burials 1,200.00 1,200.00 T. B. Sanitorium 51,063.46 51.063.46 Free Hosp. Care.. 35,149.37 85,149.37 Co. Phys. (City) 2,500.00 2,600.00 Probation Officer 1,800.00 1,800.00 State Welfare Dept 800.00 800.00 Decatur Day N-ursery 2,254.43 2,057.55 98.85 4,410.83 Decatur Womens Council .. 75.00 75.00 Girls Welfare Home 7,641.27 1,047.50 4,105.50 2,250.00 15.044.27 Hospital Clinic/ 3,460.61 3,460.68 Humane Society 725.04 470.00 1,195.04 Kiwanis Club to Soc. Wk. . . 700.00 700.09 Dions Club to Soc. Wk 630.00 530.00 Macon Co. Gen. Hosp. (Pvt) 710.19 305,727.58 20,191.10 5,603.75 832,232.62 Pines Community Assoc. ... 4,764.50 4,764.60 Red Cross 1,200.00 453.25 42.50 3,643.29 5,339.04 Rotary Club to Soc. Wk. ... 1,000.00 1,000.00 Salvation Army 7,650.00 3,928.05 11,578.05 School Clinic 1,992.03 4.050.49 6.042.52 Social Service Bureau 13,709.52 584.48 200.00 14,494.00 St. Marys Hospital 800.00 107,510.92 12,689.08 121,000.00 Superv'd Playgrounds, City 2,500.00 2,500.00 Tuberculosis & V. N. A 785.78 14,109.27 3,000.00 17.895.05 Y. M. **atur Day Nursery .... 2, Girls WelfaVe Home 7, Hospital Clinic 3, Prftes Comm. Assoc 4. Red Cross 1, Salvation Armv 7, School Clinic 1, Social Service Bureau IS, Tub. and Vis. Nurse Asso. Young- Mens Chris. Asso. 17, Young- Worn. Chris. Asso.. 7, 624.42 475.27 979.95 500.00 254.43 641.27 4C0.6S 764.50 200.00 650.00 992.03 709.52 785.78 031.68 162.72 4,622.28 1.300.21 5,902.05 | 4,161.00 3,821.00 $2,111.11 104.83 $1,067.49 1,066.38 2,057.55 1,047.50 4,106.50 98.85 2,250.00 453.25 3,928.05 " 58*4.48 14.10S.27 8.160.93 6,304. SI 42.50 ,643.29 4.050.49 200.00 3,000.00 1.937.33 83.24 12.586.30 13.767.69 11.882.00 5.500.00 4,410.83 16.044.27 3,460.68 4,764.50 5.339.04 11.678.06 6.042.52 14.494.00 17.895.05 27.119.94 13,650.77 TOTAL. INCOME ...$87,232.25 $48,460.38 $19,137.99 $6,544.62 $6,060.40 $167,435.64 22 TABLE No. 1>. Macon County Appropriations to Community Chest Agencies 1929 Amount Received From Taxes Anna B. Millikin Home $ 4,161.00 Boys Opportunity Home 3,821.00 Boy Scouts Community Chest, Central Off Decatur Day Nursery Girls Welfare Home 4,105.50 Hospital Clinic Pines Community Association Red Cross Salvation Army School Clinic 4,050.49 Social Service Bureau Tuberculosis and V. N. A 3,000.00 Young Mens Christian Association Young Women's Christian Association Total $19,137.99 CHART No. IV. YEARLY RECEIPTS OF COMMUNITY CHEST AGENCIES (1929) This chart shows that the contributions received by Decatur welfare- agencies through the Community Chest furnish only about one-half of* the total amount spent yearly by Community Chest organizations. 23 TABLE No. 12 Total Expenditures of Community Chest Agencies in Decatur Classified According to Function (1929) FOR HEALTH WORK : Hospital Clinic $ 3,460.68 School Clinic 6,042.52 Tuberculosis and Visiting Nurse Assoc. 17,895.05 Total for Health Work $ 27,398.25. FOR DEPENDENCY: (Family and child-care) Anna B. Millikin Home $ 12,586.30 Boys Opportunity Home 13,767.69 Decatur Day Nursery 4,410.83 Girls Welfare Home 15,044.27 Red Cross 5,339.04 Salvation Army 11,578.05 Social Service Bureau 14,494.00 16.4% Total for Dependency $ FOR RECREATION AND CHARACTER- BUILDING WORK : Boy Scouts $ Pines Community Association Young Mens Christian Association .... Young Womens Christian Association.. Total for Character-Building Work ....$ FOR COORDINATION AND CENTRAL PLANNING : Community Chest Central Office $ 77,220.15 46.1% 11,882.00 4,764.50 27,119.94 13, 550.77 57,317.21 34.2% 5,5 00.00. 3.3% Total All Expenditures $167,435.64 100% CHART No. V. This chart compares the way Decatur divides its TOTAL welfare ■expenditures with the way the Community Chest divides its total ex- penditures between the four classes of welfare work named below: DECATUR'S TOTAL WELFARE BILL (Total spent per year $812,354.55) COMMUNITY CHEST'S TOTAL EXPENDITURES (Total spent uer year 1929- $167^435.64) 24 HOW "CONTRIBUTIONS" TO THE COMMUNITY CHEST ARE SPENT IN DECATUR AND ELSEWHERE The following table shows what portion of the Community Chest Fund (i. e. voluntary contributions) is spent for social work in Decatur and in other cities. It should be remembered that this table covers only the money raised each year by the Community Chests of the various cities listed. TABLE No. 13 CITY— *Decatur Akron Buffalo Canton, Ohio Chicago Cleveland Dayton Des Moines Detroit Duluth Grand Rapids Harrisburg Indianapolis Kansas City _••. Lansing Milwaukee Minneapolis Omaha Rochester St. Paul Toledo Wilkes Barre Average, 22 Cities Percentage of the Community Chest Fund spent for various types of Social Work Health Work 9% 18% 13% 19% 24% 25% 23% 20% 31% 12% 27% 29% 23% 25% 31% 22% 21% 11% 33% 19% 33% 34% Character Build- ing - or Preven- tive Work Dependency and Delinquency, Family and Child Care 39% 26% 22% 44% 20% 20% 36% 41% 21% 29% 23% 25% 23% 19% 32% 15% 27% 33% 15% 22% 24% 36% Coordination and Central Planning- 46% 50% 61% 32% 54% 44% 38% 34% 41% 46% 46% 35% 46% 51% 30% 55% 43% 50% 45% 51% 38% 23% 6% 6% 4% 5% 2% 11% 3% 5% 7% 13% 4% 11% 8% 5% 7% 8% 8% 6% 7% 8% 5% 7% 23 27' 44% 6% HOW CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY CHEST ARE SPENT IN DECATUR (1929) (Total 1929 Contributions $91,288.46) 1. HEALTH WORK: Per cent of Total Hospital Clinic $ 3,841.18 School Clinic 1,992.03 Tub. and Visiting Nur. Assoc 1,420.48 Total for Health $ 7,253.69 9% 2. PREVENTION: or "Character Building" Work Boy Scouts $ 6,253.47 Pines Community Association 4,690.10 Y. M. C. A 14,213.20 Y. W. C. A 7,816.84 Total for Prevention $32,973.61 39% 25 3- DEPENDENCY: Family Service and Child-Care Work Anna B. Millikin Home $ 714.44 Boys Opportunity Home 7,110.80 Decatur Day Nursery 1,916.38 Girls Welfare Home 8,354.77 Red Cross 1,496.13 Salvation Army 7,810.84 Social Service Bureau 10,657.80 Total for Dependency $38,061.16 4. COORDINATION: Centralized Social Planning and Financing Community Chest Central Office $ 5,500.00 Total pledges paid $83,788.46 Pledges unpaid at end of year.... 7,500.00 Total $91,288.46 ..46% ... 6% 100% CHART No. VI. HOW THE COMMUNITY CHEST CONTRIBUTION FUND IS SPENT DECATUR COMPARED WITH THE AVERAGE OF 22 CITIES DECATUR B9BBHBI AEVERAGE FOR 22 CITIES .] ~| 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% DEPENDENCY CHARACTER. BUILDING HEALTH WORK COORDINATION 26 CHAPTER II. DECATUR'S "GIVING-HABIT" Purpose of Study In this section of the survey an effort has been made to study contri- butions made annually to the Community Chest with a view of dis- covering if possible the reasons for the successive failures of the Com- munity Chest campaigns. Per Capita Gift Low When we divide the total amount raised by the Community Chest by the population of the community we find that the per capita gift in Decatur is $1.55. When that is compared with the per capita gifts of other cities it is found to be lower than the average of the cities selected. TABLE No. 14 Per Capita Gift to Community Chests This table compares the per capita gift of Decatur's Community Chest with the per capita gift in twelve se- lected cities of the same population group. City — Population *Decatur, 111 58,800 Aurora, 111 48,000 Brockton, Mass 66,000 Colorado Springs, Colo 35,000 Lancaster, Pa 60,000 Lansing, Mich 80,000 Massillon, Ohio 25,896 Morristown, N. J 30,000 Plainfield, N. J 48,000 Santa Barbara 41,000 Springfield, 111 79,300 Watertown, N. Y 35,000 Average 50,249 Per Capita Gift $1.55 2.42 2.10 2.97 4.30 2.55 3.97 5.32 3.12 4.20 2.18 3.34 / $3.17 Community Chest Gifts Analyzed When the contributions to the Decatur Chest are analyzed according to the size of the contributions the following facts are found : 31% of the Community Fund comes from Gifts of $1,000 and over; 7% " " t* »» H 19 11 " $500 to $1,000; 27% " " 99 »> »» II 11 " $100 to $500; 12% " " »> »» >» II 11 " $25 to $100; 12% " " »» >» II If 11 " $5 to $25; 11% " " »» »» 91 11 11 " less than $5.00. When these percentages are compared with the experience of other cities in the same population group as Decatur, we get the following picture : 27 CHART VII. PER CAPITA GIFT TO COMMUNITY CHEST IN DECATUR AND OTHER CITIES (1929) Morristown, N. J Lancaster, Pa Santa Barbara, Calif. ... Massillon, Ohio ' Watertown, N. Y Plainfield, N. J Colorado Springs, Colo. ' Lansing, Mich Aurora, 111 Springfield, 111 Brockton, Mass ' Decatur, 111 Average TABLE No. 15 Source of Subscriptions This table shows where the Community Chest money comes from in Decatur and in twelve selected cities : $1,000 $500 to $100 to $25 to $5 to Less CITY— and over $1,000 $500 $100 $25 than $3 ♦Decatur, 111 31% 7% 27% 12% 12% 11* Aurora, 111 32% 13% 29% 15% 9% 2% Brockton, Mass 24% 12% 26% 14% 18% 6% Colorado Springs .. 34% 9% 27% 14% 13% 3% Lancaster, Pa 34% 11% 25% 10% 13% 7% Lansing, Mich 38% 8% 21% 14% 14% 5% Massillon, Ohio .... 51% 7% 18% 9% 13% 2% Morristown, N. J. .. 45% 11% 22% 11% 9% 2% Plainfield, N. J 20% 14% 33% 16% 13% 4% Santa Barbara 43% 10% 24% 9% 11% 3% Springfield, 111. .._... 32% 6% 26% 13% 14% 9% Watertown, N. Y, .. 36% 9% 23% 11% 14% 7% ♦Average 35% 10% 25% 12% 13% 5% Table No. 15 shows that Decatur is out of line with the other cities in two important places. The proportion of its fund contributed in large gifts is below the experience of other places, and the proportion of its fund obtained in gifts of less than $5.00 is about double the proportion obtained in other communities. These facts stand forth clearly when the percentages of the foregoing table are grouped as in Table No. 16. 23 CHART No. VIII. Source of Community Chest Support in Decatur and in the Average City Contributions of Less Than £5.00 Contributions of $5.00 to $25.00 Contributions of $25 to $100 Contributions of $100 to $500 Contributions of $500 to $1,000 Contributions of $1,000 and Over DECATUR AVERAGE OF 12 CITIES IN SAME POPULATION GROUP 2d TABLE No. 16 Source of Subscriptions This table compares Decatur with a dozen successful Community Chests showing what portion of the Community Fund comes from large contributions and from small contributions : $1,000 $100 $25.00 Less than Less than CITY — and over and over and over $25.00 $5.00 *Decatur, 111 31% 65% ~77% 23% 10% Aurora, 111 32% 74% 89% 11% 3% Brockton, Mass.... 24% 62% 76% 24% 6% Colorado Springs ..' 33% 70% 83% 17% 3% Lancaster,: Pa. ,,.......-..:. 33% 69% 80% 20% 7% Lansing, Mich. ......: 38% 67% 81% 19% 5% Massillon, O ■<. 51% 76%. : 85% 15% 2% Morristown, N. J 45% 77% 88% 12% 2% Plainfield, N. J. ............ 21% 68% 83% 17% 4% Santa Barbara, Calif. .. 43% 77% 86% 14% 3% Springfield, 111 32% 64% 77% 23% 9% Watertown, N. Y 36% 67% 79% 21% 7% * Average 35% 70% 82% 18% 5% From the foregoing analyses it is apparent that Decatur's weakest points in Community Chest subscriptions are two : First, the proportion of money obtained in large subscriptions is too small. Those persons who are financially able to give substantial amounts should be persuaded to do so, and a number of persons who are now giving $25 to $100 should be persuaded to come into the $500-to- $1,000 group. TABLE No. 17 Number of Subscriptions Received by Community Chests (1929) This table compares the number of contributions in the various brackets of giving in Decatur and in a dozen successful Chest cities of about the same population as Decatur: $1,000 $500 to $100 to $25 to $5 to Less CITY— and over $1,000 $500 $100 $25 than $5 *Decatur, 111 18 11 149 279 1350 5248 Aurora, 111 18 23 190 471 1301 1050 Brockton, Mass 14 31 231 537 3746 6598 Colorado Springs 20 16 176 367 1746 2161 Lancaster, Pa 48 51 359 736 4599 13224 Lansing, Mich 13 21 211 629 2973 5473 Massillon, 11 12 108 269 1337 1293 Morristown, N. J 29 32 211 428 2082 2779 Plainfield, N. J 22 38 296 628 2380 4728 Santa, Barbara, Calif... 36 33 248 427 2314 3489 Springfield, 111 27 15 288 573 3263 11242 Watertown, N. Y 29 19 147 342 2108 5000 Average (excluding Decatur) 24 25 218 474 2433 5190 From the tables it is seen that the average experience of selected cities is for a group of 49 or 50 persons who give $500 or more to con- 30 tribute a total of about §65,000 to the Chest. In Decatur only 29 persons give $500 or more for a total of §33,000. The real job of the 1930 cam- paign organization is to bring Decatur's experience up to the average of successful Chests. SECOND, the proportion of the fund obtained in gifts under $5.00 indicates that many persons are contributing from $1.00 to $5.00 who should be giving more. A special effort should be made to bring this class of contributors up into the higher brackets. Big Gifts Are Small The foregoing tables deal entirely in percentages. It is interesting to see in dollars and cents the amounts contributed by big givers in Deca- tur and in other cities. These figures furnish further evidence that De- catur should look for more money from big givers. TABLE No. 18 Amounts From Big Givers This table shows the amounts contributed to the Community Chests of 12 selected cities by those who give from $500 to $1,000, and by those who contribute $1,000 or more. City— Lancaster, Pa Santa Barbara, Calif. .. Massillon, O Morristown, N. J Lansing, Mich Springfield, 111 Watertown, N. Y Plainfield, N. J Colorado Springs, Colo. Aurora, 111 Brockton, Mass DECATUR, ILL Average Total Received from i Total Received from Gifts of $500 and Over Gifts of $1000 and Over $115,800.00 92,796.00 59,870.00 88,650.00 75,222.00 65,150.00 62,950.00 51,875.00 44,250.00 41,841.00 40,500.00 33,290.00 $ 64,350.00 $86,750.00 74,849.00 52,400.00 71,400.00 62,250.00 55,900.00 42,350.00 30,800.00 34,950.00 37,191.00 33,000.00 27,650.00 $50,791.00 31 CHART No. IX. TOTAL AMOUNT RECEIVED FROM GIFTS OF $500 AND OVER IN DECATUR AND IN OTHER CITIES Lancaster, Pa. Santa Barbara Morristown, N. J. Lansing, Mich. Springfield, 111. Watertown,N.Y. Massillon, O. Plainfield, N. J. Colorado Springs Aurora, 111. Brockton, Mass. Decatur, 111. Average $10,000 $30,000 $50,000 $70,000 $90,000 $110,000 This chart shows how small, in comparison with 11 other selected cities, is the amount received by the Decatur Community Chest from contributions of $500 and over. In Decatur, persons who are financially able to make substantial contributions to the Community Chest are not giving as large a portion of the community fund as persons in similar circumstances are giving to the Chest in the cities named above. Twice as Much as Decatur The foregoing table shows that in last year's campaigns many Com- munity Chests received TWICE AS MUCH as Decatur received from those who are able to make large subscriptions. Persons of wealth in Decatur who are in position to make large con- tributions to the Community Chest should ask themselves whether they are at present giving in proportion to their responsibility and means. Decatur Needs a Pace-Setter In a city of the size and character of Decatur it would be logical to expect at least one $10,000 contribution to the Community Chest. If the community fund were started on this basis the entire scale of giving in Decatur might be lifted to a high level. Decatur needs some civic- minded citizens with social vision and generosity to set the pace. Board Members' Contributions Citizens who serve on the boards of directors of Community Chest organizations are in closest touch with the social programs and financial needs. These are the persons, above all others, who are always relied on to convince other citizens that the annual appeal is a worthy one. It is naturally taken for granted that board members of the organizations will contribute personally to the limit of their ability. 32 A Surprising Situation In analyzing the contributions of board members to the 1928 and 1929 Chest campaigns every possible credit was given each board mem- ber. For example., if a wife served on an agency board she was given credit in this analysis for the combined gift of herself and husband, and vice-versa. If a family contributed through the husband's business this was credited to the board members, and so on. With this liberal in- terpretation, the following is highly significant. There are 189 persons serving on the boards of the agencies which participate financially in the Community Chest. The total amount con- tributed by these 189 persons in the 1929 campaign was $18,721.00 — The same persons contributed to the 1928 campaign $19,829.50, or $1,108.60 more than in 1929. It is surprising to find that the board members of Community Chest agencies decreased their gifts 6% in the last drive. One-Fifth of the Board Members Make No Contribution to the Chest When the individual contributions of these 189 board members are^. tabulated and analyzed the following is found : BOARD MEMBERS 32 gave nothing in 1929. 5 of these contributed a total of $150 in 1928. 27 of these gave nothing in either 1928 or 1929. 5 gave between $1.00 and $5.00. 52 gave from 6.00 to $25.00. 49 gave from $26.00 to $100.00. 29 gave from $101.00 to $500.00. 5 gave more than $500.00. 17 husbands and wives considered jointly. 189 Reduced to percentages, we have the following interesting picture : 1929-30 19% of the board members gave nothing. 33% of the contributing board members gave $1.00 to $25.00. 28% of the contributing board members gave $26.00 to $100.00. 20% of the contributing beard members gave more than $100.00. When we compare the amounts contributed by board members hat 1928 and in 1929 the following facts stand out: 33 CHART X. Contributions to the Community Chest by Board Members of Chest Agencies (1929) An Analysis of the Gifts of 189 Board Members 100 board members gave the same amount each year. 18 board members DECREASED their gift in 1929, and the total loss from these decreases was $1,422.00. 22 board members INCREASED their gift in 1929, and the total gain from these increases was §359.00. The net loss from increases and decreases by board members was $1,063 in 1929. In addition some who had contributed in 1928 gave nothing in 1929. An Unhealthy Situation The above analyses can lead to only one conclusion. Many persons now serving on the boards of Community Chest agencies are not inter- ested in the Community Chest or in the work of the organizations they represent. It is possible that occasionally a board member is financially unable to contribute, and it is conceivable that in unusual cases a board member might be making a contribution in some other way than to the Community Chest. But when virtually one-fifth of the board mem- bers of Community Chest agencies are making no contributions to the Community Chest it indicates a very unhealthy situation. The Community Chest should urge each organization to drop from its board those who are not taking an active interest in the programs. These vacancies should be filled with persons who will attend meet- ings and take an active part in the work of the agency. It is doubtful whether persons who are financially unable to help support the program of an agency should be invited to serve on the board. The total amount contributed in 1929 by each agency board is listed below. Where a person was serving on more than one board the entire contribution was credited to each board. Hence the sum of these totals is more than the total amount contributed by the board members. 34 TABLE No. 19 Total Contributed by Agency Boards This table shows the total amount contributed by all board members who serve on the boards of the agencies named. Where one person serves on more than one board of directors, the contribution has been credited to each board. Hence the sum of these totals is more than the total amount contributed by all board members. Total Contributed in 1929 Name of Agency — by All Board Members Anna B. Millikin Home $ 525.00 Boys Opportunity Home 2,790.00 Boy Scouts 745.00 Community Chest Executive Committee 1,655.00 Day Nursery 4,875.00 Girls Welfare Home 4,925.00 Pines Community Center Association 411.00 Red Cross 850.00 Salvation Army 4,802.00 School Clinic 300.00 Social Service Bureau 290.00 T. B. and V. N. Association 475.00 Y. M. C. A 2,175.00 Y. W. C. A , 1,240.00 It is suggested that in approaching a Community Chest campaign each board member be written a personal letter. The president of each board might also be asked to call this matter to the attention of his board members with a suggestion that each board set for itself a "Goal for the Board" which would represent a reasonable increase over the present total subscription of the board. CHART No. XI. TOTAL SUM CONTRIBUTED TO COMMUNITY CHEST BY THE BOARD MEMBERS ON EACH AGENCY'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS Girls Welfare Home Day Nursery Salvation Army Boys Opportunity Home Y. M. C. A. Y. W. C. A. Red Cross Boy Scouts Anna B. Millikin Home T. B. and V. Nurses Association Pines Com. Asso. Social Service 800 1600 2400 3200 4000 4800 5600 m 35 In arriving at the total amount contributed by all the board members on each board of directors, credit was Riven each board member for the combined gift of husband and wife. Where a family makes its con- tribution through the husband's business this was likewise credited the board member/ If a person served on more than one board of directors, each board was credited with the full subscription. (The sum of the total contributions of each board., as shown above, would be more than the actual amount contributed by the 189 persons serving on the boards of Chest agencies, because in a number of instances the same person serves on two or more boards and the gift has been credited to each.) CONTRIBUTIONS OF PROFESSIONAL GROUPS A study of the contributions made to the Community Chest during the past three campaigns by lawyers, physicians, and dentists indicates that these professional groups are supporting the welfare program of the community in only a half-hearted way. The following table is self- explanatory : TABLE No. 20 Community Chest Contributions by Lawyers, Physicians and Dentists Number of Persons Not Contributing 1927 1928 1929 Lawyers 37 33 28 Physicians 48 48 40 Dentists 25 23 23 Total 110 104 Number of Persons Contributing Lawyers 32 36 Physicians 41 41 Dentists 22 24 Total 95 " 101 Amounts Contributed Lawyers $1,475 $1,810 Physicians 2,617 2,520 Dentists 291 411 91 41 49 24 114 $1,619 2,294 403 Total $4,383 $4741 $4,316 CHART No. XII. SUPPORT OF WELFARE WORK BY PROFESSIONAL GROUPS (1929) Shows what portion of the lawyers, doctors and dentists of Decatur make contributions to the Community Chest. Not Contributing Contributing LAWYERS DOCTORS DENTISTS 36 When one stops to consider that in the 1929 campaign TWENTY- EIGHT LAWYERS, FORTY PHYSICIANS, and TWENTY-THREE DENTISTS made no contribution whatever to the Community Chest, it is apparent that a more thoughtful effort should be made to convince these intelligent men and women that as professional groups they are not assuming their rightful share in the support of the city's welfare program. This subject might be discussed quite frankly at meetings of the local Bar Association, the Medical Association, and with the Dentists. In pre- senting the subject to these groups it might be well to comment on the following interesting data gathered from an analysis of 1929 pledges. Of 69 lawyers in the community, only 41 made any 1929 subscription to the Community Chest, and only 10 of these contributed more than $25.00. Of 89 physicians in the community, onty 49 made any 1929 subscription, and only 15 gave more than $25.00. Of 47 dentists, only 24 made a subscription, and only three contributed more than $25.00. BANKS AND TRUST COMPANIES All four banks of Decatur contribute to the Community Chest. Their contributions for 1929 were as follows: $2,000.00 1,000.00 500.00 400.00 Total from Banks and Trust Companies $3,900.00 One Building and Loan Company contributed $500, and two Loan Companies made no firm contribution. The banks of Decatur have a small number of stockholders and a bank contribution is almost equivalent to a personal gift from those financially interested in the bank. In light of this, the amount con- tributed by Decatur banks, (which is about 4% of the total raised) is fairly satisfactory in comparison with other cities. CORPORATION CONTRIBUTIONS A study made this year by the National Information Bureau at re- quest of the National Association of Community Chests showed for 129 cities that an average of 22% of the community fund was obtained in "Firm Contributions" to the Community Chest. The firm contribution is made by the corporation from its treasury and is separate from the personal gifts made by officials. A corporation is justified in contributing to a Community Chest on the basis of a direct return to its stockholders. This return to the stock- holders may be in service which such agencies as Visiting Nurses, Hos- pital Clinics, Social Service Bureaus, and the like render employees of the company; it may be in services rendered by such organizations as the Young Mens Christian Association or other agencies engaged in leisure time activities and character-building work ; or it may be meas- ured in good will or advertising. Contributions made to Community Chests are now deductible on income tax returns. An effort has been made to determine the amount received by the ^ecatur Community Chest from corporation contributions, and the total rrrived at for 1929 was $21,403. However it is believed that this figure includes a number of items which are more in the nature of personal 37 gifts by the officials of corporations, than the corporate gift of the cor- poration itself. Therefore this figure is not being used in the survey for comparison or analysis purposes. If Decatur follows the average experience of the 129 cities studied, the Community Chest here might expect from $20,000 to $25,000 in CORPORATION CONTRIBUTIONS, as distinct from the personal gifts by officials of the companies. In presenting this subject to local corporations which employ a large number of workers, it should be pointed out that if the corporation had to pay for the services which various welfare organizations (such as Visiting Nurses, Hospital Clinics, Social Service Bureau, etc.,) ren- dered its employees during the year, the bill for services would some- times exceed the contribution requested by the Community Chest. SUMMARY This brief study of "The Giving Habit" of Decatur has invited atten- tion to the following weaknesses and has offered a number of sugges- tions and recommendations. The per capita gift in Decatur is very low. More money is needed from large contributions. Too many persons are giving $5.00 and less who should be persuaded to give larger sums. Board members of agencies should feel a keener sense of financial responsibility to the Community Chest. Professional groups are supporting the Chest only in a half-hearted manner, and should be urged to accept a larger share in financing the programs. Corporation contributions should be solicited on the basis of a return to the stockholders, as well as on the basis of responsibility for helping finance the city's program. 38 CHAPTER III. THE COMMUNITY CHEST Purpose and Scope of the Study This section of the survey endeavored to study the organization and operation of the central office of the Community Chest with a view to finding whether any changes were desirable to enable the Community Chest to function economically and efficiently in the fields of social planning and central financing. Historical Background The Decatur Community Chest was organized in 1922. Its organiza- tion was sponsored by various groups of which the Chamber of Com- merce was apparently the leader. From its inception the Decatur chest has been mainly an organization of contributors, and its chief advocates have thought of the chest mainly as a means of relief from numerous campaigns. From its beginning to the present the Community Chest has concerned itself chiefly with raising and disbursing funds. The fol- lowing table traces the eight annual campaigns, none of which has suc- ceeded in raising the amount required to meet the approved budgets of member organizations. TABLE No. 21 Eight Years' Campaign Results The following table shows for each annual campaign the goal, num- ber of subscribers (so far as known), amount raised, and percentage of pledges paid : Year Cam- No. of Percentages paign Was No. of Campaign Amount Contribu- of Pledges Held Agencies Goal Paused tions Paid 1922 14 $ 79,140 $67,220 ? 98.7 1923 13 90,672 79,025 ? 97.2 1924 13 88,437 79,293 ? 98.2 1925 13 109,000 83,429 ? 94.7 1926 14 109,356 92,554 ? 95.8 1927 14 109,315 91,690 ? 95.4 1928 14 118,000 91,204 6,286 94.4 1929 14 123,249 90,249 7,055 Agencies Included in Community Chest From its beginning the Decatur Chest has included virtually all of the private welfare organizations which formerly conducted campaigns for funds. The organizations now participating financially in the Chest are as follows : 1. ANNA B. MILLIKIN HOME. Institutional care for aged women and homeless girls. 2. BOYS OPPORTUNITY HOME. Institutional care for homeless boys, gradually changing to tem- porary care. 3. BOY SCOUTS. The usual Boy Scout program; conducts a summer camp. 4. GIRLS WELFARE HOME. Institutional care for homeless girls, with special provisions for use of third floor as a Detention Home for delinquent girls. 39 5. DAY NURSERY. A home by the day for children whose mothers are forced to earn a living for the family. £. HOSPITAL CLINIC. Out-patient service at Macon County General Hospital. 7. PINES COMMUNITY CENTER. Organized recreation under trained leadership. S. RED CROSS. Usual Red Cross programs ; no relief fund or case-work service. Has a volunteer full-time executive secretary. 9. SOCIAL SERVICE BUREAU. Service and relief to unadjusted families. 10. SCHOOL CLINIC. Dental clinic in public schools and other services. 11. TUBERCULOSIS AND VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION. Visiting Nurse program plus Christmas seal sale and educational tuberculosis program. 12. YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. Usual Y. M. C. A. program; has an old-fashioned building with- out dormitories. 13. YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. Usual Y. W. C. A. program, dormitories and swimming pool. 14. SALVALTION ARMY. A religious body, organized to give relief to the needy. Present Organization A Board of Trustees of 36 persons is the governing body of the Chest. This group elects an executive committee of 15 persons which meets semi-monthly and which is the "active governing body" of the Com- munity Chest. The attendance at meetings of the executive committee indicates interest in the problems of the Chest. There is a full-time executive secretary who is a woman. Although without specialized train- ing in social work, the Chest executive has been in close touch with the community life of the city. The Chest executive has no paid assis- tants. All matters pertaining to the collection of pledges, financial payments to agencies, and the like are handled by an accounting firm. The Com- munity Chest occupies a small office in the accounting firm's suite of offices. The function of the Community Chest has been almost unusually regarded in Decatur as that of money-raising and money-disbursing. Practically no progress has been made in the field of organized social planning on a community-wide basis. Preparation for the annual cam- paign and education of the public in the advantages of central financing formerly occupied most of the executive's time and thought. Boards of Member Agencies In many Community Chest cities it has been found that the boards of directors of member organizations incline towards less interest in the financing of their organizations after a Community Chest is organ- ised. Before there is a Community Chest one of the main jobs of an agency's board is to raise the money. When this responsibility rests on the board each organization is careful to maintain a strong board of active workers who can either contribute liberally or influence others to do so. When a Community Chest is organized the interest in main- taining a strong board sometimes wanes, and occasionally there de- velops a situation in which the boards of directors represent only in a small de?roe the wealth and influence of the community. Such a de- velopment is detrimental to the success of the Community Chest. 40 At campaign time and on other occasions the chest must rely on the board members of participating agencies for leadership. There is an- other reason why a Community Chest is interested in the calibre ot men and women on the boards of its agencies. Over a period of years the quality of service rendered by an agency will reflect to m some degree the kind of persons who serve on its directing board and the interest these persons express in the programs. 1S9 Persons Serving on Boards There are 189 men and women serving on the boards of the Com- munity Chest agencies. 175 of these serve on only one board, 11 serve on two boards, and 3 serve on the boards of three organizations. This indicates that there is not an undue amount of "interlocking on trie boards of member societies. A reasonable amount of such mter-Iocfc- ing" is nrobably an advantage because it insures there being someone on the board of an organization who can interpret the program and policies of the other, thus opening the way for understanding and co- operation between agencies. The contributions made to the Community Chest by board members of the agencies is discussed in the chapter entitled "Decatur's Giving Habit" and it is shown that about one-fifth of the board members made no contribution to the Community Chest last year. This unhealthy sit- uation is discussed and recommendations are made in the chapter men- tioned. It is a subject important enough to receive prompt and thought- ful consideration. . A study was made of the number of persons serving on the various boards the frequency with which board meetings are held, a^.d the attendance at meetings. The results of this study are set forth below. TABLE No. 22 Boards of Directors of Chest Agencies This table is self-explanatory. It shows the size of each agency's board, how often meetings are held, and the average attendance. Number of Average Frequency of AGENCY Persons Attendance Board on Board at Meeting:? Meetings Anna B. Millikin Home 20 12 6 in past 6 months Boys Opportunity Home .... 21 12 6 in past 6 months Boy Scouts 19 9 6 in 9 months Hospital Clinic, no record.— --- Decatur Day Nursery 9 7 6 m 6 months Girls Welfare Home 28 18 6 in 6 months Macon Co. T. B. & V. N. A. 9 8 6 in 6 months Pines Community Center .... 20 8 b in 18 months Red Cross 9 5 in 38 months Salvation Army 11 8 6 m 7 months _ School Clinic (no record).... Social Service Bureau 12 7 C> in 7 months Y. M. C. A 20 13 6 in 6 months Y. W. C. A*. 27 14 6 in 6 months Community Chest Ex. Com. 15 9 6 in 5 months Average 17 9 53% 6 in 9.7 months With the exception of the Pved Cross and the Pines Community Center, all of the above agencies seem to have fairly active boards. A special 41 meeting was called of the executive committee of the Red Cross at re- quest of the survey. Eight members attended and it was frankly ad- mitted by the group that the Red Cross executive committee ought to be reorganized, new people brought on the committee, and regular monthly meetings held. It is hoped that this will be done. It is recommended that the Community Chest require each agency which receives funds from the chest to have an active governing board which shall meet at least quarterly. This is now required by most Community Chests as a pre-requisite for financial participation in the chest and is justified on the grounds that the expenditures of contrib- uted funds must be under the active supervision of a group of citizens representing the contributing public. An alphabetical list of the 189 board members of Community Chest agencies in 1929 is appended to this section of the survey reports. This list shows on which boards each person serves but does not list the Community Chest contribution. Salaries of Workers Are Low A study was made of the salaries paid all persons employed by the Community Chest agencies. The salaries paid in Decatur are much lower than in most cities. A smaller proportion of the community funds goes into salaries than in many cities. As a general rule the money invested in trained service is the best money the Community Chest spends. The fact that salaries here are low should cause some concern on the part of those responsible for directing the programs of the agencies. In some of the agencies a few dollars more invested in trained service would probably bring returns to the community many times greater than the additional expenditure. The Budget-Making Process Up to the present the budgeting process of the Community Chest has been, in brief, as follows: Each agency is required to submit to the chest a twelve-months budget on type-written forms prepared by the chest office. Only one copy of the budget is required, and the chest office does not make any extra copies for use of the budget committee. The budget committee consists of three men. This committee gives an audience to representatives of each agency, and discusses the budget with them. Last year the committee estimated that forty hours had been spent in studying the fourteen agency budgets, and there is no doubt that the committee does its very best to arrive at the lowest figure on which each organization can function properly. After the budgets are approved by the committee, and by the board of trustees of the Community Chest, they are subject to further revision downward if the campaign does not reach the desired goal ; and in each of the eight years since the chest was organized the campaign has failed and a second revision of budgets was necessary. The pro- cedure has been to make a straight-line cut on a percentage basis of all budgets when it. was found that the desired amount would not be raised. The fact that for the past eight years all budgets have been subjected to this percentage cut after the campaign, has naturally made the agencies inclined to resist regularly any serious reduction in their budgets before the campaign. They have felt that if the budget is low- ered very much before the drive they will be unable to operate at all when the second reduction comes after the close of the campaign. In fact there can hardly be any doubt that when the budgets are made out for presentation to the chest, each agency has in mind that the amount requested will be reduced because of the campaign failure even 42 if approved by the budget committee. It would be unusual, indeed if continued experience along this line did not influence the agencies to submit budgets for larger sums than they actually expected to receive. There has been no policy of year-round budget control on part of the Community Chest. The agencies make no reports to the Community- Chest during the course of the year, except a requisition for funds. These requisitions are submitted by the organizations as money is; needed, and are honored by the chest when there is money in bank. Sometimes the agency is notified that its requisition will have to be held. until additional payments are received on pledges. RECOMMENDATIONS IN REGARD TO COMMUNITY CHEST BUDGETING It is recommended that an entirely new system of budget study and year-round budget control be established by the Decatur Community Chest. The following suggestions describe methods that have been used in .successful Community Chests for almost a decade, and which are probably in operation today in more than 200 Community Chest cities. The Budget Committee While a large committee to study budgets is probably undesirable, a committee of three seems too small. It is important that the budget committee have on its membership persons who thoroughly understand the policies, programs and problems of each of the organizations whose budgets it has to study, and it is doubtful if any group of three persons would possess this understanding of all the agencies in the chest. Also it is desirable that the committee be large enough to avoid any feeling that one or two persons have the power to dictate how much money shall be allowed each agency by the chest. With as small a committee as three persons this feeling can hardly be avoided and a certain amount of resentment is inevitable. Another consideration in favor of a some- what larger committee is the educational value of service on the budget committee. In no other place can a citizen get such first-hand knowledge of the financial needs of the agencies in the Community Chest. It is de- sirable that citizens of wealth who have never been satisfied that the amount requested by the chest is actually needed, help study the budgets of participating agencies. Such an experience often results in a new understanding and new interest in the welfare programs and financial requirements. Committee of Nine Recommended It is recommended that the budget committee consist of nine persons who shall serve for three years, one-third going out of office each year. It is also suggested that the chairman and four members of the com- mittee be appointed by the president of the Community Chest, with the approval of the board of directors, and that four members be ap- pointed by agency representatives through their Council of Social Agencies. This suggestion is embodied in the new constitution proposed for the Community Chest. The new constitution also provides for the establishment of the Council of Social Agencies which is described in this chapter of the survey reports. Preparation of the Annual Budget It is recommended that a more detailed budget be required from the organizations participating in the Chest. (The budgets used by Cleve- land, Ohio and by Harrisburg, Penna., are suggested as satisfactory 43 V budget-form which Decatur might use with slight modifications.) It is especially important that each organization be required to list in COM- PLETE DETAIL all anticipated income for the year ahead. If any in- come is received during the year which was not anticipated in the annual budget submitted to the budget committee when the year's allotment v/as approved, this unexpected additional income should automatically reduce the allotment which has been approved by the Chest. This prin- ciple is accepted and quite taken for granted in all well conducted Com- munity Chests, ? k nd is so reasonable and logical a requirement that it •can hardly be challenged. Year-Round Budget Control When the Community Chest approves the years' allotment to an agency, it should be the understanding that this is only an "approved allotment" and is to be paid the organization in monthly installments during the year only if the actual experience of needs during the year bears out the estimates made by the agency at the time of the budget studies. Monthly Financial Reports Each organization is required to submit to the Community Chest a monthly financial report. This report should be on printed forms furnished by the Chest, and should contain the same items of detail that were included on the annual budget submitted to the budget-corn- mittee. This monthly report-form is divided into two parts. One-half of the page is devoted to income, and here the organization lists, item by item, all income received from ALL SOURCES during the past month. In a parallel column is listed ALL ANTICIPATED INCOME FOR THE MONTH AHEAD. The other half of the page is devoted to expendi- tures and here the agency likewise lists, item by item, all expenditures made during the past month, and in a parallel column ALL ANTICI- PATED EXPENDITURES for the month ahead. This "Monthly Report of Income and Expenditures" contains a sum- mary which shows : Total anticipated needs for the month $ Total anticipated income $ Amount requested from Community Chest $ The report also shows the cash-balance-on-hand by the agency at the end of the month, and the Community Chest honors the requisition if satisfied that the amounts approved for the year under the separate items of expense have not been exceeded. Monthly Meetings of Budget Committee The budget-committee (in some cities called the finance committee) holds meetings once a month to go over the payments requested by the agencies, and also to consider any other matters pertaining to the finances of the Chest. It is the job of the secretary of the Community Chest to present the monthly budgets to the bud'ret-committee in such summarized form as the committee may desire. Almost any Community Chest city can supply sample reports of the way in which these sum- maries, etc., are prepared for monthly meetings of the budget-commit- tee. Except when unusual problems are up for consideration, the month- ly meeting of the budget-committee should not require more than an hour's business session. Monthly Statistical Reports from Agencies Each agency should be required to submit with its monthly financial report and requisition, a brief statistical report of services rendered 44 during the month. These figures should be given the public in consoli- dated monthly and quarterly reports to show month by month what is being accomplished with the funds expended. These statistics should be compared with statistical reports of similar services in other cities to see how the volume of social work being done in Decatur compares, on a population basis, with the volume in other communities. (The card-forms for statistical reports which are now being used in about forty Community Chests are recommended for Decatur. The use of these card-reports, which are very brief and simple, will enable Decatur to compare its work with other communities, and to find out whether the number of families being helped, the number of dependent children cared for, etc., is larger or smaller than would be expected in a city of this size and character. Consolidated reports, giving statistics on all cities are mailed to all forty cities monthly or quarterly. This reporting system has been centered at the University of Chicago under direction of a joint committee of the university and the National Asso- ciation of Community Chests, but was taken over by the United States government on July 1st, of this year. There is no cost to the cities par- ticipating in this study of the volume and cost of social work. Informa- tion and blank forms can be obtained from Dr. A. W. McMillen, The Graduate School of Social Service Administration, University of Chi- cago.) Annual Audits of Agencies The financial accounts of each agency which receives funds from the Community Chest should be audited once a vear bv an auditor ENGAGED AND INSTRUCTED BY THE COMMUNITY CHEST. From the standpoint of Community Chest administration the annual audit is of first importance. It should be a matter of annual routine and should be regarded as a natural Dart of the function of the Chest. From the standpoint of the Community Chest's position of trusteeshin to the pub- lic, it is regarded in most cities as a necessary and natural part of the Community Chest's routine. Its value in inspiring the confidence of the public is important. Its help to the agency, in aiding the agency to keep its accounts in proper shape is an important and valuable service from the Chest to the agencies. While arrangement for the annual audit of agencies is a matter for the budget committee (finance committee) to handle, it is suggested that the present arrangement with the accounting firm which handles the billing and collection of pledges, etc., might be extended to include an annual audit of the agencies at only a small additional cost to the Chest. Insurance Carried by Agencies It is recommended that a temporary committee be appointed to study the insurance policies now carried by Community Chest agencies. The committee should be a small one of three or four citizens who under- stand insurance and will approach their study with a view to finding if economics cannot be effected. The committee should write the Cleveland Welfare Federation for a copy of the report and recommendations made by the committee which several years afro studied the insurance carried by agencies of the community fund in Cleveland. The total insurance premium reported by Community Chest agencies in their 1929 budgets was as follows: 45 1929 Insurance Premium Anna B. Millikin Home $ 92.80 Boys Opportunity Home 328.03 Boy Scouts 160.10 Community Chest Office Day Nursery 105.34 Girls Welfare Home 255.37 Hospital Clinic Red Cross School Clinic Social Service Bureau Pines Community Association Tuberculosis and V. N. A Salvation Army 385.30 Y. M. C. A 251.10 Y. W. C. A 587.63 Total $2,165.67 Each organization which has any furnishings or equipment which in case of fire-loss would have to be replaced by contributions or by the Community Chest, should carry fire insurance. Three year policies are cheaper than five year policies, if the Community Chest earns as much as 4% on its money. Otherwise five year policies are the cheapest. Each agency employee who handles the funds, and the treasurer of each agency, should be bonded for a reasonable sum. This is only sound business. A blanket policy bonding the desired officials is carried by the Community Chest in a number of cities, and is more satisfactory than separate bonds by each agency. Liability insurance is not necessary for protection of the agencies as court decisions are on record that charitable and welfare organiza- tions which are operated "not for profit," cannot be held liable for damages. However, some welfare organizations carry small liability policies on the INDIVIDUALS who work for the agency (instead of on the agency itself) in order to provide a means of recovery in event of injury to persons or property. However, in view of the fact that the courts have decided that charitable organizations are not liable, it is questionable whether the expense of liability insurance is any longer justified. National Dues Paid by Agencies It is recommended that a special committee be appointed to study the amounts included in agency budgets for dues to national, state and regional headquarters. The 1929 budgets included the following pay- ments to national and state organizations : 1929 National Dues Boy Scouts $ 150.00 Day Nursery 5.00 Red Cross 1,196.50 Salvation Army 1,400.00 Social Service Bureau 125.00 Y. M. C. A 770.00 Y. W. C. A 300.00 Total Reported by 7 Agencies.. $3, 946. 50 46 This does not include the amount sent state and national offices by the Tuberculosis and Visiting Nurse Association ; the amount sent head- quarters for Boy Scout enrollments which is fifty cents per Scout in addition to the above payment of $150.00; and probably does not in- clude special amounts contributed by interested persons for the foreign and missionary programs of the national Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. The allotments paid by the Salvation Army are divided into two parts of about $700.00 each. One is called "Supervision" on the Community Chest budget. Both items should be lumped together for the purpose of this study. It is felt by the survey that the amount now being sent the state, regional, national and international headquarters by the Salva- tion Army ($1,400.00 plus certain special funds sent for missionary and foreign work) seem a large sum to expect from a community the size and character of Decatur. Red Cross National Program The contribution of the local Red Cross chapter in support of the Red Cross national program is entitled to be considered a little differ- ently from dues paid by some organizations to cover the cost of "Super- vision/' etc. The national Red Cross carries on a well-organized program of disaster-relief and many other national services. Decatur has a com- munity obligation along other parts of the country to do its share in supporting this national program. The Red Cross is a semi-govern- ment organization, with rather definite responsibilities placed upon it by congressional charter. Before the Community Chest was organized the Red Cross conducted successful Roll Calls in the community each year and had succeeded in building up a large membership of Red Cross members. The following figures show the amounts subscribed by Decatur to the Red Cross before the Community Chest was organized and since : The American Red Cross — Decatur Chapter Total Receipts National Allot- From Roll-Call merit Paid 1919 $15,563.00 $8,590.00 1920 11,637.00 5,811.00 1921 6,057.00 3,026.00 1922 7,333.00 3,393.00 *19?3 2,562.00 1,116.00 1924 2,761.00 1,032.00 1925 2,541.00 1,035.00 1926 3,307.00 1,099.00 1927 2,677.00 1,149.00 1928 3,035.00 1,196.00 1929 1,648.00 1,207.00 * First year in Community Chest. Any fair-minded person studying these figures will admit that Deca- tur's present Red Cross allotment is $1,000.00, plus the few scattered memberships received by the chapter office, hardly represents Decatur's share of the cost of the national Red Cross program and certainly is not in line with what the citizens of Decatur were contributing to the Red Cross program through the annual Roll-Calls. The Community Chest allotment to the Red Cross for support of the national program should be increased. Central Purchasing Various Community Chests have made attempts to organize a central- purchasing-committee or a central-purchasing bureau with a view to saving money for its member agencies by collective bargaining and group purchasing. On the whole these experiments do not seem to have 47 been very successful although there are cities which have made a suc- cess of centralized purchasing. Cleveland estimates that it saves more than a half million dollars annually through the central purchasing bureau of its hospital council. In Harrisburg the chest office made a contract this year with a leading milk company (after competitive bidding) which brought down the cost of milk to some organizations from 44 cents to 26 cents per gallon for best quality milk. In the same city competitive bidding on a year's contract for electric light fixtures resulted in an arrangement whereby all social agencies will receive a discount of 20%. There are other examples. . . . . In Decatur there is a great deal of variation m the prices paid by welfare organizations for many staple supplies. The following two illus- trations which were collected by the survey show how prices for the same commodity may vary in a city : Prices Paid by Social Agencies in Decatur (1930) MILK ^irls Welfare Home 35c per gallon Dpportunity Home 35c per gallon Macon County Hospital 48c per gallon [Vlillikin Home 40c per gallon Social Service Bureau (quarts). ...50c per gallon 3t. Mary's Hospital 35c per gallon Visiting Nurses, schools {% P ts -) 48c P er gallon COAL No. Tons Per Ton Girls Welfare Home 134 3.85 Opportunity Home 124 3.85 Macon Co. Hospital 5,723 1.67 Millikin Home 180 4.65 Social Service Bureau 331 4.75 St. Mary's Hospital 1,000 4.50 Y. M. C. A. (coal for heater) 98 4.75 Y. W. C. A 331 4/75 It is recommended that the COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES of the Community Chest appoint a Central-Purchasing Committee who will study the possibility of saving money through the co-operative pur- chase of staple supplies. Central Offices There are three advantages of having all the social agencies who need down-town offices housed in the same building. First, it opens the way for better acquaintanceship and closer co-operation. Second, it offers the possibility for some economies in rents, telephones, and central services such as mimeogranhing, bookkeeping, typing, filing, etc. Third, it offers a convenience to the public, the clients of the agencies as well as board members and others who have business with the organizations. Office rentals now being paid by some of the agencies which are lo- cated in separate buildings, arc as follows: Annual Rental Paid Community Chest office $ 300.00 Bov Scouts 600.00 Red Cross 384.00 Social Service Bureau 600.00 Tub. and Visiting Nurse Association .. 564.00 Total $2,448.00 48 It is suggested that a committee consider the possibility of purchasing a low-priced building on the edge of the down-town business section to be used jointly by the above agencies. If some philanthropic citizen will contribute a sum for down-payment, the combined rentals could maintain the building and gradually acquire a small equity in it. At the end of ten years it is probable that the normal development of the business section will cause such a property to have increased in value to the point where it can be sold at some profit. The money received from such a sale could be used to finance a modern welfare building of a less temporary nature for the offices of Decatur's social agencies of 1940 or 1945. Centralized Services Save Mone„ In connection with the central office building the possibility of saving money through establishing centralized services should receive careful consideration. Central mimeographing service should make unnecessary future re- quests for separate mimeographing equipment. Central stenographic and typing service can be organized to decrease the cost of typing and stenographic work carried on in the separate of- fices. Central typewriting service with the use of dictaphones or edi- phones has proved fairly satisfactory in the St. Louis Welfare building. A central telephone service, if operated by a present employee with- out making it necessary to engage a special operator, can save money and also provide a convenience to the agencies and the public. A central filing system with a competent file-clerk would cut down the cost of filing equipment through future years and would give the agencies more efficient service than can be maintained separately by them. A central committee-room and board-room for use of all agencies in such a building, would be entirely practicable and would be a great convenience. These suggestions have all been tried with more or less success in different cities. Where there is a good spirit of co-operation on part of the organizations, and a willingness to form new work habits for the sake of economy and efficiency, they can be made to operate satisfac- torily. Telephone Discount In a number of communities telephone service is furnished all Com- munity Chest agencies at a discount of 33 1/3%. This discount has been allowed the central office of the Community Chest and the character- building agencies, as well as the relief organizations. It is recommended that the local office of the telephone company be requested to take this up with its headquarters with a view of obtaining this discount for De- catur's social agencies if possible. The telephone company is always very co-operative in regard to these matters because of its interest in the community's welfare program. Social Planning Programs As previously set forth, there has been almost an entire lack of a community planning program for social service and welfare work in Decatur. In her interesting book, Personal Recollections of Early Decatur, Mrs. Jane Martin Johns says that the first benefit for the poor ever held in Decatur was a masquerade ball at the old Revere House in 1855. It cleared $120.00 which was used to tide poor families over a hard winter. Great progress has been made in most lines of social work in Decatur since then, but in its social programming and planning on a community-wide basis, Decatur is still at the 1855 stage. 49 This backwardness is not due to a lack of desire on part of the vari- ous organizations to co-operate with each other and co-ordinate their efforts through team-work, but rather to there being no adequate means through which this desire for team-play can express itself in terms of action. For example, there has been no plan whereby those especially interested in health-work would sit around the table and study the health-needs of the community as a whole, and plan together a five year program for building a healthier community. And so it has been in re- gard to community problems of dependency, delinquency, child-care, and so on. There has been no way by which those interested in various phases of social and welfare work could pool their interests and resources in a unified program which would see the community whole and plan in team-work fashion a five or ten-year program with objectives. There has been no organized community effort to reduce the amount of de- pendency, to study the juvenile delinquency, cut the infant-mortality rate, lower the sickness curve, or lengthen the span of human life ; and over a five or ten-year period it is end-results of this kind that measure the success of a city's social service program. Council of Social Agencies It is to supply a means through which social planning on a community basis will be possible that the survey has recommended the organizing of a Council of Social Agencies. Such a council is composed of two rep- resentatives from each organization interested in social and welfare work. It should include public departments, as well as agencies sup- ported through the Community Chest. Luncheon clubs and other civic groups should be invited to membership, and the group should also elect individual members who it believes are interested, such as the mayor, the judges, the chairman of county supervisors, superintendents of schools, and so on. Program for the Council The new organization plan and new constitution for the Community Chest contains a provision for this central planning body. The pro- posed new constitution drafted by the survey makes the following sug- gestions as to activities which might engage the various committees appointed by the councils. For Council of Social Agencies Co-operative planning of social work; Promotion of social legislation; Creation of intelligent public opinion concerning social problems; Educating its own membership and the general public in the programs and activities of mem- ber agencies; Investigating and reporting on all proposals for establishing new social-work activities in the community; Bringing about the abandonment or consolida- tion of any unnecessary agencies; Developing better understanding and better team-play among organizations. Inaugurating and carrying out joint services and studies for the benefit of all agencies; Setting standards of efficiency for social work in the community; Nominating the members of the board of direc- tors of the Community Chest; Electing one-half of the members of the budget- committee. 50 A Central Index Is Recommended In virtually all cities where good social work is being done it has been found necessary to establisn a means to avoid duplication in work- ing with families and individuals. At the present time there is no way provided in Decatur whereby the various organizations can co-operate in the manner they would like to, to prevent over-lapping and duplica- tion. To find out whether there was any actual need of a central clearing system, the survey obtained from four organizations a list of all families given relief during the past year. When these names (with their ad- dresses) were listed on cards and thrown alphabetically it was dis- covered that there has been a large number of families known to more than one organization. Families Given Relief During the Year Mothers Pension Families 73 Overseer of the Poor 216 Salvation Army 314 Social Service Bureau 424 TOTAL FAMILIES LISTED 1,027 The analysis of these 1,027 relief cases showed the following: Number known to only ONE organization 761 — 74% Number known to more than one organization.. 266 — 26% It should be pointed out that because a family is known to more than one organization does not necessarily mean that there is duplication. Occasionally it happens that two social agencies or more are both help- ing the same family or individual, each supplementing the work of the other and each acquainted with what the other is doing. In the above analysis, however, it develops that four agencies IN THE FIELD OF FAMILY RELIEF AND SERVICE are working with the same families in more than one-fourth of the cases they handle. This high percentage probably indicates that duplication rather than intelligently planned co-operation in the majority of cases. It is recommended that the Community Chest establish a CENTRAL INDEX in the Community Chest office where each organization can register the name, address and identifying information on all cases handled. This information should be kept in a card-file. When an agency sends in or telephones a registration it should be immediately informed whether any other social agency has previously contacted the family. The supplying of this information is as far as the Central Index should go. It is then up to the inquiring agency to get in touch with the agency which has had a previous contact with the client. The Central Index, as soon as it receives a registration, not only informs the inquiring organization of any previous contacts which other social agencies have had with the family, but also immediately informs the other social agency that the family which it registered on such- and-such a date has applied today to the other organization. This en- ables the agency which has been working with the family to know of all other contacts with the family. In a city where the Visiting Nurses, Hospital Dispensaries, Relief Agencies, and public departments might all contact the same family within six months, the importance of a central clearing system is obvi- ous. The cost of operating the Central Index should be very small in Decatur. No extra help should be employed for this purpose, as it can 51 be handled by the regular force of the Community Chest office. As the city grows in size and in social work, a more specialized Central Index will eventually be necessary. For the present the total cost of the Cen- tral Index to the Community Chest, estimating the time that will be devoted to it by one person, should not exceed $275 a year. Many times this sum will be saved in the eliminating of duplication and wasted effort. One Community Chest Campaign or Two? A number of persons, including some of the largest contributors to the Community Chest, have asked the survey to consider the advisability of dividing the annual campaign into two campaigns, one to raise funds. for the Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., the Boy Scouts, and the Pines Com- munity Association, and the other to raise funds for all other agencies, in the chest. The thought behind the suggestion is that those who wished to support the character-building organizations could contribute to one campaign, while those who wished to support only the relief and miscel- laneous agencies could contribute to the other. The suggested plan was to hold one campaign in the fall and the other in the spring. One Campaign Recommended A number of interviews have been held by the survey with leading citizens of the community in regard to this suggestion. Several group discussions of a very frank nature have also been devoted to the prob- lem of two campaigns or one. As a result it is recommended that Deca- tur continue the plan of holding ONE CAMPAIGN A YEAR for its chest agencies. This recommendation is made conjointly with the recom- mendation that an honest designation system, as explained later, be put into operation and conscientiously followed. In brief, the following facts have lead to the conclusion that one campaign a year should be definitely decided on. First, it would be ex- tremely difficult to get men and women to work with any enthusiasm or zest on two chest campaigns a year, and practically the same group of citizens would have to work on both drives. Second, two campaigns would mean almost twice the expense of one campaign, and from a standpoint of business efficiency the Community Chest hesitates to dou- ble the yearly cost of campaign expenses. Third, it is almost certain, judging from opinions expressed by officers and executives of various organizations, that the plan of holding two campaigns a year would lead immediately to holding at least four campaigns a year instead of the two suggested. Here is the reason. The Young Men's Christian Association would probably prefer to hold its own individual campaign rather than to join forces with the Boy Scouts or Young Women's Christian Association. Neither would the Boy Scouts be very keen to join their campaign with that of the Y. M. C. A. So at the outset it would probably be announced that the Y. M. C. A. would hold its campaign separately rather than jointly with other organizations. In taking this position the Y. M. C. A. would be in a sound position, and would not wish its action interpreted as an unfriend- ly gesture towards the other agencies of the character-building group, or the Community Chest. Nor should it be so considered. It is doubtful whether the Y. W. C. A., and Boy Scouts would agree on a joint campaign because there would be no logical basis so far as- programs go, for joining the two appeals. It is probable that each board would decide in favor of separate drives. Then the Pines Community Association would have to decide whether to get one of the three other character-building agencies to include its budget in their appeal or to go out separately at a different time. The result might easily be the decision on the part of each board to hold its own campaign separately. Instead of two campaigns a year there would probably be four or five different drives. Then too, some 52 agencies in the so-called "pure relief group might decide that they also preferred a separate campaign to the combined drive. In fact it would be almost contrary to human nature if this did not happen with at least one or two of the relief-group agencies whose boards would be of the opinion that the Community Chest "had broken down anyway" and that they could do just as well on a separate campaign as by remaining in the chest. It might easily develop that the plan of holding two campaigns a year would soon lead to a number of separate appeals, and possibly result in the early disintegration of the Community Chest. It is from these three lines of reasoning that the survey recommends •continuing the present program of one campaign a year. The single campaign is now being used in practically all of the 350 Community Chests in operation today. In fact, the survey does not know of any y the chest, the public should be fully informed of the facts which lead the Community Chest to give its approval. A Statement of Principles Regarding Miscellaneous Appeals by Agencies There has grown up an accumulated experience in Community Chests "throughout the country in dealing with this perplexing problem, and in some cities this experience is expressed in a statement of principles which have been adopted to guide the chest and the agencies in decid- ing individual cases. The "Statement of Principles" developed and used 57 by the Harrisburg chest is probably as good as any. These principles were approved by the participating agencies, and are now incorporated in the by-laws of the chest as listed below : Money-Raising Plans of Agencies (From the By-laws of the Harrisburg, Pa., Community Chest) "Agencies which are members of the Com- munity Chest will not endeavor to raise money through rummage-sales, lectures, plays, card parties, cake-sales, or similar benefits, without submitting each such project to the board of di- rectors of the Community Chest for approval. "In acting upon such requests the board of di- rectors will be guided by the following prin- ciples: "1. Agencies which are members of the Com- munity Chest are not expected to raise money except as contemplated in their an- nual budgets as approved. "2. A forecast of expense and receipts must be submitted and in no case will a plan be approved where the estimated expense ex- ceed thirty per cent of the estimated gross receipts. In all cases where any money- raising plan is approved by the Community Chest, an itemized statement must be sub- mitted after the event, showing in detail all income and expenses. "3. No money-raising plan will be approved unless it is clearly understood and agreed that no gifts of any kind will be solicited or accepted from any business firm, nor from any individual who is not actively in- terested in the work of the organization. "4. No money-raising plan will be approved if it involves the sale of tickets by mail, or by general city-wide solicitation." It is recommended that a committee of the COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES be appointed to study this subject and submit to the board of directors of the Community Chest a plan for handling this problem in a way that will be acceptable to the member agencies and agreeable to the general public and to the Community Chest. Reorganization of the Community Chest Is Recommended As previously set forth, the survey has recommended a complete re- organization of the Decatur Community Chest to provide for a social planning program and to eliminate some of the weak features of the present program. New Constitution A new constitution has been carefully drawn up to fit the needs of Decatur's situation. This constitution is modeled closely after the organ- ization-plan recommended by the National Association of Community Chests and is a plan which is today working successfully in many cities. In addition to drafting a constitution the survey has also drafted a set of by-laws for the Community Chest, and a set of by-laws for the new Council of Social Agencies. These by-laws are also closely modeled after those which have worked successfully in other places. The constitution and the two sets of by-laws are self-explanatory and with the diagram accompanying them, make quite clear the new organ- ization plan proposed for Decatur. The chief points of difference be- tween the present organization and that proposed by the survey are as follows: Reorganization of the Decatur Community Chest AT PRESENT The only function is raising and disbursing money. Budget Committee of three per- sons is self-perpetuating. Governed by an Executive Com- mittee of 15. Two separate presidents for the chest, the Board of Trustees, and Executive Committee. Budget Committee's job is ended with the annual budget study. No permanent Campaign Com- mittee. No monthly financial or statistical reports from agencies. Only financially participating agencies belong to the chest. No regulation of separate ap- peals. No central index for relief cases. PROPOSED The main purpose is co-operative social planning on a community basis. Money raising is a neces- sary means to an end. Budget Committee of 9 persons appointed by the Council of So- cial Agencies and board of chest. Governed by Board of Directors of 21 persons, who are nominated by the Council of Social Agencies. The same person is president of the chest, and chairman of Board of Directors. Budget committee meets monthly throughout year. Campaign committee of 9, con- tinues from year to year. Monthly financial and statistical reports from agencies. All community organizations and groups interested in social and welfare work become members of the Community Chest through membership in the Council of So- cial Agencies. Close regulation of special ap- peals by agencies. All agencies participating finan- cially in the chest are required to register relief cases with the Cen- tral Index. Tax Support of Welfare Work Decatur is spending about as much money per capita population on social and welfare work as most communities, more than many. The chapter which deals with the "Total Welfare Bill" sets forth the figures. However a careful study of public support of the city's welfare pro- gram would be worthwhile. The following suggestions are illustrative of the kind of topics that should be studied by a committee on Public Support which can be appointed by THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES. Why should not the county pay the full cost of taking care of children committed by the court? At present the per diem cost of such care ranges from 75c to $1.00. The county reimburses the homes at the rate of 50c per day. The resulting deficit is made up by the Community Chest and from other sources. Why should not the city carry on its public pro- gram without a subsidy from the Community 59 Chest? At present the Pines Community Asso- ciation is conducting a program much needed by the city. It is financed by the chest instead of by public funds as in many communities. The total amount being received from tax funds by all of the agencies of the Community Chest is as follows : Total from Tax Funds to Chest Agencies (1929) Anna B. Millikin Home $ 4,161.00 Boys Opportunity Home 3,821.00 Girls Welfare Home 4,105.50 School Clinics 4,050.49 Tuberculosis and V. N. A 3,000.00 Total $19,137.99 The total amount being spent annually in Decatur from tax funds in support of all kinds of social and welfare work is $239,712.34, which is equivalent to $4.12 per capita. Endowment Income for Social Agencies At the present time the private social agencies of Decatur are receiv- ing less money from endowment income that would be expected in view of the experience of some other cities. It is apparent that in the past no special effort has been made in a systematic way to persuade citizens to leave money to the Community Chest or its member agencies. The total endowment income of Community Chest agencies as reported in the 1929 budgets and as discovered by the survey where not reported in the budgets, was as follows : Endowment Income or Interest Earnings by Chest Agencies (1929) Anna B. Millikin Home $2,111.11 Boys Opportunity Home 104.83 Decatur Day Nursery 98.85 Girls Welfare Home 2,250.00 Red Cross 42.50 Young Mens Christian Association 1,937.33 Total $6,544.62 It is recommended that a committee be appointed by THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES to inaugurate and carry out a program of en- couraging endowments for social and welfare work. In some cities people of even moderate means are encouraged to leave a sum in their wills to perpetuate their annual contribution to the Community Chest. It is pointed out that a gift of $500 will perpetuate an annual pledge of $25.00. Should the Community Chest Be On a City or On a County Basis? 'The survey was asked to make a recommendation as to whether the Community Chest should be on a county or city basis. Should it embrace the entire county in its program or continue to confine itself to the town- ship of Decatur? While it has been impossible during the brief period of this study to make an exhaustive study of the subject, and all that it involves, the subject has been talked over with several groups and with individuals, and has been given thought by the survey. It is suggested that for the present the Community Chest continue to b? the Community Chest of Decatur. This means, of course, the entire community of Decatur and not merely the geographical limits of the 60 city proper. After the chest has gotten on a more successful basis, and has demonstrated its ability to accomplish results in the field of social planning, it might be well to consider enlarging the territory to include all of Macon County. Many of the services rendered by the organiza- tions of the chest are now extended to the entire county (such as some of the children's homes, etc.,) and there is no doubt that some of the other services, such as nursing and family case-work, is needed in rural sections of the county. The expansion of the Community Chest to em- brace the whole county and the development of a county-wide program of social welfare is a program that might be kept in mind for the next decade. Trained Leadership Is Needed by the Decatur Community Chest In no city will the community program of centralized social planning and centralized financing of private organizations operate successfully without capable direction. The Community Chest needs a full-time exec- utive director with the following qualifications : First, the Community Chest director must know how to organize and conduct a successful campaign. No matter how splendid the desired community program may be, it cannot be carried out unless the money is obtained. Second, the chest director must know social work. He must be sufficiently familiar with the various programs which are under way in the community to know whether the community is getting value received for the money in- vested. He must be able to analyze the financial state- ments of the member organizations of the Community Chest. Third, the director must understand community organiza- tion work. A successful community program of central planning and of coordination can be developed only if the person responsible for its direction knows how to get the desired results. Fourth, the director must know enough about publicity work, in all of its ramifications, to be able to organize and direct a year-round program of public education in social and welfare work. Fifth, the director must have the right personality to in- spire confidence on part of the lay people and profes- sional groups with whom he works. He must be tactful, straight-forward, and thoroughly honest in all of his words and actions. Sixth, he must know how to get the interest of the impor- tant people of the community so that they will be willing to give their time and thought to the social work program of the city. Decatur's Community Chest has tried for a number of years to get on without a properly trained person at its helm. The same thing has happened in Decatur that has happened in every city that has tried to operate its chest in this way. The chest has not been successful. The Community Chest is expending $160,000 annually through its member agencies. It is raising and disbursing between $90,000 and $100,000 annually of money which passes through the treasury of the chest. From a purely business standpoint this is a sufficiently large and important undertaking to justify the employment of the best trained and best qualified person that can be found. Other cities which have tried to get along without a well-trained Community Chest director have abandoned the experiment and have found that a reasonable amount of money invested in the salary of competent chest director is the wisest investment the chest can niake. 61 Recommendation Regarding a Director for the Decatur Community Chest Decatur is fortunate in having at present a secretary who is devoted to the work of the Community Chest, and who has a great many fine qualifications. However the present secretary would be the first to say that she has not had the specialized training and experience which is desirable in a Community Chest director for a progressive community. With this thought, the survey is submitting two plans: PLAN No. 1. Persuade the present secretary to continue as the permanent director of the Community Chest with the definite arrange- ment that she is to take at least the nine months course in Community Chest work, financial campaigns, and community organization, which is included in the curiculum of Ohio State University. This is the only college in the country which offers a similar course. In addition to tak- ing this nine months course, the present secretary should be persuaded to faithfully attend all state, regional and national conventions where Community Chest problems and community social-work problems are discussed. It is believed that if this course is followed conscientiously the present secretary will then be in a position to give the new Com- munity Chest program the leadership which it must have in order to be successful. PLAN No. 2. That a man who has already had the proper technical training plus actual experience in a successful Community Chest be engaged at the earliest possible time as director of the Decatur Com- munity Chest. The salary paid such a person should probably be around $5,000 a year to start. A lower salaried person would very likely prove too expensive. If this plan is followed no person should be employed who does not have the endorsement of the National Association of Commun- ity Chests and Councils. Assistance in Chest Office. The Community Chest director should have enough office help to make it unnecessary for him to spend his time on office detail than can be performed by a less expensive person. Cost of Trained Leadership. The Decatur Community Chest has been following too short-sighted a policy in regard to spending money for administration and direction. Many successful chests the size of Decatur spent $10,000 or more a year on their central planning and financing programs. This is looked on as the best investment it can make. 62 DIAGRAM Organization Plan of The Decatur Community Chest COMMUNITY CHEST MEMBERS Institutional Individual Budget Committee (Year- round) BOARD OF DIRECTORS (Policies and Management) Campaign Committee (Year- round) Secretary COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES (Year-round Social Planning) 63 CONSTITUTION The Decatur Community Chest, Inc. ARTICLE I. NAME The name of this organization shall be The Decatur Community Chest. ARTICLE II. OBJECTS The object of this organization shall be to develop team work be- tween the social agencies of Decatur, and their constituencies in the interest of the financial support of such agencies, and to develop and carry on the effective year-round planning and execution of the social service program of the community. ARTICLE III. MEMBERS The members of this organization shall be individual members and institutional members. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS Each contributor to the Community Chest shall be a member of this organization. INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS Any public or private organization or agency, luncheon club or civic group, interested in the object of this organization may, upon approval of the board of directors of this organization, become an institutional member. Each institutional member shall be represented by two dele- gates, one of whom shall be the executive director of the organization, if there is one. ARTICLE IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS (a) The management and administration of the affairs of this or- ganization shall be by board of directors consisting of twenty-one (21) elected members, seven (7) of whom shall be elected each year for a term of three (3) years, at the February meeting of the members. (b) Nominations shall be made in the manner provided in the by- laws of this organization. The board of directors shall fill any vacancy in the board of directors for the remainder of the unexpired term. DUTIES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS (a) The board of directors shall meet monthly and shall manage the affairs of this organization. Any director who is absent from three consecutive meetings of the board shall be dropped from membership unless such absence is explained and excused. (b) It shall adopt such by-laws for the government of this organ- ization as may be consistent with this constitution and designed to carry out the objects of this organization. (c) It shall appoint such committees as it may deem expedient for the carrying out of the objects of this organization. (d) It shall arrange for the raising of funds. (e) It shall control the distribution of funds collected. (f ) It shall employ such persons as it may deem necessary, for the successful prosecution of the objects of this organization. (g) It shall give at least once a year a full and complete report of its activities at a meeting of the members. 64 ARTICLE V. OFFICERS (a) The officers of this organization shall be a president, vice-presi- dent, and a treasurer, who shall be elected from the membership of the board of directors by the board of directors at its second meeting following the annual election of directors. (b) In addition thereto, the board of directors may elect and em- ploy an executive secretary who in that case shall serve as secretary of the board of directors. If they do not so elect an executive secretary, the board of directors shall elect a secretary from among its members. (c) All officers shall be elected for terms of one year and until their successors are elected and qualified. No officer may succeed himself for more than three consecutive terms. DUTIES OF OFFICERS (a) It shall be the duty of the president to preside at all meetings of the board of directors, to appoint all committees unless otherwise directed, and to call special meetings whenever he deems it necessary, or upon written request of five members of the board of directors. (b) The vice-president shall perform the duties of the president in the event of his absence, resignation, or inability to perform his duties. (c) The treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the organiza- tion and shall give bond with approved surety for the faithful perform- ance of his duties, in such amounts as shall be fixed by the board of directors. (d) The executive secretary shall keep the minutes and records of this organization and of its board of directors, and shall perform such other duties as the board of directors shall decide. ARTICLE VI. CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE The campaign committee of this organization shall consist of nine persons appointed by the board of directors. The nine members ap- pointed by the board of directors shall serve for three years, one-third going out of office annually. The general campaign chairman, as soon as appointed each year, shall become the chairman of the campaign committee and shall continue in office until the next year's campaign chairman is appointed. BUDGET COMMITTEE (a) The budget committee shall consist of nine persons of whom five including the chairman, shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the board of directors and four shall be selected by the Council of Social Agencies. (b) The duties of the budget committee shall be to consider and decide all matters pertaining to the allowance, increase, and reduction of budgets, including payments to agencies in accordance with these budget allowances and all other matters incident thereto. The budget committee shall meet monthly and all acts of the committee shall be subject to the final approval of the board of directors. COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES (a) The Council of Social Agencies of the Community Chest shall consist of the institutional members of the Community Chest represented by their delegates, together with such individuals as the Council of Social Agencies may from time to time elect to individual membership in its body. 65 (b) The duties of the Council of Social Agencies shall be to pro- mote the social welfare of the community through such activities as the co-operative planning of social work, the promotion of social work, the promotion of social legislation, the creation of intelligent public opinion concerning social problems, educating its own membership and the general public on the programs and activities of member agencies, investigating and reporting on all proposals for establishing new social- work activities in the community, bringing about the abandonment or combination of any unnecessary agencies developing better understand- ing and better team-play among organizations, inaugurating and carry- ing out joint services and studies for the benefit of all agencies, setting standards of efficiency for social work in the community. It shall be prepared to make investigations and offer recommendations concerning questions referred to it by the board of directors, or the budget com- mittee of the Community Chest. It shall nominate the board of directors of the Community Chest and shall elect one-half the members (exclud- ing the chairman) of the budget committee. ARTICLE VIII. MEETINGS The membership of the Community Chest shall meet in the month of February each year at such time and place as the board of directors shall determine, for the election of the board of directors, to receive reports and to transact any other business presented to it. Additional meetings of the membership may be held on call of the board of direc- tors. ARTICLE IX. GENERAL PROVISIONS BUDGET REPORTS Each member organization participating in the combined campaign shall submit to the organization such information concerning finances, program, etc., in such form as the budget committee may require. SPECIAL APPEALS No member organization which participates in the combined cam- paign shall conduct any public campaign or solicitation for financial assistance, nor any special campaign for financial purposes, nor make any request or appeal for funds to any persons whatsoever, except with the consent first obtained of the board of directors of this organization. THE CENTRAL INDEX Each member organization engaged in a program which includes giving material relief, or professional service or advice, or aid to un- adjusted individuals or families, shall register all such contacts with the Central Index of the Community Chest in such form as the Central Index may prescribe. ARTICLE X. AMENDMENT This constitution may be amended as follows : Any proposed amend- ment must be submitted to the board of directors, who on majority vote, shall submit it with recommendation to a meeting of the membership. Such proposed amendment, together with the time and place of the meeting, shall be given full newspaper or other publicity at least thirty days before the meeting. Should such proposed amendment, or any amendment germain there- to, be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at such meeting this constitution shall be so amended. 66 BY-LAWS The Decatur Community Chest ARTICLE I. MEMBERS Any organization not already participating financially in the Com- munity Chest and desiring to participate in the combined campaign shall submit to the board of directors : FIRST : A statement by its president and secretary certifying that its governing board has read the constitution and by-laws governing this organization, and has voted to apply for membership ; SECOND : A detailed statement of the history, purposes, and work of such applying organization; THIRD : A detailed statement of its assets and liabilities and its last annual statement of receipts and expenditures, all in such form as may be required by the board of directors; FOURTH: A list of the officers and directors thereof; and FIFTH : The names of two representatives to act as delegates if the application is accepted. Such application papers shall be referred to the budget committee which shall, after proper investigation, report for final action to the board of directors. Such application shall also be referred to the Council of Social Agencies which shall, after proper investigation, also report for final action to the board of directors. Any organization desiring to become an institutional member of this organization, but not desiring to participate in the combined campaign, shall submit to the board of directors a statement similar to that re- quired in section 1 of this article, but the same shall be referred orjy to the Council of Social Agencies for investigation and report to the board of directors for final action. ARTICLE II. NOMINATIONS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Council of Social Agencies shall nominate annually at its Jan- uary meeting seven persons to serve on the board of directors of the Community Chest for a period of three years from the succeeding Feb- ruary and until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. A nominating committe for this purpose shall be appointed by the chairman of the Council of Social Agencies at least fifteen days prior to the January meeting of the Council of Social Agencies. This nom- inating committee shall consist of five persons, two of whom shall be from the board of directors of the Community Chest. ARTICLE III. AGREEMENT WITH MEMBER AGENCIES PARTICIPATING IN THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN For the purpose of sharing in the joint fund to be raised by the Com- munity Chest, each member organization so sharing shall agree : (a) To accept the apportionment of funds made to it by the budget committee, and approved by the board of directors. (b) To solicit no funds from any persons whatsoever without the written approval of the board of directors of the Community Chest. (c) To maintain a responsible management with a board of direc- tors or administrative committee which shall meet at least four times per year. (d) To co-operate with other social agencies in preventing dupli- cation of effort and in promoting efficiency and economy of administra- tion. 67 (e) To make use of the Central Index of the Community Chest as provided in the constitution. (f) To undertake no new line of work unless such work shall be approved by the Community Chest. (g) To furnish the budget committee with monthly detailed state- ments showing all income and expenditures. (h) To keep regular books of account open to inspection by a rep- resentative of the Community Chest. This agreement shall be binding from year to year unless the member organization gives written notice of its withdrawal from participation in the joint fund at least two months before the close of the current budget year. ARTICLE IV. QUORUM Seven members of the board of directors present at any meeting, regular or special, shall constitute a quorum. A majority of the budget committee or of any special committee shall constitute a quorum. A quorum for the Council of Social Agencies shall be determined in accordance with its by-laws. A quorum for a regular or special meeting of the membership of this organization shall consist of at least one delegate from at least one-fifth of the institutional members, plus fifteen individual members. ARTICLE V. AMENDMENTS These by-laws may be enlarged, amended, or repealed by a majority vote of the members present at any meeting of the board of directors, provided that prior notice of such proposed changes shall have been given. C8 BY-LAWS of The Decatur Council of Social Agencies of the Community Chest ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP The membership of the Council of Social Agencies shall consist of the institutional members of the Community Chest of Decatur, repre- sented by their delegates, and in addition such persons as the Council of Social Agencies may elect to individual membership, not to exceed in number one-fifth of the number of delegates representing the insti- tutional members. ARTICLE II. VOTES Each delegate or individual member shall have one vote on any mo- tion before the council. ARTICLE III. OFFICERS The officers of the council shall be a chairman, a vice-chairman, and a secretary, who shall perform the duties which usually pertain to their respective offices, elected by the council at the annual meeting in May, to serve one year, and until their respective successors are elected and qualified. The officers shall be chosen from the delegates and individual mem- bers of the council, and no officer shall succeed himself for more than three consecutive terms. ARTICLE IV. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE There shall be an executive committee of the Council of Social Agencies, composed of the officers and of the chairmen of all commit- tees of the council. The executive committee shall have such authority between meetings of the council as is delegated to it from time to time by the council. The officers of the Council of Social Agencies shall be the officers of the executive committee. ARTICLE V. OTHER COMMITTEES Standing committees or special committees may be created at any time by action of the council. ARTICLE VI. ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Council of Social Agencies shall be held during May of each year, at such time and place as the executive com- mittee may determine. Other meetings shall be held as the council or executive committee determine. ARTICLE VII. NOMINATIONS Nominations for the officers of the Council of Social Agencies shall be made at the annual meeting by a nominating committee appointed by the chairman. ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS These by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of the council, provided that the proposed amendment shall have been mailed the membership at least one week prior to the meeting. 69 Benedict, A. H. Coonradt, Mrs. L. W Dick, Carl Grimm, A. J. Decatur Community Chest Trustees TERMS EXPIRE IN 1931 Haan, Mrs. George McEvoy, John Holt, J. R. Lunn, Ralph Lyon, Carlos Pegram, Mrs. E. K. Stewart, R. F. TERMS EXPIRE IN 1932 Allen, J. M., President Langdon, E. H. Boruff, T. W. McClelland, J. S. Clark, L. W. McDavid, Horace Howells, E. J. Schaub, H. C. Johnson, J. D. Schaub, Mrs. H. C. Scovill, Mrs. Guy Webber, A. J., Sr. Wood, W. M. Burwell, T. C. Cruikshank, Phillip Drennan, Mrs. Wini- fred Gebhart, H. S. Barber, Harry Bean, Thomas Burwell, T. C. Caswell, H. C. Clark, L. W. Hayes, Dr. John TERMS EXPIRE IN 1933 Gorin, O. B. Knorr, F. C. Liebau, Carl Lindsay, Frank Meriweather, J. Rose, Dr. M. E. Staley, A. E., Jr. Trierweiler, Mrs. A. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Henson, James E. Rose, Dr. M. E. Foster, Clyde Lindsay, Frank McEvoy, John McMillen, C. A., Chair- man Rosenberg, E. Schaub, H. C. Trierweiler, Mrs. 70 CHAPTER IV. AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR DECATUR Publicity and Education in Social and Welfare Work in Decatur Purpose of the Study The purpose of this section of the survey is to analyze the publicity and educational methods used in Decatur to acquaint the general pub- lic with the social work program and its financial needs. It is hoped that by studying the publicity media which have been used here and comparing the local publicity program with the programs which have been used in successful Community Chest cities some suggestions can be made which will be of benefit. Present Publicity Program The. Decatur Community Chest is extremely fortunate in having as its secretary a person who has a very keen appreciation of the impor- tance of a year-round publicity program. During the time that Mrs. Florence McConnell has been secretary of the Community Chest a great advance has been made in educating the public to a better under- standing of the Community Chest and of the work of its member agencies. Outstanding among the achievements which Mrs. McConneJl has made in this direction are the following : Come-and-See-Trips to Social Agencies — Last summer some 600 per- sons were conducted on educational tours through the social agencies. Newspaper Publicity — Very good news stories appear continuously in the local papers and many of them are inspired by Mrs. McConnell. Talks Before Civic Groups — Mrs. McConnell has given a great deal of time and thought to making talks and in getting other people to make talks on social and welfare subject before the various civic groups of the community. Personal Interviews — Mrs. McConnell has done fine work along edu- cational lines through personal interviews with influential citizens who did not understand the program of the Community Chest and its affili- ated agencies. Due largely to the above named activities and to other educational efforts inaugurated by Mrs. McConnell, the present social work pub- licity program of Decatur is of a much higher type than is found in some communities. Newspaper Co-operation — 50 Full Pages Free Decatur is fortunate in having two very high-grade daily newspapers which are edited by men of broad social vision with deep interest in all matters of community welfare. There is no city in which the newspapers are more co-operative to- ward the Community Chest and its work than in Decatur. Last year these two newspapers published 2,986 news stories, totaling 11,725 column-inches of straight news on the Community Chest and its agencies. This is equivalent to more than fifty full newspaper pages of space which money could not buy. At campaign time each newspaper devotes its entire front page to the Community Chest campaign. Seasonal Flow of Newspaper Publicity Table No. 23 shows the number of news items and the total number of column inches published on Community Chest agencies during the past year by The Decatur Herald. 71 TABLE No. 23 Seasonal Flow of Newspaper Publicity on Community Chest Agencies The Decatur Herald, June 1, 1929 to May 30, 1930 No. News Total Column Month Year Items Inches June 1929 71 270 July 1929 70 288 August 1929 84 385 September.... 1929 62 370 October 1929 87 574 November .... 1929 74 388 December .... 1929 114 552 January 1930 82 342 February 1930 92 409 March 1930 85 324 April 1930 42 185 May 1930 57 258 Total 920 4345 Table No. 24 shows the same facts for The Decatur Review. Glancing at these two tables, it will be noticed that the greatest number of news stories published in any single month was published in June in the Decatur Review and in December in the Decatur Herald. TABLE No. 24 Seasonal Flow of Newspaper Publicity on Community Chest Agencies Decatur Review, June 1, 1929 to May 30, 1930 No. News Total Column Month Year Items Inches June 1929 137 646% July 1929 102 600% August 1929 112 763 September.... 1929 91 528% October 1929 123 858 November .... 1929 113 590% December .... 1929 134 827 January 1930 93 561% February 1930 65 495 March 1930 118 755 April 1930 77 402 May 1930 66 353 Total 1231 7380% The greatest number of column inches was published in October by both the Review and the Herald. October is the month in which the annual campaign is held. The weak months for newspaper publicity are January, February, April, May and September. 72 TABLE No. 25 News Stories on the Work of the Community Chest Published by The Decatur Herald June 1, 1929 to May 30, 1930 Total Column No. News No. No. News AGENCY — Inches Stories Editorials Pictures Anna B. Millikin Home 96 28 Boys Opportunity Home 79 19 Boy Scouts 634 139 1 9 Community Chest 694 94 1 Day Nursery 92 13 Girls Welfare Home 67 13 Hospital Clinic 12 3 Pines Community Center 70 19 Red Cross 81 25 Salvation Army 114 22 .. 1 School Clinic 52 7 1.. Social Service Bureau 249 48 2 T. B. and V. N. Association 176 33 Y. M. C. A 1020 230 3 5 Y. W. C. A 909 200 .. 4 Total 4345 893 8 19 TABLE No. 26 News Stories on the Work of Community Chest Agencies Published by The Decatur Review June 1, 1929 to May 30, 1930 Total Column No. News No. No. News AGENCY — Inches Stories Editorials Pictures Anna B. Millikin Home 73 16 Boys Opportunity Home 101 18 .. 3 Boy Scouts 1044% 187 2 26 Community Chest 1250 1/ 2 127 6 34 Decatur Day Nursery IO21/2 19 Girls Welfare Home 245 27 .. 8 Hospital Clinic 148 19 Pines Community Center 169i/ 2 30 .. 2 Red Cross Slli/ 2 66 .. 3 Salvation Army 268 38 .. 4 School Clinic 189V 2 16 .. 4 Social Service Bureau 894 1/ 2 123 3 3 T. B. and V. N. A 367 67 2 4 Y. M. C. A 949i/ 2 153 1 9 Y. W. C. A 1266i/ 2 187 1 23 Total 7380% 1093 15 123 73 Spread of Newspaper Publicity Among Chest Agencies Tables No. 25 and No. 26 show for The Decatur Herald and The Decatur Review, respectively, the number of news stories and total column inches published last year on the activities of each Community Chest agency. It will be noticed from these tables that the character- building organizations (Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., Boy Scouts, Pines Community Center) received the largest amount of space of any group. The Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. received a great deal more news- paper publicity than any other agencies. The organizations which are weakest in the amount of newspaper publicity received are the Anna B. Millikin Home, Boys Opportunity Home, Decatur Day Nursery, Pines Community Center, Red Cross, and the Clinic. A Publicity Committee Is Recommended The burden of directing the educational program of the Community Chest should not rest on the executive alone. There should be a year- round publicity committee composed of 10 or 12 persons, which will meet monthly throughout the year to plan a year-round educational program. This committee should be composed of persons who under- stand the possibilities and limitations of newspaper publicity, display advertising, direct-mail publicity, posters and other printed matter, dra- matics, radio, come-and-see-trips, and so on. Year-Round Publicity Program Is Necessary It is a great mistake to wait until campaign time each year to en- deavor to sell the public the Community Chest program. It is hard to convince anyone of anything when you have one hand in their pocket. Often the best progress in educating the community on the social work program can be made at the time of year when your financial campaign is most distant. At such a time people are less apt to feel that you are motivated by financial needs. The following suggestions which have gotten results in other cities are submitted for consideration of the publicity committee of the Coun- cil of Social Agencies of the community Chest. Suggestions Permanent Publicity Committee A definite policy of year-round educational effort should be agreed on. A publicity committee should be appointed which will meet monthly and study continuously the best ways in which to bring about a better understanding in Decatur of social service. Monthly Reports Monthly statistical reports, as well as quarterly reports, should be published regularly in the newspapers. These reports should not only give some outstanding statistics which will show the public what is being done from month to month with the money which it contributes but should also try to tell in an interesting way little human interest incidents. In some cities monthly and quarterly reports are published as display advertising in the newspapers, the space being contributed free of charge to the Community Chest. Human Interest Stories In the newspaper publicity the major emphasis should be upon human interest stories and every agency in the chest should be persuaded to co-operate by supplying the facts on which human interest stories can be written. 74 Street Car Cards The Illinois Power & Light Corporation (or Baron G. Collier, Inc.) might be approached with a view to getting permission to keep cards in the street cars the year-round, telling about the work of the Com- munity Chest. In some cities this has been arranged without any cost to the chesc, the space being contributed free. Monthly Posters, Etc. Five or s"x times a year inexpensive posters of suitable size for dis- play on bulletin boards, etc., should be distributed to all industries of the community. It is highly important that the rank and file of small contributors be reminded throughout the year that their contributions to the Community Chest is doing good and is being appreciated by those who are helped. Speakers' Bureau A year-round effort should be made to get speakers before all com- munity groups to tell about the work of the Community Chest and its agencies. Often informal talks before small groups with an opportunity for questions and answers is more effective than a more formal address. Come-and-See Trips Come-and-See Trips should be conducted. When workmen from in- dustries are taken on these trips, it is very desirable that some official of the firm accompany them because this makes the men feel that the matter is important. Incidentally the officials often need the understand- ing which results from such a trip. Notices in Church Bulletins If a very brief item is mailed each Monday or Tuesday to the churches of the city with the request that it be included in the Church Bulletin, it will often be printed. These items should be only four or five lines when printed in the bulletin and should give some definite information on the number of people helped, etc., by Community Chest agencies. These items can be centered around the thought that the social agencies are engaged in a program of practical Christianity. CONCLUSION There is in Decatur a great deal of misunderstanding, ignorance, and prejudice towards the Community Chest. This is still true despite the advance which has been made in publicity and educational work during the present year. With the exception of a few hundred or a thousand persons, the population of Decatur is not "Sold" on the Community Chest and its program of organized social service. The need is as great as in any city in the country for a carefully planned year-round educa- tion program. This subject is of sufficient importance to justify the most serious consideration of those who are interested in the success of the Com- munity Chest and its future program. 75 CHAPTER V. THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN For the past six or seven years Decatur's Annual Community Chest Campaign has failed to reach its goal. A study of the campaigns sug- gests the following reasons for these repeated failures. Organization not started early enough. Prospect-lists poorly prepared. Insufficient attention to organization details. Scarcity of large gifts. Inadequate year-round publicity. Campaign Plan Formerly Used The campaign plan used last year by the Decatur Chest was somewhat as follows: The campaign chairman was appointed about three months before the drive opened. He appointed four assistant chairmen (called col- onels) and each of these colonels was given responsibility for handling the campaign in one section of the city. There was no advance solicitation of big gifts. There was no indus- trial or employee division. Only a feeble effort was made to solicit gifts from chain stores or other corporations with out-of-town headquarters. One man had responsibility for this job and he was appointed almost on the eve of the campaign. Each colonel divided his territory into six to ten sections with a team in charge of each. Prospect-cards were assigned each team for all known prospects residing within the team's district. 76 DIAGRAM Campaign Organization Plan for The Decatur Community Chest DECATUR, ILLINOIS THE CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN Year-Round Campaign Committee Secretary MISCELLANEOUS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Publicity Committee Luncheon Committee Rating Committee Auditing Committee THE ADVANCE GUARD (For Big Gifts) Assignment Committee Foreign Gifts Committee Soliciting Team 10 Persons Soliciting Team 10 Persons SCHOOL DIVISION COMMITTEE EMPLOYEE DIVISION (Wage-Earners Gifts) Chairman and about 6 to 8 men ORGANIZE CAMPAIGN IN BUSINESS FIRMS GENERAL SOLICITATION DIVISION Section 1 Colonel Lt. Col Captains and Workers Section 2 Colonel Lt. Col Captains and Workers Section 3 Colonel Lt. Col Captains and Workers Section 4 Colonel Lt. Col Captains and Workers 77 A New Campaign Plan Is Suggested The following campaign plan is recommended for the Decatur Com- munity Chest. This plan has been discussed in outline with last year's campaign chairman and with a group of six men, who will serve as assistant chairmen of the 1930 drive. Some details of the plan have been cleared with other Decatur citizens who have worked on previous drives. The plan herewith suggested is by no means a new one. It em- bodies methods that have proven successful in many Community Chest drives the country over. Permanent Campaign Committee It is recommended that the executive committee of the Community Chest appoint a permanent committee of nine persons to serve for three years each, one-third of the committee going out of office each year. It will be the job of the campaign committee to study continuously, year in and year out, the campaign problems of the Community Chest. This committee will carry forward the accumulated experience of suc- cessful annual drives. When its members are in other cities where a Community Chest campaign is in progress, they will be expected to bring back any new ideas or suggestions that can be obtained. It will also be the job of this committee to obtain the general chair- man of the campaign each year. The campaign committee will act as active assistants to the campaign chairman and will share his burdens with him. The campaign chairman, as soon as obtained, will automat- ically become the active chairman of the campaign committee. Begin Campaign Organization Early The general chairman of the annual campaign should be obtained at least six months before the drive is to open. All important leadership positions on the campaign should be filled at least three months before the drive starts. However, the team members should not be recruited too long before the opening of the campaign because if this is done there is danger of a slackening of interest on the part of solicitors dur- ing the interval of waiting. Generally speaking, in a city the size of Decatur there should not be a lapse of longer than two or three weeks before the time the campaign organization is completed and the actual solicitation begins. Advance Solicitation for Big Gifts From a monetary standpoint this is unquestionably the most impor- tant section of Decatur's Annual Campaign. Last year only 38% of the welfare fund came from gifts of $500.00 and up. Around 50% of the money should come from this source. Last year only 65% of the money came from gifts of $100.00 and up. Around 75 or 80% of the fund should come from this group of givers. One rea- son why the Decatur Community Chest has not been successful in raising its money, is because many people of means have not yet gotten the habit of giving as liberally as they might to the Community Fund. When the chest was started in Decatur the giving-level was possibly placed too low. In order for the Community Chest to raise the money that is needed for an adequate social service program a big increase must be obtained in gifts of $100-and-up. This is the important job of the com- mittee which has charge of the advance solicitation. A Hand-Picked Committee Is Necessary A carefully selected committee of about 20 of the most influential persons in the city should be selected to solicit the contributions of those who are probably able to contribute $100 or more. In the 1929 cam- 78 paign only 178 contributions of this size were obtained. So it is probable that this special committee would not be assigned more than 200 cards, or approximately 10 cards per person. The chairman of this special committee should be a large contributor and one who can get influential citizens to work with him. This com- mittee should be given its prospect-cards two or three weeks before the general campaign opens and they should have their solicitation virtually completed by the opening of the general drive. Selection of Prospects for Advance Solicitation The selection of prospects to be assigned the special committee for advance solicitation should be done with the greatest possible thought and care. It is especially important that the most painstaking and thoughtful effort be made in selecting the person who is to have re- sponsibility for soliciting each prospect. It is suggested that a small committee of responsible citizens meet with the general chairman of the campaign during the late summer and early fall to decide who is the best person to solicit each prospect. If this group is unable from its own knowledge to decide who is the best person in the community to solicit a prospective larger giver, inquiry should be carefully made from others who are better acquainted with the person or firm. A Meeting of Large Contributors Is Recommended In view of the economic conditions which this year's campaign will have to face, it is recommended that all persons who are to be solicited for large gifts be called together a couple of weeks before the advance solicitation is to begin. This meeting should be called by one of the most influential large contributors in the community. The ideal plan would probably be to have some one invite these people to his home for dinner, telling them frankly that after dinner you are going to dis- cuss the coming campaign but that no solicitation whatever will be at this meeting. This group of persons should be given some straight-from- the-shoulder facts in regard to the Community Chest financial situation and approaching drive. They should be told frankly that it is hopeless, in the face of present conditions, to expect any increases in the gifts of wage earners and small salaried persons and that this year, even more than in previous years, the burden of financing the Community Chest program rests on those who have money to give — No matter what their policy has been in the past, and no matter what it will be in the future, this year they must be urged to increase their contributions. If a meeting of this kind is handled rightly, it may bring home to some of the larger contributors a better understanding of their responsibility in the community's welfare program. A Foreign Gift Division Is Recommended It is recommended that a committee of two or three persons be given entire responsibility for soliciting the firm-gift of all corporations with out-of-town headquarters. This committee should be appointed four or five months before the opening of the campaign and should begin worX at once. The local manager of each firm should first be called on and his promise of co-operation and moral support obtained. The committee should then write direct to the national or regional headquarters of each such firm. If any member of the committee is on a business trip to the city in which such headquarters are located, a personal call should be made upon the national or regional manager who has respon- sibility for approving local gifts to Community Chests. The firm-gift obtained by this committee from chain stores and other firms with out- of-town headquarters should not in any way effect the personal con- tribution of the local manager. His gift will be solicited, by other parts of the campaign in the usual manner. 79 An Employee Division Is Recommended With the possible exception of one or two firms the contributions made by wage-earners in Decatur have been fewer in number and smaller in amount than would be expected. It is recommended that Decatur follow the example of other Community Chest cities by appoint- ing a special committee to have charge of this important part of the campaign. With a few possible exceptions all firms employing around thirty or more persons should be assigned this committee for the solicitation of wage-earners , contributions. However, this committee should not solicit the gifts of salaried officials or assistants. A Plan for Organizing the Employee Division A plan which has been successfully used by other cities for organ- izing this division of the campaign is as follows : Each member of the committee selects from five to ten firms (depend- ing on the size of the firm) in which he believes he would have a good contact with the management. The first thing to do is to call on the head of the firm and get his promise of co-operation. Unless the head of the firm is willing to co- operate, it is almost impossible to organize a successful campaign in the establishment. The firm head should appoint a firm-captain for this plant. This firm-captain must be someone who stands well with the workmen and who they respect. The firm-captain must not be a clerk, office-boy or any one who cannot give the leadership that is necessary. It is the job of the firm-captain (with such assistants or lieutenants as he may need) to carry on the actual solicitation of pledges in his plant. Prior to soliciting pledges, the firm-captain, with the co-opera- tion of the firm-head, must see that adequate publicity and educational work is done among the workmen of the plant to get them in a frame of mind so that they will be willing to contribute. While no pressure should be used to get workmen to make a contribution, the workmen should know that the management endorses the campaign and expects all workmen who are financially able to do their rightful share in sup- porting the community's welfare work. A Minimum Gift Is Suggested In recent years several Community Chests in different parts of the country have adopted the plan of requesting a minimum gift of not less than such-and-such an amount for workmen. The purpose of this is to get away from contributions of 25c, 50c and $1.00. In some plants the plan of requesting one day's pay seems to work but in the majority of firms this suggestion is apparently too vague to meet with general acceptance on the part of workmen. The plan of requesting a minimum pledge of not less than $5.00 has proven successful in a number of places. Where this plan is used a special pledge card with $5.00 printed on it is used in place of the regular pledge card by the employee division. There seems to be an advantage in requesting a definite sum such as $5.00. The philosophical basis of the $5.00 minimum pledge is somewhat as follows : If a person is honestly unable to contribute $5.00 the payment of which can be made throughout the year to suit his convenience, then such a person should not be expected to support the welfare program of the commun- ity. When such a person supports his own family, contrib- utes to his church, and the like, he is doing his full part. Without ill-will or hard feeling of any kind, he is excused from contributing. 80 Where such a plan is used, it is desirable that foremen and others who are able to contribute more than $5.00 be solicited before the general campaign for the wage-earners begins. It is the job of each committee to see that this is done in the plants for which he has ac- cepted the responsibility. Prior to the opening of the employee division campaign a "Rally Meeting" should be held for all firm-captains and lieutenants who are going to solicit pledges in the plants together with as many of the work- men as can be accommodated. The purpose of this rally meeting is to give instructions to the workers and to get across something in the way of inspiration. It is highly desirable that the firm head and other officials come to this meeting with their workmen in order to show that they are inter- ested in the Community Chest drive and that it has their loyal backing. In many cities it has been found desirable to time the employee divi- sion campaign to open about one week ahead of the general drive, thus leaving the campaign-week for follow-up in the industries. Schools Division Is Recommended The importance of a schools division in the campaign is not the amount of money it brings in. Its importance lies in its possibilities for educating the school children of the community in the welfare program that is being carried on. If any real progress is to be made in improving the social conditions of our communities, this progress will probably not be made in the pres- ent generation. The great hope lies in the boys and girls who are in school today and who are our citizens of tomorrow. If we can plant in these growing minds an understanding of the responsibility of citizen- ship, and develop the beginning of a sympathetic outlook towards com- munity welfare problems, we will have made an important contribution to the future city. It should be the purpose of the school division to carry on an inten- sive educational program among the teachers and pupils and also to give school children an opportunity to begin the habit of making an annual contribution in support of the city's welfare work. If this educa- tional effort can later be extended to a nine months' basis in the schools, the result will be well worth the effort and thought involved. Organization Plan The schools division campaign can be organized very well by women and a small committee of four or five should be appointed at least two months before the campaign. The endorsement of the school board and superintendent should be obtained. Each member of the committee accepts responsibility for organizing the campaign in selected schools. A visit is made to each school about six weeks before the opening of the campaign to talk the matter over with the principal and get his promise of co-operation. Mimeographed or printed instructions and material for teachers should be furnished the schools about one month in advance of the campaign. This material should be prepared in consultation with a committee of school teachers and principals, and should be of such a nature that it is usable in English classes, Civics classes, Arithmetic, History, etc. Samples of "Teachers' Manuals" used by other cities can be easily obtained. Those used in 1929 by Cincinnati, Cleveland, Harrisburg, and Indianapolis are recom- mended. There are a number of ways in which interest in the campaign can be aroused in the schools. The following suggestions will stimulate other ideas: 81 Poster-Contests for Art Classes Essay-Contests or Essay Assignments by English Classes. Five-minute Speeches by pupils. Oratorical contests among all schools with the public invited to the final elimination. Contributions from the teachers should be solicited by committee of two or three teachers appointed by the principal of each school. As a suggestion the teachers might be asked to contribute a minimum of one per cent, of their annual salary. Contributions from school children can be solicited through envelopes such as were used in Decatur schools last year or by small coin boxes placed in each school room. A pint ice cream box is satisfactory for this purpose. Contributors' buttons should be always furnished each pupil whether or not a contribution is made by the child. This avoids embarrassment to any child who is financially unable to contribute. All contributions from pupils, teachers, principals and administrative staff should be assigned the schools division, and the usual publicity given the total contributed by the division. The General Solicitation The general solicitation division of the campaign is charged with soliciting all prospective givers of $100-down except those covered by the employee division, the foreign-gifts division, and the schools divi- sion, and any other special committees. This division of the campaign is always a somewhat discouraging job for the workers because all of the big gifts have been assigned to other sections. Nevertheless this division is the backbone of the gen- eral campaign. It is important not only for the amount of money turned in, but for its educational possibilities. It is this division that reaches virtually every adult citizen of the community who is missed by other parts of the drive. For many a citizen the interview with a worker of this division is the only time during the year that anyone who is well informed on the Community Chest talks to him personally about wel- fare work. This furnishes an important opportunity to answer objec- tions and criticisms and to give a right conception of the community's united welfare program. For these reasons, as well as for the amount of money obtained, it is important that this division be continued as a part of the annual campaign. Organization Plan The present plan of dividing the city into four geographical districts with a colonel in charge of each is sound. Each district should be sub- divided into sections with a team-captain in charge of each section, and the sections should be small enough to insure their being thoroughly and systematically canvassed with as many return-calls as are necessary for a satisfactory interview with each prospect in the section. Prospect Cards Each team captain should be assigned prospect-cards for every known prospective giver in his section. The team captain is respon- sible, however, for seeing that every address in the section is convassed whether or not his team has been assigned a card for the address. The only wise exception to this rule is that the captain should, after study- ing his section, definitely determine before the opening of the campaign whether any blocks are unworth a systematic canvass and so inform his team-workers before the campaign opens. Having ruled out the places that are obviously not worth a systematic canvass (and there are very few such blocks) the captain should insist upon the rest of the section being thoroughly and systematically canvassed. 82 Map of Section Each captain should be furnished a map of the section assigned his team, and the map should be on a scale large enough to show the separate blocks in his section. The colonel should be furnished a map of his entire district. As a rule the city engineering department or the telephone company can supply sufficient copies of such maps to enable campaign headquarters to furnish each team-captain and colonel a mounted map of the section each is responsible for. Manuscript Lists of Prospects It is very desirable that each team-captain be furnished a manuscript list of all prospects assigned his team. This manuscript list is in addition to the prospect-cards, and is made from the cards. The manuscript list should list alphabetically the name and address of each prospect, the previous year's contribution of each, with two blank columns, one col- umn for recording the person to whom the captain assigns the prospect, and another for recording the gift obtained. The advantages of the prospect list is that it enables the team-cap- tain to keep a control of the work being done by his team members, and makes it possible for him to quickly spot any case in which this year's gift falls below last year's amount or below this year's expec- tancy. In such cases the captain is responsible, of course, for seeing that a re-canvass is made. The routine for preparing the prospect-cards for each team is as follows : 1st — The prospect-cards are prepared by the chest office ; 2nd — Cards are sent to the post office for checking the addresses and to catch deaths or removals from city; 3rd — Cards are arranged alphabetically by the chest of- fice, and manuscript lists typed for each team. (Carbon lists should be kept by campaign office) ; 4th — Cards are returned to post office to be thrown geo- graphically according to blocks. (The post office should be cautioned to throw the cards "by blocks" and not by the routes followed for mail delivery.) When this has been done each team captain can be delivered his prospect-cards arranged according to blocks, and his manuscript list showing alphabetically each prospect in his district, with the amount contributed last year by each. If this plan is followed it will be found that the team captain and team workers will take much more interest in doing a thorough and systematic job. It might be mentioned here that the team captain should always give each team worker only enough cards for one days' work. The cards are usually assigned to workers by pairs, a block or two at a time, with a reminder to cover the territory thoroughly whether or not there is a prospect-card for each address. Gifts of $25 to $100 There are many advantages of the geographical plan above de- scribed. One disadvantage is that a large number of persons who now contribute from $25 to $100, and who are probably able to give more, are solicited in hap-hazard fashion by which ever team worker covers the territory in which such a prospect happens to reside or work. Many of these persons could be persuaded to increase their contribution if interviewed by the right person, and there may be only one person in the city who is the right person to get a $25 contributor to give $100. To overcome this weakness of the geographical plan, and yet hold on to its many good points, the following plan has been successfully used, and is recommended. 83 Each person in this division of the campaign is told that he will be allowed to pick TWO CARDS (or three cards) of persons giving be- tween $25 and $100 en condition that he selects only those cards on which he feels sure that he can get an increase. The cards of all $25-$ 100 contributors which would be assigned this division are then displayed on racks at campaign headquarters about a week or ten days before the opening of the campaign. All workers of the division are permitted to study the cards so displayed and to pick TWO CARDS. The cards so selected are assigned the worker re- gardless of the territory in which the prospect lives or works. Stop- cards are then placed with the proper teams to keep these selected prospects being solicited by the team in whose territory the card would have fallen. Miscellaneous Suggestions Home Address and Business Address It is thought best in most Community Chest campaigns to assign the cards of this division according to business address rather than by home address. This naturally throws the biggest portion of cards in the down- town business blocks. In order to avoid one or two teams getting the bulk of the cards the following plan is used : The down-town business section is divided into as many blocks (or sections) as there are teams in this division, and each team is given one (or two) down-town blocks along with its outlying section. This plan seems to work satisfactory and is recommended. Professional Groups A matter of concern in many Community Chest campaigns is the small amount contributed by some professional groups such as the doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc. The plan of assigning all doctors to one team, lawyers to another, etc., has been tried in different cities and apparently does not get the desired results. It is suggested that such cards be handled on an individual assignment basis so far as possi- ble. If a committee of two or three outstanding doctors will write a good strong letter to all physicians urging them to contribute liberally, and the same plan followed with other professional groups, this sometimes helps. This is recommended. Prospect-Cards It is of the greatest importance that the prospect-cards be accurate with as few duplications as possible. The following is suggested for building up the prospect list: 1st — Start with last year's contributors, not with the tax list as was done in 1929. 2nd — Check this against all telephone subscribers, being sure to get the telephone company to give you all new subscribers. Other good lists to use are the rosters of luncheon clubs, Parent-Teacher Associations, civic clubs, Chamber of Commerce, etc. Tax lists and the city directory will give you many names that are useless and cause many duplications. All campaign workers should have explained to them that with the money and time available it is impossible to turn out a 100% accurate prospect list. The reason why duplications occur can be easily explained to any reasonable group, and this should be done in order to overcome the feeling that the central office is careless and ship-shod if duplications occur in the prospect list. Use the following illustration : 84 Last year's pledge card listed James W. Johnston. The Rotary Club roster listed J. W. Johnston, Jr. The Women's Club roster listed Marie W. Johnston. The Chamber of Commerce listed Johnston's Bus Service, Inc. All four are the same gift, and yet four prospect-cards were given the campaign organization after every reasonable check had been made in the central office to avoid duplication. This simple illustration will show the workers how difficult it is to have a 100% perfect list. Retain- ing the confidence of the campaign organization is highly important. Rating the Prospects Prior to the campaign a committee should go over the cards or pros- pect lists and try to determine the amount to be requested from each contributor who is in the $25-and-over bracket. This gives the solicitor an idea of what to hope for in soliciting the prospect, and gives him a lead in case the prospect gives him an opportunity to make a suggestion. Complete Prospect List It is desirable to have on display at campaign headquarters a com- plete prospect list of every prospect who is being solicited by the cam- paign. This can be prepared without undue work or expense by begin- ning the preparation of prospect-cards well in advance of the campaign, and typing off a complete manuscript list before the prospect-cards are broken down by divisions. A plan used by some cities is to type the prospect-cards in duplicate. The original can then be hurried through the usual routines and the duplicate arranged alphabetically for typing the complete prospect list and also used for other purposes during the campaign preparation. The making of a complete prospect list, alphabetically arranged, is recommended. Report Meetings It has been suggested that Decatur might do away with all report meetings for its campaign and simply instruct workers to bring their reports to the central office whenever convenient during campaign week. Report meetings should be held daily during the campaign. It is doubtful if a campaign would be successful in Decatur if report meet- ings were omitted. In place of the supper meetings held in previous years it is suggested that luncheon meetings be tried this year. The report meetings should be made so interesting and so enjoyable that campaign workers will not want to miss them. Some one person should be charged with the responsibility of arranging interesting- events, stunts, singing, etc., for all report luncheons. This person should probably be relieved of all other campaign responsibility and asked to concentrate his efforts on making the meetings so interesting and enjoy- able that no-one will want to miss one. A reasonable length for report luncheons is from 12 :15 to 1 :30 p. m. Some cities hold them from 12 :00 to 2 :00 p.m. The suggestion made in Decatur for eating, reporting, and getting away in 30 minutes should be dismissed. Good report meetings go a long way towards making the campaign a success. Publishing Names of Contributors Most Community Chests now publish the names and amounts of all contributors above a certain amount. The advantages of such publica- tion seem to outweigh the disadvantages. It is recommended that the name and amount of every contribution above $25 be published in the Decatur newspapers. To be effective this must be published in columns and not set solid by the newspaper. 85 CAMPAIGN COMPETITION A campaign without competition is usually uninteresting and dead. As a basis of competition it is recommended that each division and each team be given a goal based on what the same prospects or territory- produced last year plus the increase needed. Mechanical devices, black- boards, etc., can be used to stimulate interest in the goals assigned and the percentage of the goal reached daily by different divisions and teams. Prizes can be awarded divisions, teams, and individual workers daily to stimulate interest. Plans used successfully in other Community Chest cities are easily obtainable. 86 CHAPTER VI. REPORTS ON COMMUNITY CHEST AGENCIES SECTION I. CHILDREN'S AGENCIES The Anna B. Millikin Home The Boys' Opportunity Home The Girls' Welfare Home Dependent and Neglected Children Social work for dependent and neglected children is being carried on in Decatur by three Community Chest agencies and by two public departments. These are as follows: The Anna B. Millikin Home (Community Chest Agency) The Boys' Opportune Home (Community Chest Agency) The Girls' Welfare Home (Community Chest Agency) The Juvenile Court (Public) The Juvenile Probation Officer (Public) The survey could not undertake anything more than a very brief inspection of the work of the private agencies and did not attempt to study the work of the Juvenile Court or Juvenile Probation Office. Special Reports on Chest Agencies For each of the three Community Chest agencies a separate brief report is made. There is also a report on the Colored Children's Welfare Home which was made at request of the board of directors of the Com- munity Chest. There are a number of general facts concerning children's work in Decatur which have a bearing on the programs of all four of these private agencies. These are discussed in this section and should be re- garded as accompanying the individual report on each of the child- caring agencies. 87 Institutional Care and Child-Placing Programs The Anna B. Millikin Home, the Boys' Opportunity Home, and the Girls' Welfare Home are providing institutional care i'or neglected and dependent children. The board of each home expresses itself as believ- ing that child-placing in families is a better social plan for children that permanent institutional care, and has adopted as a policy the plan of moving children into private homes as fast as possible. In all three cases the boards profess to use the institution mainly as a temporary receiving home. However, the movement of children from the institutions into private homes is so slow that an impartial observer is forced to conclude that up to the present time the major emphasis in each institution has been on institutional care of the children rather than in child-placing in fam- ilies. In the Millikin Home 72 per cent of the children have been in the home more than one year. In the Boys' Opportunity Home 74 per cent, and in the Girls' Welfare Home 58 per cent have been in the institutions a year or longer. A count made by the survey showed that 25 per cent of all the children now in the three homes have been there for three- years-or-longer. In view of these facts it seems wise for the survey to recommend a plan which will enable the boards of directors of these three homes to move their children into private homes faster than they have been able to do in the past. In fairness to the boards it should be said that this subject has perplexed many of the board members of each home. They recognize that the best institution cannot give a child advantages which the private home offers, and many members of the three boards have been increasingly concerned at the slowness with which the children were being moved. More Children in Institutions Here In the three homes named there is a total of 113 children. In order to compare this figure with other communities it is necessary to reduce the figure to a population basis, which shows that Decatur has in insti- tutions : 19.5 Children per 10,000 Population If the population of the whole of Macon County is used, instead of the population of Decatur, the ratio is 14 children per 10,000 popula- tion. This compares with other cities on which the survey has accurate information as follows : No. of Children in Institutions Per 10,000 Population DECATUR 19.5 Akron, Ohio 8.8 Columbus, Ohio 6.2 Cleveland, Ohio 11.7 Detroit, Mich 8.8 Grand Rapids, Mich 10.2 Lancaster, Pa 11.1 Reading, Pa 10.7 Sharon, Pa 3.5 St. Paul, Minn 11.2 Harrisburg, Pa 13.1 From these figures it is clear that Decatur is out of line with the experience of other cities in the large proportion of children being kept in institution S3 Children in Foster Homes When we compare Decatur's experience with other cities, in the num- ber of children in foster homes per 10,000 population we find what would be expected. The number of children in foster homes is below the average of other places. In this figure the survey had to use the figure and the population of Macon County, as these were the only figures available on foster home children. There are reported to be 5 children per 100,000 population in foster homes in Macon County. The figure is from the State Welfare Depart- ment to the Juvenile Probation Officer. The population of Macon County is taken at 80,000. No. of Children in Foster Homes Per 10,000 Population MACON COUNTY 5 Reading, Pa 6 Omaha, Neb 11 Lancaster, Pa 15 Cleveland, Ohio 15 Cincinnati, Ohio 14 Detroit, Mich 14 Harrisburg, Pa 20 Average, 25 cities 11 From these two tables it is clear that Decatur has more children in institutions and fewer in foster homes, per 10,000 population, than most communities. Expansion of Institutions Unless this ratio is changed it is inevitable that during the next dec- ade the present institutions will have to be enlarged. It would seem a great pity for Decatur to expand its social work in this direction when the trend everywhere is to decrease the institutional care of children and put the emphasis on child-placing in families. Trained Social Worker Recommended The survey recommends that a trained social service worker be em- ployed to assist all three homes to develop their programs of child- placing. This social worker should be placed on the staff of the Social Service Bureau, and devote her entire time to child-placing work for the three homes. If this service proved acceptable to the boards of the three homes, and it was found that one social worker could not do all of the work required, a second worker should be employed. The cost of employing one or two social workers would probably be more than saved by the eventual decrease in the population of the homes. There are three services which such a social worker could place at disposal of each home : A study could be made of each child now in the homes. It is probable that a surprising number of these children could be returned to their parents or relatives, thus relieving the com- munity of their support. Investigate all requests for admission to the homes, and furnish the board of the home an accurate statement of the facts regarding home conditions. Help find foster homes for children and assist the boards in moving the children into suitable homes and guide the board in the right kind of follow-up after the child is placed. This recommendation is made, together with the recommendation that the County pay the homes the full cost of maintaining children in the homes, when the child is committed by the court. At present the County so x reimburses the homes at the rate of 50c per day, while the per diem cost is between 75c and $1.00 in the homes. The additional payment by the County will relieve the Community Chest of this financial burden, and the money thus saved can be invested in a trained social worker as recommended above. Per Diem Cost of Caring for Children in Institutions A study has recently been made of the cost of care of children in institutions in different cities. The figures are as follows : Average Cost Per Day's Care Buffalo Cleveland . Dayton Denver Reading ... Sioux City St. Paul Wichita ... Total Per Spent on Payroll Other Operating Diem Cost Per Day Per Expenses Per Per Child Child Day Per Child $ .94 $ .34 $ .60 1.51 .60 .91 .95 .32 .63 .65 .18 .47 .59 .17 .42 .41 .12 .29 1.73 .64 1.09 .53 .17 .36 AVERAGE, 8 cities $1.02 $ .37 $ .65 Cost of Institutional Care in Decatur Compared with Other Cities It is somewhat difficult to arrive at the average per diem cost of caring for children in Decatur's institutions. For example, one home cares for aged women as well as homeless girls, and the survey has no separate cost-accounting to show exactly the cost of caring for the children. In the other homes the survey has only the estimate of the board of directors of the number of days care given during the 12 months period. While this estimate is no doubt fairly close to actual experience, it lacks the weight of an exact day-to-day record. With the above facts in mind, the following estimate made by the survey may be accepted as approximately accurate : Total Number of Days-Care given dependent and neglected children by Decatur institutions in the year 1929 : 41,245 Per Diem Cost of Care Per Child in Institutions DECATUR (average for 3 institutions) $ ,lB8% Average Cost in 8 other cities $1.02 The above figures bear out the impression gained by the survey that the children's homes of Decatur are well conducted and economically managed. From the above comparison it would be safe to state that Decatur's children's institutions are costing the community less per child than the average cost over the country. Recommended That the County Pay the Full Cost of Care At present the county is paying the Decatur homes 50c per day for each child committed to the homes by the court. There is no good rea- son why the county should not reimburse the homes at the full rate of what it costs to take care of these children. There is no logic in the county paying part of the cost and the citizens of Decatur going forth at the Community Chest campaign time to raise by private subscription the balance of what it costs to keep the court children at the home. There is ample precedent in Illinois and in other states to justify the boards of these three homes in requesting the county to meet the full cost. It is recommended that this be done. 90 ANNA B. MILLIKIN HOME LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Anna B. Millikin Home & Macon County Industrial School for Girls. LOCATION 200 North Oakland Avenue. EXECUTIVE Mrs. Louise Conklin. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mrs. C. P. Thatcher Mrs. Smith Walker Mrs. Nelle Dunston Mrs. Henrietta Mowery Mrs. M. A. VanZetti Mrs. Geo. Chamberlain Mrs. Laura Machan Mrs. G. D. Steele Mrs. Chas. Patterson Mrs. Edward Dunn Mrs. S. L. Croy Mrs. S. E. McClelland Mrs. Walston Mrs. Frank Weilepp Mrs. Clara Harry Mrs. Anna Fombelle Mrs. Percy Sullivan Mrs. Davis Mrs. E. A. Gastman TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Com- From Other munity Chest Sources 1925 None $11, 274.39 1926 None 9,273.35 1927 $500.00 12,168.28 1928 845.99 22,826.11 1929 624.42 11,961.88 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION Established in 1901. Cares for aged women and dependent and neg- lected girls. Capacity: 18 aged women, and 40 dependent girls. Present occupancy: 18 aged women; 29 girls. Admission Requirements — Aged women are admitted if 60 years old, in fair health, and well recommended. The admission fee is $650 for women from Macon County, $1,000 for women outside of Macon Coun- ty. This fee entitles one to be cared for the rest of one's life. Dependent and neglected girls from 5 to 16 years old are admitted on order of the court, and also on recommendation of the board or super- intendent. Macon County reimburses the home at the rate of 50c per day for children committed to the home by the court. Until within the last year the county reimbursed this home at the rate of $20 a month for court children. At present Peoria County is reimbursing the home at the rate of $1.00 per day for dependent children from Peoria County. Comments and Recommendations It is not considered a good social-work policy to try to take care of aged women and young children in the same institution. It is suggested that the board of directors of the home continue to concern themselves with this problem with a view to finding a solution which would not violate the provisions of the bequest which provides a large portion of the fund for maintaining the home. A possible solution might be to arrange with the Girls' Welfare Home to take care of the girls now at the Millikin Home on a cost basis. Analysis of Length of Stay at Home of Dependent and Neglected Girls Of the 29 girls now at the home, the ages range from 6 years old to 20 years old. 4 of the girls have been in the home more than 10 years. 7 girls have been in the home more than 5 years. 16 girls have been in the home more than 3 years. 21 girls have been in the home more than 2 years. 8 girls have been in the home less than a year. 91 Children Should Be Reared in Private Family Home3 It is recommended that the management of the home give thoughtful attention to getting the children placed in private family homes. The suggestion of a case-worker to serve the three homes should be espe- cially interesting to an institution which has so many girls who have been in the home for a long period of time. Home Well Managed The survey wishes to compliment the superintendent and the board of directors on the friendly atmosphere which prevails at the Anna B. Millikin Home. It is apparent that the institution is well managed and economically operated. There is no doubt that everything possible is done to make life bright and happy and home-like for both the aged women and the children. BOYS' OPPORTUNITY HOME LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Decatur & Macon County Opportunity Home for Boys. LOCATION 1942 East Cantrell Street. EXECUTIVE Mrs. W. II. Armstrong. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Judge J. S. Baldwin Mrs. J. J. Moran Mrs. E. M. Wagenseller Judge J. H. McCoy Mrs. A. H. Eyman Mrs. George Wright Mr. John A. McEvoy Mr. Emanuel Rosenberg Mr. D. S. McGaughey Mrs. Dan Macknet Mr. John F. Mattes Mr. Walter Dennis Mrs. C. H. Patterson Mr. O. B. Gorin Mrs. M. A. VanZetti Mrs. Inez Bender Mrs. G. D. Steele Mr. Geo. F. Hess Mrs. Harriet Amsden Mrs. Winifred Drennan Dr. I. II. Neece TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Com- From Other munity Chest Sources 1925 $ 7,370.00 19?.fi ...: . 5,500.00 1927 6,500.00 1928 11,000.00 1929 7,695.31 $5,981.38 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION Cares for dependent and neglected boys, with a view to getting the boys placed in foster homes as rapidly as >Ie. Comments and Suggs At the time of the sn in the home, ranging in age from 11 months to 15 years old. Th time the children had been in the home was as follows : I e : me in Home 8 boys have been In me 1 to 3 months. 3 boys have been in the home 3 to 6 months. 1 boy has been in the home 6 to 12 months. 12 boys have ' i the home 1 to 2 years. 11 boys have been in the home 2 to 3 years. 6 boys have been in the home 3 to 4 years. 3 boys have been in the home 4 to 5 years. 1 boy has been in the home 5 to 6 years. 1 bey has been in the home 7 years. 92 From the above it can be seen that 34 boys have been in the home a year or longer. This means that 74% of the boj r s have been in the home longer than a year. 22 boj^s have been there longer than two years, and 11 boys have been in the home 3 years or longer. The board of the home is very much concerned over the long length of time its children are remaining in the home, and will probably con- sider favorably the idea of a trained social worker to help find homes for the boys in private families. County Payment for Children At the present 63% of the boys at this home are court children and the county is paying 50c per day for their maintenance. The balance of the cost of keeping the children is being made up from other funds and from the Community Chest allotment. It is recommended that the boys' home board join the boards of the other two homes in requesting the county to increase the rate for court children from 50c to what it actually costs to take care of the boys. Home Is Complimented The survey wishes to say that the Boys' Opportunity Home is one of the finest institutions of its kind in the country. The building is modern and up-to-date. It is well managed, economically managed, and there is a happy atmosphere of the real home that is striking to even the casual caller. The children seem happy. GIRLS' WELFARE HOME LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Decatur & Macon County Welfare Home for Girls LOCATION 736 South Broadway Street. EXECUTIVE Mrs. Bertha B. Piatt. PRESIDENT Mrs. Guy N. Scovill BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mrs. C. H. Bachman Mrs. Frank Beall Mrs. Ed. Buckner Mrs. Carl Dick Mrs. J. S. Baldwin Miss Beatrice Atlass Mrs. H. S. Gebhart Mrs. Delia Gushard Mrs. J. D. Johnson Miss Gussie Gorin Mrs. Guy Lewis Mrs. C. M. Jack Mrs. R. I. Hunt Mrs. C. H. Leon Mrs. John McEvoy Mrs. John Robinson Mrs. Geo. Mueller Mrs. J. T. Miller Mrs. Guy N. Scovill Mrs. M. P. Parrish Mrs. W. C. Roberts Mrs. Foster Waltz Miss Harriet Childs Miss Sallie Shaffer Mrs. H. H. Wise Mrs. Geo. Hess Mrs. Mary Buckley Mrs. Carlos Lyon TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Com- From Other munity Chest Sources 1925 $8,677.84 $2,582.00 1926 8,805.31 2,821.00 1927 7,629.56 3,811.00 1928 7,684.45 5,526.73 1929 7,641.27 5,153.00 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION Institutional care of dependent and neglected children, with a pro- gram for placing children in foster homes as fast as practicable. The third (top) floor is used as a detention home for problem girls com- mitted by the county and others. 93 Comments and Suggestions At the time of the survey there were 38 girls in the home. Their ages ranged from 10 months to 18 years old. Their length of stay in the home varied from a month to 5 years. Of the 38 girls in the home 22 (or 58%) had been there over a year, 16 more than 2 years, and 8 more than 3 years. Child-Placing Program Urged In view of these figures, which frankly concern the board members, it is recommended that this agency consider seriously the suggestion of a trained social-worker to aid the board in finding foster homes for the children. County Payment for Court Children It is recommended that the Girls' Welfare Home join the other two homes in requesting the county to raise the rate of reimbursement for court children from 50c a day to what it actually costs to keep the child. Detention Home The plan of maintaining a detention home for problem girls in the same building which provides a home for little children and young girls is not good from a social standpoint. However, the present ar- rangement, whereby the detention home is virtually a separate depart- ment seems a practicable solution of a perplexing problem. A Splendid Home The Girls' Welfare Home has an active and interested board of directors, and a superintendent who succeeds in creating a pleasant home-like atmosphere though the building is large and old-fashioned. This home is especially fortunate in its beautiful grounds which sur- round the building. The survey wishes to compliment the home on its efficient and economical management, and also express its pleasure at the happy smiles on the faces of the little children at the home. 94 CHART No. XIII. Chart Showing the Number of Children in Institutions Per 10,000 Population Decatur, 111. Harrisburg,Pa. Cleveland, O. St. Paul, Minn. Lancaster, Pa. Grand Rapids Reading, Pa. Akron, Ohio Detroit, Mich. Columbus, O. Sharon, Pa. 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 1 i i i ! 1 1 j_ J 20 I CHART No. XIV. Chart Showing the Number of Children in Foster Homes Per 10,000 Population Harrisburg,Pa. Lancaster, Pa. s Cleveland, O. Detroit, Mich. Cincinnati, O. Omaha, Neb. Reading, Pa. Macon Co. Average, 25 Cities 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 ; ! 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 L 1 i i I i I 95 THE COLORED CHILDREN'S WELFARE HOME Note : This report is made at special request of the board of directors of the Community Chest, the Colored Children's Home having applied for admission to the chest and for inclusion in the next campaign. PURPOSE To provide day-nursery care to children of working colored mothers, and permanent institutional care to homeless colored children. LOCATION The home is now located at 635 Greenwood Avenue in a ten room house. The lot is about 50 by 150 feet. The house is equipped with modern plumbing, bath, electricity. The house has a large porch. There is a large yard to the home. MANAGEMENT The president of the home is Mrs. Mollie Metlock, who lives at 1004 North Railroad Avenue. The board of directors is given as follows : Mrs. Mollie Metlock, President Mrs. Virgie Cummings, Secretary Mrs. Lucy Dillon, Treasurer Mrs. Anna Coleman Mrs. Bessie Watkins Mrs. Emma Foney Rev. J. H. McPherson Superintendent, Mrs. Minnie Allen. Asst. Supt., Miss Rena Carr PROGRAM This home was started June 5, 1930. Before that time the superin- tendent of the home, Mrs. Minne Allen, had been caring for a few babies of working colored mothers in her own home. Her charges for this were 25c a day per child, or $1 a week per child. At present there are eight colored children in the home. Two are day nursery children and six are homeless children to be cared for until grown. The ages of the eight children range from four years old to 14 years old. This is reported the largest number of children in the home since it was started. FINANCES The home is being rented from Mrs. Laura Watkins (colored) at $30 a month. The superintendent, Mrs. Minnie Allen, is paid a salary of $40 a month. In addition she receives free quarters and food. The assistant superintendent (a step-daughter of Mrs. Minnie Allen) is paid $20 a month. The operating budget for twelve months was estimated by three members of the board of the home as follows : Rough Estimate by Board Members Budget for One Year Rental of Home $ 360.00 Salary of Superintendent 480.00 Salary of Asst. Supt 240.00 Light 48.00 Fuel 45.00 Groceries 600.00 Telephone 36.00 Laundry 75.00 Rough Estimate by Board Members $1,884.00 96 It is possible that when all clothing for children, medical needs, milk, and other things are included the total operating cost of the home would be close to $2,600 or $3,000 a year. As the population of the home increased, the operating cost would of course go up. The survey has talked to a number of persons about the Colored Home. Among these were Dr. J. C. Ellis, Mrs. Minne Allen, Miss Rena Carr, and others. Some Colored People Oppose the Home There are some important colored groups and individuals in the community who oppose the starting of a colored home. The colored people therefore are by no means unanimous in desiring this organiza- tion taken into the Community Chest. In fact some of the most influen- tial and intelligent colored citizens believe that the starting of this home is not the best way to solve the problem of taking care of the colored children. From a social standpoint it seems retrogressive rather than a move forward to start another institution for the care of children. In many cities colored children are being cared for on an individual case-work basis by placing them in private family homes under the supervision of visitors trained in social work. It has also been long known that it is cheaper, and often wiser, to give a mother enough help to enable her to stay at home with her own children than to take care of the child in a day-nursery while the mother goes out of the home to work. There is hardly a doubt that the yearly budget totaling $1,884 is lower than actual experience will prove needed. Yet this low estimated expense is equivalent to $235.00 a year for each of the eight children now under care. This is $4.52 per week per child. There would be no difficulty in most cities in finding private families who are willing to take care of children at less than this figure. Families can be found, if necessary, who will agree to take care of mental or problem children if a reasonable payment is made. In fact, this is the way in which the colored children are being taken care of in Harrisburg and in other cities. Present Financial Support At present the home is depending on voluntary contributions to de- fray expenses. The overseer of the poor is supplying groceries for the children, at a cost of $40 a month according to estimate of Mrs. Minnie Allen. Until August 2, all contributions received by the home had been in small amounts and from colored people. On August 2nd the home received its first large contribution, a check for $60.00 from the Ameri- can Legion Auxiliary. Recommendation It is recommended that the Colored Children's Welfare Home not be included in the Community Chest. Its program is not a constructive or progressive one. Its plan for taking care of homeless children is too expensive and is not to the best interests of the children. It is recommended that the home be abandoned and closed. Mrs. Minnie Allen should be encouraged to continue the neighborly service rendered by her before June 1st, of caring for children of working colored mothers in her own home at 25c per day, until such time as the community can work out a program for enabling the mothers to remain at home. It is recommended that colored children from broken homes be cared for in private family homes, and the cost of this care paid if necessary. By getting such children committed by the court, the county will prob- ably pay the cost of their care in private family homes, where the cost is less than in institutions. 97 SECTION II. of Reports on Community Chest Agencies RELIEF AGENCIES Decatur Day Nursery Overseer of the Poor Salvation Army Mothers Pensions Red Cross Social Service Bureau Transient Problem RELIEF AGENCIES IN DECATUR Scope In this section of the reports, an individual report is given on each of the private organizations in this field of social work. It was imprac- ticable in the course of so brief a study to undertake an analysis of the public departments, the Overseer of the Poor and the Mothers Pen- sion administration. However it is impossible to discuss the relief pro- gram of Decatur without considering these important parts of the pro- gram so they are discussed briefly in this introductory statement. Transients All over the country cities are becoming increasingly concerned with the problem of unadjusted transients. In order to find out the extent of the transient problem in Decatur and the city's method of handling this phase of its social program a brief study was made of the transient problem in Decatur. The report of this study, with recommendations, is included in this section of the survey-reports. Relief to Dependent Families At the present time the office of the Overseer of the Poor for Decatur Township is disbursing more material relief than any other public de- partment or private agency. This work is being carried on by Mr. Dewey Green, Overseer of the Poor, who is conscientiously trying to do the best he can with a trying and difficult problem. The survey was informed that there are on the dole lists of the Overseer of the Poor persons whose grandfathers received relief from the city, whose fathers were similarly aided, and whose children are now applying for relief regularly. This is not surprising because in cities where the old-fashioned dole system of relief is still in use it has been found almost impossible to do any constructive work in the way of trying to bring families back to a self-supporting basis. Mr. Green has had no training in case-work with families and even if he had the training to enable him to diagnose family problems, and help the family re-plan its affairs so that it could stand a chance of becoming a community-asset, instead of a community-liability, he would have no time for this kind of work. His time is entirely taken up with the routine office interviews with persons applying for aid. County Relief Bill Is Pyramiding In such a situation it is to be expected that the same development will take place in Decatur that has taken place in other communities where the entire program of the Overseer of the Poor's office is the giving of grocery orders and other material relief. The amount of relief required increases year by year and generation by generation. Unless some constructive plan is developed for doing something more than the giving of material relief, the county finds its relief bill growing larger all the time. It is a costly way of trying to help people; it imposes an unfair burden on the taxpayers; and it often results in more harm than good to the families needing help. 98 Experiments Made by Other Counties Because most persons who study this problem see how futile the dole system of helping families is, so far as accomplishing anything constructive, and because the growing expense of such a system appalls them, various counties all over the country have tried to find a way to do their relief work in a more constructive and less expensive manner. In Ohio several counties have recently established COUNTY DE- PARTMENTS OF PUBLIC WELFARE in which all responsibility for public social work with families and children is centralized in the hands of a competent County Director of Welfare, who is authorized to em- ploy trained social workers. The reports on these experiments is that the cost of employing the trained social workers is more than offset by the savings in relief money which the trained workers bring about. There can hardly be a doubt that more constructive and helpful results are being obtained. In Pennsylvania one or two counties have within the past two years put trained social workers on their staffs instead of the political ap- pointees formerly engaged. It is said that this plan has resulted in some small savings and in much more constructive work being done. In Illinois several counties have combined the office of Overseer of the Poor with the private welfare agency of their community. This plan seems to be satisfactory in some counties because it has been in effect for eleven years in Bloomington, and for several years in other parts of the state. Usually the private welfare agency is not especially favorable to such an arrangement, and this is the feeling of the Social Service Bureau in Decatur. Recommend Combining Two Offices After giving the subject a great deal of thought, and after discussing the problem with a number of individuals and groups, the survey rec- ommends that a plan be worked out for combining the relief work of the Overseer of the Poor with that of the Social Service Bureau. There are several ways in which this combination can be effected. In the interest of the families who are being helped and in the interest of the taxpayers who must pay the bill from either their tax-pocket or their contribution-pocket, an earnest effort should be made at an early date to consolidate these two services by some plan which will be ac- ceptable to the community. Plan 1. The County Supervisors can name the executive of the Social Service Bureau the Overseer of the Poor. In such a case, the person who is the executive of the Social Service Bureau must be a person who is acceptable to the County Supervisors, it being understood of course that she would be a properly trained social worker. This is the plan that has been in operation in Bloomington and other Illinois cities for a number of years. The survey inquired of Bloomington, by correspondence, whether the arrangement was satisfactory and economical and was informed that it had been in operation there for eleven years and was satisfactory to the County and to the private organizations. Plan 2. The County Supervisors could arrange with the Social Service Bureau to interview all applicants for County outdoor relief and to pay such warrants as were recommended by the Bureau after investigation. In this arrangement also, the executive of the Social Service Bureau would have to be a person who was acceptable to the County Supervisor, it being understood that a trained social worker is needed. 99 Plan 3. A lump sum appropriation could be made by the County to the Social Service Bureau based on a report submitted monthly or quarterly showing by name and address the amount and character of relief given. This would be in the nature of the Supervisors honoring warrants recommended by the Social Serv- ice Bureau, but making payment in lump sum monthly or quar- terly in keeping with the amount appropriated by the County at beginning of the year for this purpose. MOTHERS' PENSIONS No State Appropriation Mothers' Pensions in Illinois are paid by the county. There is no state appropriation for meeting part of the cost as in most other states. The committee of THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES which studies social legislation might well interest itself in this subject. The advan- tages of a 50-50 plan where the state matches the amount of money appropriated by the county, such as many states now have on their statutes, has much to recommend it. No effort could be made in a two weeks' study to analyze the ad- ministration of the Mothers' Pension Fund. The court has placed this work in the hands of the Juvenile Probation Officer, who is a con- scientious and hard worker. It is desirable that a trained social worker with a modern, progres- sive outlook be employed to handle this department. This action would be an important step forward in helping to develop a more co-operative and constructive social program for the community. Mothers' Pension Cases A list furnished the survey by the Mothers' Pension office showed that 73 mothers are now receiving a monthly allowance. The allowance per case averaged $19.98 per month. The smallest allowance is $6.00 per month to a family, and the largest is $60.00 a month to a widow with eight children. The amounts granted in Decatur compare with other cities as follows : Mothers' Pension Cases Decatur and Elsewhere No. Granted Pen- Average sions per 10,000 Monthly Allowed Population Per Family DECATUR 14 $19.98 Buffalo 7 57.12 Cleveland 5 60.32 Dayton 10 23.26 Des Moines 15 17.63 Detroit 9 54.16 Grand Rapids 9 42.15 Lancaster, Pa 6 38.24 Omaha 5 36.94 Reading, Pa 11 38.35 Sharon, Pa 5 33.21 Springfield, 111 8 27.24 St. Louis 1 35.62 St. Paul 14 36.42 Average 8 $46.90 (excluding Decatur) From the above figures it would appear that in Decatur the pension is being granted to a larger number of families per 10,000 population than in most cities, and that the amount of relief per family is lower than the average. Experience in social work of the past decade has lead most persons to the rather definite conclusion that often as much harm can be done a family by giving TOO LITTLE relief as by giving too much. 100 DECATUR DAY NURSERY LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Decatur Day Nursery. LOCATION 259 West Eldorado Street. EXECUTIVE Mrs. Mollie Hodgins. PRESIDENT Mrs. J. T. Miller. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mrs. J. T. Miller Miss Helen Stewart Mrs. Luther Walbridge Mrs. Robt. I. Hunt Mrs. M. E. Loebenstein Mrs. Carl Liebau Mrs. Carl V. Becker Mrs. E. T. Crawford Mrs. Lucien Mueller TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $1,980.00 $1,604.23 1926 1,892.88 2,363.77 1927 2,140.96 2,364.99 1928 1,792.00 2,326.83 1929 1,898.22 2,512.61 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION Day Nursery care to babies and young children of mothers working away from home. The Nursery was started in 1917. The present home is owned by the association, it being a gift from Mr. Millikin. The Nur- sery can take care of as many as seventy babies a day. At present be- tween 45 and 50 a day are being cared for. There are sleeping quarters for 22 babies and children at the home. There is no social worker on the staff, and whatever investigation is made of home conditions before a child is admitted, is made by the superintendent or by board members. The rates charged are : 25c per day for 1 child ; Two children from same family for 25c for the two; Three children from same family, 10c per child. Financial Management The Decatur Day Nursery is economically and efficiently managed. The cost of operation is low when compared with the cost of operating day nurseries in other cities, as shown by the following table : Average Cost per Day's Care in Total Operating Cost Day Nurseries in 16 Cities per Day per Child *DECATUR $ .24 Buffalo 1.35 Canton, Ohio .81 Cleveland, Ohio 1.13 Columbus, Ohio .65 Dayton 1.02 Denver, Colo 62 Des Moines, Iowa .68 Lancaster, Pa .29 New Orleans, La .51 Omaha, Neb 63 Richmond, Va .53 Sioux City, Iowa 32 Springfield, 111 56 Snrinerfield, Ohio .87 Wichita, Kan 36 Average (excluding Decatur) $ .78 101 Community Chest Allotment In comparison with the allotment made by Community Chests in other cities to Day Nurseries the allotment of the Decatur chest to its Day Nursery seems a reasonable one : Chest Allotment to Day Nurseries Average for 15 cities 52% of total budget Decatur 43% of total budget Fees Charged Mothers It is recommended that the board of directors consider the advisa- bility of increasing the fees now charged working mothers. There will be occasions when a mother is permitted to leave her child at the nursery without any charge whatever, but generally speaking the scale now in effect at the nursery seems very low. Investigation of Home Conditions It is recommended that the nursery consider the advisability of en- gaging a social worker who will aid the board in follow-up work with the home and with social problems of the families. CHART No. XV. Chart Showing Average Cost Per Day's Care in Day Nurseries in 16 Cities Total Operating Cost Per Day, Per Child „ « . 25c 50c 75c $1.00 $1.25 Buffalo Cleveland, O. Dayton, O. Springfield, O. Canton, O. Des Moines Columbus, O. Omaha, Neb. Denver Springfield,Ill.| Richmond,Va.j New Orleans Wichita Sioux City Lancaster Decatur Average (Excluding Decatur) 102 RED CROSS LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Macon County Chapter, The American National Red Cross. LOCATION Citizens Bank Building. EXECUTIVE Inez J. Bender (Volunteer, full-time secretary) BOARD OF DIRECTORS J. H. Culver H. H. Bolz W. R. McGaughey C. H. Leon W. C. Field Miss Mary Love H. C. Schaub William Harris Inez J. Bender TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $2,454.54 $ 262.95 1926 3,097.27 6,600.78 1927 2,195.10 762.71 1928 2,597.87 1,950.50 1929 1,200.00 4,139.54 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION Service to service-men and ex-soldiers, mostly claims and compensa- tion cases; Life-saving, Nutrition, Volunteer-production, Junior Red Cross. Comments and Recommendations In the chapter of the survey on the Community Chest, it was recom- mended that the executive committee be reorganized and that monthly meetings be held. National Dues In the chapter on the Community Chest it was recommended that the national allotment of $1,000 be increased. The reasons for this recommendation were set forth in the chapter named. Commendation Mrs. Inez J. Bender, voluntary secretary (full-time) of the chapter deserves the highest praise and commendation for the way she has held the Red Cross program here together in the face of a discouraging lack of interest on part of her executive committee. At the time of the survey no meeting of the executive committee had been held since May 18, 1929 — fourteen months without a meeting. The executive com- mittee was called together at request of the survey and the situation talked over frankly. A re-organization plan was agreed on, and it is hoped this will be carried out. Community Chest Support The financial support which the Community Chest has accorded this organization has been weak. The chapter has been able to get along with a very small allotment because Mrs. Bender contributed her time free as executive secretary and because there was a small fund of sev- eral thousand dollars turned in by auxiliary chapters in Macon county that was drawn on for current expenses. This fund is now almost gone, and the chest will be faced with the problem of providing financial sup- port to enable the Red Cross to carry on its work. How the allotment here to the Red Cross compares with that in other cities is shown by the following table. These figures are given because within two years the Decatur Chest must fp.ce the problem of financing from year to year the program of the local Red Cross chapter. 103 The chapter now has a reserve of $2,080.20, $1,000 of which is in liberty bonds held for disaster relief purposes, and $1,080.20 in a savings ac- count is money turned in by auxiliary chapters of Macon County. Community Chest Allotments to Red Cross Chapter % of Am't Am't allotted raised allotted to Red Cross to the Red per capita Cross Chap. population DECATUR (1929) .... 1.3 % 2c Columbus, 6.5 % 13c Harrisburg, Pa 4.57% 10c Reading, Pa 4.33% 14c Syracuse, N.Y 3.8 % lie Wilkes Barre, Pa 3.3 % 8c Denver, Colo 3.2 % 8c Omaha, Neb 2.9 % 6c Oakland, Cal 2.6 % 6c Bridgeport, Conn 2.2 % 5c Scranton, Pa 2.0 % 8c Akron, 2.0 % 6c New Haven, Conn 1.8 % 7c Dayton, 1.0 % 3c Hartford, Conn 0.9 % 2c Worchester, Mass 0.4 % lc THE SALVATION ARMY LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION The Salvation Army. LOCATION 229 West Main Street. EXECUTIVE Adjutant M. Neal BOARD OF DIRECTORS W. E. Mueller W. H. Wiley Raymond Auger Edgar Allen W. R. McGaughey O. C. Keil Ambrose Moran Eldon Geiger H. Clay Dempsey Howard Krigbaum George Hess TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $6,346.40 $5,915.15 1926 6,404.40 4,647.19 1927 8,041.79 4,445.04 1928 7,500.00 4,886.05 1929 7,650.00 3,928.05 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION The Salvation Army is a big inter-national church. The program in Decatur is the usual program of the Salvation Army in a city of this size. The program includes: Religious work, street meetings, and indoor meetings. Transients — Lodgings provided at 25c per night or free to those un- able to pay. Relief to Families — Between $2,000 and $4,000 spent yearly for ma- terial relief. Christmas Kettles are put on street at Christmas. Last year these ket- tles yielded about $1,800. 104" Suggestions and Recommendations Should Center Responsibility for Relief Work It is recommended that the Salvation Army abandon its program of relief to families except in cases where emergency relief is needed over- night or over week-ends until the family can be referred to the Social Service Bureau. In most cities where the social work is well organized the responsibility for family relief is centered in one organization and all other agencies are asked to refer their families to this organization. All money available for relief to families is then placed in the hands of the one organization. In some cities where this plan is in operation the Salvation Army budget includes about $25 per month for emergency relief. (In the study of relief cases which was made by the survey it was found that 25 of the families receiving relief from the Salvation Army were also known to the Social Service Bureau, and 12 were known to the Overseer of the Poor.) As set forth in the chapter on "Transients" it is recommended that for the present responsibility for lodging transients and providing meals where necessary be centered in the Salvation Army. Soup-Line Abandoned Last year the Salvation Army conducted a soup-line. This is regarded as a very poor way to meet the problem of feeding homeless men and it is recommended that the soup-line be given up and the feeding of men, where necessary be handled through a restaurant as at present, or by serving meals to men who are definitely known to be unable to provide food for themselves. National Dues This year the Salvation Army budget approved by the chest con- tained about $1,400 for state, regional, and national allotments. Part of this was listed as "supervision" on the budget. This seems a large sum to expect from a city the size and character of Decatur, and is a larger portion of the total budget that is alloted for state and national dues in many communities. The usual proportion for national, state, regional, and international payments is 10% of the budget of the Sal- vation Army. For example, in Harrisburg, Pa., the Community Chest allotment to the Salvation Army is about $5,000 and $500 of this is for all national, state, regional, and international payments. Finances During the first six months of the year (Jan. 1 to June 30, 1930) the Salvation Army's total expenditures were as follows, according to a report compiled by the Salvation Army at request of the survey : Total Expenditures, First 6 Months of 1930 Rent and Insurance on building $1,812.17 Maintenance 858.18 Dues 374.91 Missionary Dues 219.91 Wages and Salaries 1,280.00 Publications 1,204.62 Relief 1,491.02 Printing, Telephone, Postage 71.85 Auto and Traveling 171.92 Total Expenditures for 6 Months ....$7,485.08 Community Chest Allotment The following table shows how the annual allotment made the Sal- vation Army by the Decatur Community Chest compares with the al- 195 lotment made this organization by the chests of other cities: Community Chest Allotments to Salvation Army DECATUR Omaha, Neb Denver, Colo Hartford, Conn Bridgeport, Conn. ... Akron, O Richmond, Va Worchester, Mass. . Youngstown, O Reading, Pa Harrisburg, Pa Wilkes Barre, Pa. ... Dayton, O Scranton, Pa Syracuse, N. Y The Oranges, N. J. Toledo, O Columbus, O % of amount allotted to Salva- tion Army 8.5% 7.2% 4.2% 3.2% 3.9% 3.6% 2.4% 2.4% 2.1% 2.1% 1.9% 1.6% 1.4% 1.4% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 0.6% Am't allotted Sal- vation Army per capita population 13c lc lie 8c 8c 10c 5c 5c 5c 7c 4c 4c 4c 6c 4c 3c 3c 6c Decatur Denver Akron Hartford Bridgeport Reading Scranton Columbus Richmond Worcester Youngstown Harrisburg Wilkes Barre Dayton Syracuse Oranges, N. J. Toledo Omaha Average Average 2.4% 5%^ (excluding Decatur) CHART No. XVI. Chart Showing Community Chest Allotments to Salvation Army Per Capita Population 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 106 SOCIAL SERVICE BUREAU LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Social Service Bureau. LOCATION Gushard Building EXECUTIVE Virginia Campbell. PRESIDENT Charles Lee. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mr. Charles Lee Mr. W. R. Hopkins Mrs. Joseph Gauger Mr. D. W. Beggs Mr. I. A. Wallins Miss Mary Margaret Mr. S. J. Bradfield Mr. Louis Shea Roach Rev. G. A. Papperman Mrs. Winifred Drenan Mrs. Lynn Bohon Mrs. L. E. Coonradt TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR YEAR From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $6,980.25 $ 180.00 1926 8,458.57 430.32 1927 9,929.41 407.58 1928 9.857.51 400.21 1929 9,392.15 5,101.85 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION Case-work with unadjusted families and individuals, with the giving: of material relief when advisable as part of the social plan. A detailed report on the program of the Social Service Bureau has been submitted to the board of directors of this organization. The Survey Executive Committee, composed of ten or twelve leading citizens, has discussed very frankly the suggestions made by thought- ful persons who had at heart the best interests of the family service program of the community. A plan has been suggested for closer co-operation between the public departments and the private family agency, and this plan is explained at the beginning of this section of the survey reports. It is possible that the proposal for ending the dole system of the county outdoor relief will not be acceptable to public officials. This plan has been discussed however with persons close to the county administration who believe- there is a fair chance of it being put into operation provided the execu- tive secretary of the Social Service Bureau be a person who is acceptable to the County Supervisors of Decatur Township. After the most thoughtful consideration, the survey recommends that the executive secretary of the Social Service Bureau be employed on: the following basis : 1. The person must be a trained social worker endorsed by the Family Welfare Association of America. 2. The starting salary shall be not less than $3,600.00 a year. It is believed that this salary is advisable in order to in- sure getting a person with proper educational background, specialized technical training, and leadership and execu- tive qualities. 3. The person employed should be approved by both the board of the Social Service Bureau and by the County Su- pervisor of Decatur Township. 107 A STUDY OF DECATUR'S TRANSIENT PROBLEM Purpose The purpose of this section of the survey is to find out whether the number of transients passing through Decatur is sufficiently large to constitute a serious community social problem and to find out how transients are being cared for here. If the problem is an important one it is hoped that the experience of other communities may be of benefit to Decatur in working out a program which will be for the best inter- ests of the unadjusted transients and of the community. The National Traveler's Aid Society Helps Make Transient Study The National Association of Traveler's Aid Societies has made a fine contribution to the study of Decatur's transient problem by contributing the services of one of its best field workers. Appreciation is expressed for the fine work done by Miss Lenna J. Craddock, field representative of the national association, who spent several days studying Decatur's problem. Who Is a Transient? In this study, the transient has been considered to be a person strand- ed within a year of his arrival in Decatur, without legal residence in Decatur, requiring assistance and advice of a welfare agency in carry- ing out a good plan for himself. Problem Here Not Acute While the problem is not apparently so overwhelming in Decatur as in some localities, it is recognized as a growing one which is being inadequately handled both from the viewpoint of the interests of the community and of the welfare of the transient. It has been impossible to secure accurate figures for judging size of problem but from conver- sations with executives and other individuals the following incomplete information as to activities with transients in Decatur has been secured. OVERSEER OF THE POOR— Mr. Dewey Green There are no definite figures as to the number of cases handled and no records are kept except the name and address. No attempt is made at investigation in other localities before providing transportation, either tickets or gasoline supply. When tickets are provided, full fare is paid. Most cities use the half-fare charity rate for dependent transients. Single men are usually sent to the Salvation Army for lodging. A family may be sent to the County Home for temporary shelter. Meal tickets to the Myers Hotel are provided. Sick or injured persons may be sent to the county doctor or to St. Mary's Hospital at county expense. Mr. Green estimated that since January, 1930, probably 25 transient families had been helped. In the last three months about $195.00 had been spent for transportation, including tickets and gasoline. SOCIAL SERVICE BUREAU— Miss Virginia Campbell, Exec. Sec'y. In 1926, 236 transient men were registered and a brief interview was taken in each case. This service was discontinued because it seemed a duplication of the Salvation Army's program. At present an occasional meal is given transients when it is under- stood that the Salvation Army is through serving him. No transporta- tion is being furnished. If a family has taken any steps to become a resident of Decatur it is handled with the regular cases, though the effort is always made to return the family to the legal residence. Practically no transient women apart from families have been con- tacted. Miss Campbell is conscious of the need of community service to transients which is not now available from any agency. The Social Service Bureau has the charity rate privilege and is a signer of the national transportation agreement. POLICE DEPARTMENT— Chief Wills No figures are available as to the number of transients given help. "Quite a good many." Y. W. C. A. — Miss Louise Parks, Gen. Sec'y. No figures are available. Calls for service to transient women are very infrequent. No accommodations are available in the Y. W. C. A. building. No funds are budgeted for relief purposes. An emergency- room is sometimes available. Though the Y. W. has few requests for service from transients. Miss Parks is conscious of a lack of community resources, especially for fam- ilies. Y. M. C. A.— Mr. Kranz, Gen, Sec'y. Definite figures are not available. The building has no dormitories. The only way in which lodgings or meals can be provided is through the R. R. Y. M. C. A. In exceptional cases, almost always old men, a request is made to the R. R. Y. M. C. A. No records are kept perma- nently. Transportation is never furnished by the Y. M. C. A., but the secre- tary recalls two cases in the last five years where some gasoline was provided. There are frequent calls for help which the Y. M. C. A. has no resources to meet and they are anxious to work out a community plan which will provide adequate service. EMPLOYMENT BUREAU (Public, free)— Mr. Lee Preston.. Supt. Mr. Preston has been in chargre for five months. Previously he was a bus driver. No figures are available as to the number of transient appli- cants. EMPLOYMENT BUREAU (Private, registration fee required) Miss Mary Love, Owner Has few applicants not resident in Decatur. Does not encourage at- tempts to locate in Decatur. Believes most persons can do better for themselves in their home towns. Many more old people seeking employ- ment opportunities than formerly. ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL— Sister Superior, Supt. Receives no money from the Community Chest and is dependent upon earned income for support; maintains a ward for indigent cases who are county charges; an occasional transient is included in the county cases. There are daily many applicants for food. If they apply at 7 :30, 11:30, 6:30, they are fed. The food served is that which is salvaged from trays returned from patients. In the winter the hospital averages feeding 18 to 20 transients 3 times daily. This morning there were 8 for breakfast. There is a "Hobo Retreat" nearby from which many applicants come — applicants of all classes, "drunkards, deserving looking fellows, etc." There are at present 13 families coming each night for baskets of scrap food. Some of these made personal application, some were rec- ommended by Mrs. Trierweiler of the Catholic Daughters of America. No questions are asked, no investigation made in these cases. 109 * AMERICAN RED CROSS— Mrs. Bender, Exec. Sec'y. Assumes no responsibility except assistance in preparing necessary applications for compensation, etc. The Illinois law requires that the county honor any relief request for an ex-service man's family which comes from the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars. There- fore any transients applying to the Red Cross are referred to one or the other of these two organizations. No record is taken except the name, address and war service. Such transients are usually alone, fre- quently they are repeaters. AMERICAN LEGION — Mr. Edward Buckner, Relief Officer In winter the Legion had calls for help from 4 or 5 Legionaires per month. In the summer season there are very few calls. No records are kept. No transportation is furnished. A 25c meal ticket to Myers Hotel or a lodging there is all the relief given. If an ex-service man is from outside the county, the Legion usually meets the expense instead of the county. VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS— Mr. Currie, Relief Officer About a dozen transient ex-service men have been contacted since January, 1930. Of these at least half were enroute to the National Home at Danville. Orders for transportation were furnished them. Most of the remainder came into Decatur hoping to find employment. A meal or a lodging at Myers Hotel is usually supplied. An interview is had but no record kept. Occasionally a man is accompanied by his wife. She is allowed the same relief as the husband. No planning is done with them and they go their way. SALVATION ARMY— Adjt. Neil Some figures are available but they mean little. Literature of the Community Fund drive last October stated "893 beds and meals to transients." No one knows how many persons were involved, how many lodgings were provided, or how many meals furnished. The Salvation Army register, signed by every lodger every night, contains about 2,500 names between January 1, and July 30, 1930; about 475 in January, nearly 600 in February, 275 in May and 122 in July. The register does not show when any payment was made for lodging. Anyone able to pay is charged 25c, 10c, 5c, according to his resources. There are 20 cots available in the men's dormitory of the Salvation Army build- ing. When the number of applicants exceeds 20, as it did last winter, the applicants are allowed to sleep on the floor or in chairs. While it Is stated that one night is the limit for a man unless there are excep- tional circumstances, it would appear possible for a man to register rather frequently by using a different name. Some names appeared repeatedly on the register. One frequent repeater gave a local address. Card records have been kept giving the date, name, age, address, birthplace, trade, religion, description, name and address of relatives. The only present record is the name and address recorded in register. The dormitory arrangements for women have not been completed, but there will eventually be 20 cots. A room partly finished is now used for an occasional woman or family. There have not been more than a dozen women since January. A few nights ago a man with a 9-year-old boy was given shelter. The man said he had been deserted by his wife and had one child in an orphanage and hoped to get the other there. Adjt. Neil wondered if the child belonged to the man and reported her uncertainty to the police. The next morning, however, the man and boy departed with no one the wiser concerning them. No transportation is furnished by the Salvation Army. 110 Summary of Services Available for Transients Under Present Local Methods in Decatur SERVICES Transportation Food SOURCES 1. Co. Overseer of Poor. 2. Police Dept. (Limited to supplying gaso- line) 3. Social Service Bu- Has charity rate privilege. reau. Signer of Transportation Agreement. 1. Co. Overseer of Poor. Meal tickets to Myers Hotel. Temporary care in County Home. Lodgings Meal tickets to Myers Ho- tel. Occasional exceptional provision in Citadel. Provisions or supplies wher- ever family is located. Meal ticket to Myers Hotel. Meal ticket to Myers Hotel. Salvage from food prepared for hospital use. . Refer to Salvation Army Cit- adel, County Home. Citadel, accommodations for 20 men, occasional wom- an, occasional family. Occasional use of vacant cell. Refer to Citadel. Cash allowance given with- out definite plan or recom- mendation. Exceptional cases referred to R. R. Y. M. C. A. Emergency room for emer- gency woman. Nothing adequate or worth- while. Nearest approach to con- structive work is probably reached by resourceful in- dividuals in special in- stances of planning by the Y. W. C. A. in the occa- sional handling of problem women. Conclusions > This incomplete report of resources and methods for handling tran- sients in Decatur points to the need for a more careful study by a local committee of interested persons. Before one may know the size of the problem more records, uniform and as simple as possible, must be kept by agencies. A confidential exchange in which transients are registered is an essential feature of a good program. Groups which have never 2. Salvation Army. 3. Social Service Bu- reau. 4. Veterans of Foreign Wars. 5. American Legion. 6. St. Mary's Hospital. 1. Co. Overseer of Poor 2. Salvation Army. 3. Police. 4. St. Mary's Hospital. 5. Y. M. C. A. 6. Y. W. C. A. Interviews and Records : Investigations and Planning: ill worked together may find a common interest in digging out the facts and building up a program of action concerning the transient. The results of such a study are likely to be along the same lines as the results achieved in other cities where Committees on Transients are working and where programs are taking form. Such committees now exist in New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Cleveland, Washington, D. C, Baltimore, Louisville, Charleston, S. C, Memphis and Wilmington. They try to work out programs which will do away with confusion, duplication of work, ineffective methods, and unsatisfactory results. Suggested Program for a Committee on Transients 1. — The development of Community Resources, such as supervised lodging places. The Salvation Army is recognized as an agency which can do very valuable work in providing wholesome, healthy lodgings. The Decatur Citadel has excellent possibilities and there should be ample accommodations, not only for men but for women and for fam- ilies. 2. — Hospital and Dispensary Treatment — In many localities care for transients whose physical or mental condition demands attention is very difficult to secure. It is especially difficult to obtain examination and even temporary care for mentally disabled persons. 3. — Employment Facilities — Much may be accomplished if there is understanding. In these days of abnormal unemployment conditions, the usual rules do not obtain but when employment is normal there are always needs for workers in lines which do not attract the settled work- man. Connecting the transient worker with a job not only benefits him but helps the employer as well. 4. It is also to be hoped that a Committee on Transients may con- nect the realization of the industrial situation with the directors of in- dustry. Even though industry may not abolish unemployment, there is reason to believe that it can reduce it very greatly. Committees on Tran- sients will realize how little any relief measures can meet a need which can only be met by remedies for employment. 5. — Use of Confidential Exchange — No community program of care of transients could possibly succeed without the maintenance and use of a confidential exchange. 6. — The centralizing of responsibility for planning of care. — This means that some one agency is designated to be responsible for inter- viewing, for investigating and planning, while complete use continues to be made of all resources possessed by other agencies for providing care during the investigation period. When such a decision is reached, it does not matter to which agency a transient makes his FIRST ap- peal, he is immediately routed to the designated one. Perhaps he pre- fers to try some agency other than the one to which he is directed. He meets the same response. Presently he realizes that he must submit to an attempt to help him work out his difficulties in ways which seem wise and hopeful. A city v,-hich is known as one in which relief meas- ures are given only after careful study of the needs rather than one in which it is easy to get FREE MEALS, free lodgings and full tanks of gas, is not likely to be popular with the wanderer. The old custom of giving enough help to get the wanderer out of town does not meet even the test of economy which communities have given as their excuse for the practice. It is of course, not tolerated in a program which is planned for actual relief of difficulties and the work- ing out of human welfare measures. The responsibility of planning is placed always with an agency whose standards of service are high, whose methods are sound and sane. One of the results of the growth of community planning seems bound to be the wider acceptance of "The Transportation Agreement" by agencies, public as well as private. In brief, this agreement binds its signers to 112 make sure of sound destination plans before any person is given anjr sort of assistance in starting for the place he seeks to reach. In each community the decision as to which agency becomes the one responsible for planning, depends upon the resources of the agencies available for consideration. Likewise, the working out of limits of re- sponsibility depends upon the resources of the agency designated and the size of the problem which is being handled. The designated agency must possess resources of staff and budget sufficient to handle the situa- tions referred to it, or else no improvement in results is possible. It sometimes happens that one group of transients is left in the hands of one agency while all others are concentrated in the designated agency. In one of the cities above named, the care of single women remained with an agency which had been set up to do a particularly fine type of work for them while responsibility for men, children and families was delegated to another agency. There should be also an agreement as to the length of time a person is considered a transient or a non-resident in a city. Legal requirements differ; customs differ. The constitutions of some welfare agencies as well as public agencies forbid the acceptance of clients who have lived in the community less than one year. In other communities the intention of the person counts for much in determining the agency which may be applied to for service. In one city the designated agency is responsible for all who have been in the city less than one week and require service. In another, all who have been in the city less than two weeks. In others, the time set is three weeks, while in others it is one month. There is no necessity for uniformity about this. Each program must meet the needs of the community for which it is planned. It must do away with the gaps and the overlaps which are bound to take place where no community planning exists. In those cities which have set themselves to work out programs for transient care, and in which well organized Traveler's Aid Societies exist, it has very naturally followed that these societies have been desig- nated for large responsibility. Traveler's Aid workers are dealing con- stantly with the problems of people who are away from their accus- tomed places of abode. They are located in stations and terminals where contacts with travelers of all kinds are most frequent. They are accus- tomed to working by quick methods, to getting at facts by short inter- views, to seeking information and verifying facts by telephone and tele- graph and thus speeding up the carrying out of proposed plans. They are available for contact more hours out of the 24 than most agencies and seven days out of the week under most circumstances. There is a chain of service built up among the Traveler's Aid So- cieties of the United States which makes for quick and effective handl- ing of situations. More and more the responsibility of handling tran- sient groups is being delegated to Traveler's Aid Societies which are given the necessary resources in staff and funds to make possible the carrying out of the responsibilities placed upon them. From impressions gained in the short period of time which has been available for observation of local agencies and their resources it seems likely that a committee appointed by THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES would have considerable difficulty in planning for the plac- ing of responsibility for transient care upon any one of the agencies now in the community. The city is growing and has already passed the 55,000 population mark. Four railroads in two terminals are operating about 50 passenger trains per day, each of which brings a certain number of travelers. The Illinois Terminal Railway System has about 23 cars in and out of Deca- tur every 24 hours. 113 There has been no opportunity to give thought to this nor to spend any time watching the incoming and outgoing passengers on trains and -cars. However, it is reasonable to suppose that travelers in Decatur have the same difficulties that travelers have in other cities where organized Traveler's Aid service is meeting a real need. Briefly, these problems are: Runaway boys and girls; Physically and mentally handicapped persons; Aged and infirm; Loss of money and tickets; Failure to meet relatives and friends; Behavior problems which include lying, stealing, drunkenness, drug addiction; Unstable family situations which include delinquency, depend- ency, inadequate income, desertion, broken homes; Language difficulties; Inexperience in travel ; Lack of knowledge of the city and its resources. By quick contact with travelers in difficulty, workers prevent serious situations. They know and make use of all local resources. They con- nect with resources elsewhere through the chain of service which is formed by the association of all such agencies in a national group with common purposes and methods of work. Competent Traveler's Aid service at terminals gives newcomers a happy impression of the city very soon after their arrival. There is also the opportunity of the early turning back of those individuals or groups which could not be well assimilated and which would become expensive community liabilities rather than assets. 114 SECTION III. of Reports on Community Chest Agencies RECREATION AND CHARACTER BUILDING Boy Scouts Pines Community Association Young Men's Christian Association Young Women's Christian Association RECREATION AND CHARACTER BUILDING WORK IN DECATUR General The chapter on Decatur's Annual Welfare Bill points out that a smaller proportion of the money which is spent here on social and welfare work goes for recreation and character-building programs than in many cities. It is also significant that the amount spent per capita population for this kind of social work is less than the per capita ex- penditure of many communities. Decatur Character-Building and Average of Recreation Work other cities Per capita amount spent annually $1.03 $2.35 Percentage of total welfare bill 7.4% Percentage of Community Chest's total ex- penditures 34.2% Percentage of Community Chest's contributions 39 % 27% An Expansion Program Needed These figures lead to the natural conclusion that Decatur is not pay- ing as much attention to its recreational and character-building pro- grams as it should. This important group of community activities should show a natural growth with the growth of the city, and through the next ten years it is to be expected that the amount invested in this kind of "preventive" work by Decatur will show a steady increase. Relationship to Delinquency In a number of communities studies have been made to find out what relationship the character-building and recreational programs have to the problem of juvenile and adult delinquency. In every case it has been found that the amount of delinquency coming before the courts from any section of a community will vary in inverse ratio to the oppor- tunities provided for organized recreation and organized activities such as carried on through supervised playgrounds, the Young Men's Chris- tian Association, The Young Women's Christian Association, the Boy Scouts, and the like. Cities are coming to see that within reasonable limits the money invested in these constructive programs is probably the best money a city spends. A City-Plan Is Needed in the Field of Organized Recreation DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS Decatur should develop a com- munity program in the field of organized recreation. There should be a Recreation Commission or Board of about five citizens, serving with- out pay, who will study continuously the recreational needs of the com- munity-as-a-whole. This group should have the services of a trained Recreational-Director with the proper background to qualify him to plan and direct a year-round program embracing adults as well as young people. Such a person would command a salary of from $3,600 115 to $5,000 a year depending upon age, education, technical training, and experience. Usually a "cheap" person is more expensive in the end than one who is well paid. More than 800 cities and towns in the United States now have a community recreational program along these lines according to reports of the Playground and Recreational Associa- tion of America. There is a permissive law on the Illinois statutes pro- viding for a program such as suggested for Decatur and for its financing through direct taxation. Recommend Further Study It is recommended that a committee be appointed by THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES to study this subject and work out a five year program which will give Decatur a unified community program of or- ganized recreation such as many other cities already have. This com- mittee should contact the Playground and Recreation Association of America for information on what other cities have accomplished. THE BOY SCOUTS LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Boy Scouts of America, Decatur Council. LOCATION 108 E. William Street. EXECUTIVE Mr. R. C. Varner. PRESIDENT Mr. W. C. Gilmore. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mr. W. C. Gilmore Dr. Thomas Lahners Dr. Zink Sanders Mr. E. V. Huston Mr. O. C. Keil Mr. E. K. Scheiter Mr. J. H. McCoy Mr. Charles Lee Dr. C. Roy Johnston Mr. Joe Frazier Mr. William Harris Dr. John Hayes Mr. Edward Wood Mr. A. J. Grimm Mr. Lindley Huff Mr. W. A. McGaughey Mr. R. C. McMillen Mr. T. W. Samuels Mr. O. L. Williams TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $5,915.11 $ 1,353.58 1926 6,273.78 10,849.72 1927 6,571.43 5,587.21 1928 6,339.23 6,044.52 1929 5,979.95 5,902.05 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION The usual Boy Scout program. Conducts a summer camp. Has one Sea Scout Troop. Has two Cub Dens. Area embraces all of Macon and Moultrie counties. Comments and Recommendations Persons who are interested in the scouting program of the commun- ity should be concerned with the following comparison which shows that the scout program of Decatur and this area is not up to standard at the present time. Present Standard Accord- Situation ing to Population Number of Troops 27 30 Number of Scouts 559 2,304 Number of 1st Class Scouts.. 140 845 116 An Encouraging Outlook In connection with the foregoing comparison it should be said that the local organization was re-organized this year with a new executive board which is giving the program its active interest and thought. Due to this new interest on the part of lay people who are interested in scouting the program has taken a decided turn for the better during the last year. Summer Camp The capacity of the summer camp is 56 scouts. The camp is con- ducted for six weeks, making possible 336 camper weeks. The present rate is $8 per week, $15 for two weeks. The cost of operating the camp averages $1.40 per day per scout or $9.80 per camper week. This does not include any charge for the depreciation of the capital investment or camp equipment. Nor does it include any charge for the pro-rata part of the scout executive's salary for the time he spends in camping activities. Camp Rate Should Be Increased It is recommended that the camp rate be increased to $10 per week, and that boys who are unable to pay be taken free or at part cost. The scout executive states that about 15 boys have been taken to the camp free of charge in past years and that this has not resulted in any embarrassment to the boys. Up to the present the camp has run an annual deficit of $700 to $300 per year. This deficit has not been submitted to the Community Chest but has been made up in other ways. There is no reason why the camp cannot be made virtually self-supporting by charging boys from well-to-do and wealthy families what it costs to run the camp. However the complete budget of the camp should be included in the budget submitted to the Community Chest. All income and expenses of operating the camp, together with anticipated income and expendi- tures for the year ahead, should be included in the annual budget. If there is a camp deficit this should be supplied by the Community Chest. Community Chest Allotment to the Boy Scouts The Community Chest allotment to the Boy Scout organization has been as follows for the past five years : 1925 $5,915.11 1926 6,273.78 1927 6,571.43 1928 6,339.23 1929 5,979.95 The way in which this compares with the allotment made by Com- munity Chests in other cities for Boy Scouting is shown by the following table : 117 Community Chest Allotments to the Boy Scouts % of Am't Am't per cap- raised allotted ita population CITY— to Scouts allotted *DECATUR (1929) 6.6% 10c Oakland, Calif 7.6% 18c The Oranges, N. J 7.2% 22c Reading, Pa 5.7% 19c Omaha, Neb 5.5% lie Youngstown, 4.7% lie Columbus, 4.2% 9c Harrisburg, Pa 3.9% 9c Syracuse, N. Y 3.5% lie Worcester, Mass 3.2% 7c Richmond, Va 3.1% 7c Hartford, Conn 3.0% 8c Wilkes Barre, Pa 2.9% 7c Scranton, Pa 2.9% 12c Bridgeport, Conn 2.6% 6c Dayton, 2.5% 8c New Haven, Conn 2.2% 7c * Average (excluding Decatur) 4.4% lie This table shows that the Boy Scouts receives a LARGER PORTION of the Community Chest fund than most cities, but that the total amount allotted the scout organization is smaller in dollars and cents, than usually allotted the Scouts in a city of this size. The only conclusion is that Decatur raises less money for its chest than most cities, and that therefore even the small allotment it gives the scouts is a larger portion of the total amount it raises than most cities allot. If Decatur followed the average experience of the other cities it would approve for the Boy Scout program about $6,380 and this would be about 4!/2% of the total amount raised by the chest. PINES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Pines Community Association. LOCATION 2076 East William Street. EXECUTIVE E. J. Muffley. PRESIDENT Horace B. Garman. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Horace B. Garman W. F. Hardy Chas. Hebel Mrs. Alfred Trierwiler Dr. Albert A. Mertz K. D. Sherman E. J. Muffley J. W. Knowlton Ernest C. Haskell Wm. A. Pownall I. C. Bon Mrs. Howard B. Litts Emanuel Rosenberg Mrs. Wilber Hickman J. H. Galloway Jay M. Allen G. Roy Eshelman Mrs. Mary A. Allen Mrs. Fred Dolson T. U. Gustin TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $4,460.82 None 1926 3,856.63 None 1927 4,871.36 None 1928 5,164.59 None 1929 4,764.50 None 118 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION Carries on a year-round program of organized recreation which em- braces all kinds of outdoor and indoor activities. Engages the best trained recreational directors it can on the funds available. Comments and Recommendations This organization is doing a splendid work in the community. Its educational program of demonstrating the need of supervised play- grounds, getting them started, and then getting the city to take over their management and financing has been one of the most constructive pieces of community organization work discovered here. THE PARK BOARD'S JOB? For the past several years the responsibility for financing and man- aging public playgrounds in Decatur has rested in THE PARK BOARD, which is an elective body serving without pay. The PARK BOARD has taxing power and the Park District (which is the taxing district) in- cludes the township of Decatur and some adjacent territory. In the past two years about $2,500 per annum has been spent by the Park Board in carrying on supervised playground work. It is suggested that the direction of the community program of organ- ized public recreation, as discussed in the foregoing reports, might log- ically be placed in charge of the present Park Board instead of in a newly created "Recreation Commission", with separate taxing powers. In view of the fact that practically all of Decatur's supervised public playgrounds are located in parks which are managed and controlled by the Park Board, it would seem a natural development to give this board the responsibility of financing and managing the community's entire program of organized play and recreation. It would then probably be necessary for the Park Board to engage the services of a full-time Recreational Director with sufficient training and experience to develop and carry on a community-wide program of organized recreation. This Recreational Director would operate un- der the Park Board just as he would under a separate Recreation Com- mission such as referred to in the foregoing section. He would aid the Park Board in coordinating and unifying the recreational activities of all private agencies (such as Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., Boy Scouts, etc.,) with the city's public activities. Such coordination and coopera- tion would be necessary to give Decatur a unified year-round program of organized recreation without gaps or overlapping. This community program would require a number of years to fully develop, and pre- supposes that the present Park Board would gradually become the PARK BOARD AND RECREATION COMMISSION. This is a transition which already seems under way and which is probably a natural result of the close kinship between a city's park system and its program of organized recreation and play. It is the opinion of the survey that the key to the success of this plan is the employment by the Park Board of a properly trained Rec- reation Director. No one should be engaged for this important post who does not have the endorsement of The Playground & Recreation Asso- ciation of America. The starting salary should be sufficiently large to insure getting a person who will not grope and blunder, but who can contribute the kind of community planning, vision, and leadership that is absolutely essential if Decatur is to hold the leadership place that it deserves in this important phase of modern community building. The plan of co-operating with the public school in the use of facilities afforded in the school buildings and school grounds is commended, and should be continued. In cities all over the country there is growing up a new understanding of how the public school property can be used 119 outside of school hours as neighborhood centers for recreational pro- grams. This use of the school property (buildings and grounds) for Community Center purposes is a progressive development and should be regarded as a link in the development of a year-round program of organized recreation such as will be developed by a properly trained Recreational Director under the leadership of a group of citizens such as are now serving on the Park Board. The city of Decatur is spending an amazingly small amount of money on organized recreation for the community. The total amount now being spent from city tax funds, so far as the survey could discover, is $2,500 for supervision of the city playgrounds. The amount spent for organized recreation from tax funds per capita population by selected cities is shown in the following table : Amount Spent Per Year by Selected Cities for Programs of Organized Recreation CITY — — Expenditure per capita of population DECATUR $ .04 Chicago 1.16 Detroit Cleveland Buffalo Indianapolis Kansas City Rochester St. Paul Dayton Des Moines 30 09 12 15 10 21 22 17 11 Average (excluding Decatur) ? .26 THE Y. M. C. A. LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Young Men's Christian Association. LOCATION 151 West Prairie Avenue. EXECUTIVE Conrad E. Kranz. PRESIDENT T. W. Boruff. BOARD OF DIRECTORS T. H. T. W. Rev. C J. W. Eldon W. C. Dr. A Bean C. C. Grimmett Boruff Wm. Harris ;. W. Flewelling J. R. Holt Fritz J. D. Johnson Geiger F. C. Knorr Gilmore J. F. Mattes F. Goodyear W. A. Pownall H. C. Schaub Forrest Wikoff W. M. Wood Tom Armstrong John Hahn H. W. McDavid TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community Chest 1925 No Report 1926 $16,290.97 From Other Sources No Report $54,035.78 1927 14,200.00 26,305.33 1928 14,728.79 18,611.50 1929 15,062.18 12,057.76 120 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATIC The usual program of the Young Men's Christian Associatioi building has no dormitories. No summer camp is conducted, boys sent to the summer camp operated by the State Y. M. C. A. Comments and Recommendations The Y. M. C. A. seems to have under way in Decatur an unusually active and comprehensive program. Although the building is about thirty years old, and has no dormitories, it is kept in good condition and has a bright friendly atmosphere. On the two occasions when we were at the building there seemed to be much more use made of the lobby, reading rooms, and other departments than is observed in some cities. The type of men and boys in the building seemed also to be of a high type, and not the listless-eyed loafing type that are sometimes observed. New Building Desired by Y. M. C. A. Because the present building has no dormitories and because it is old and somewhat out-of-date, the board and executive have been look- ing ahead to the time when a new modern building can be erected. Architects' plans have been drawn for a new building which would cost around $500,000. While the present building is not modern and lacks a number of things which would enable the Y. M. C. A. to be of the greatest useful- ness to the community, it is by no means as poor a building as found in some other cities. The main gymnasium of the present building is in many ways as fine and spacious a gymnasium as will be found in buildings erected within the past few years. Its auxiliary gymnasium is well suited to the purposes for which it is being used. The lobbies, reading rooms, porch, and other features of the present building seem fairly well suited to the present program. Desirability of Dormitories for the Y. M. C. A. In a number of cities the amount required from the Community Chest for current operating expenses of the Y. M. C. A. is considerably reduced by the earnings of the dormitories. The following figures show the net profits reported from operation of the dormitories by Y. M. C. A.'s in Illinois cities: No. Dormitory Gross Operating Net CITY — Beds Receipts Expenses Profit Joliet, 111 132 $33,776 $12,871 $20,905 Bloomington, 111 39 12,800 6,400 6,400 Peoria, 111 65 12,700 6,905 5,795 Rock Island, 111 104 15,700 7,800 7,900 Springfield, 111 75 15,700 7,800 7,900 The proposed new building for Decatur contemplates a dormitory of 120 rooms, four floors without elevator service, with the rooms rent- ing at about $4.00 a week with two persons in a room, and $5 and $6 a week for single rooms. 121 Charges for Membership in Y. M. C. A. A brief study was made of the membership charged by the Y. M. C. A. in Decatur and in other cities. The following figures were ob- tained by the Decatur Y. M. C. A. at request of the survey : Class of Yearly No. of 1929 Total Membership Rate Members Receipts* For Service: Boys 10-11 years $ 2.50 161 $ 262.30 Boys 12-15 years 5.00 207 528.45 Men 16-21 years 12.00 355 3,320.00 Men over 21 years 17.00 211 2,210.00 For gifts to finance work: Sustaining 10.00 135 1,300.00 s^ce mem- Business Men's 25.00 72 1,803.00 benhips Contributing 100.00 ?-19 ?-1900.00 (-*Some members pay only part of the regular rate) Membership Rates in Decatur and Elsewhere Business 16-21 12-15 10-11 CITY — Men's Years Years Years DECATUR $25.00 $12.00 $5.00 $2.50 Bloomington 25.00 12.00 5.00 3.50 Joliet 25.00 12.00 6.50 3.50 Peoria 25.00 10.00 6.00 4.00 Springfield 25.00 15.00 5.00 5.00 Rock Island 25.00 12.00 7.00 5.00 This table shows that Springfield charges $15 a year for its mem- bership to boys from 16 to 21 years old, while most other cities charge about the same as Decatur. Decatur seems low in its membership charge for boys from 12 to 15 years old and boys from 10 to 11 years old. It is recommended that the board study the local situation with a view to raising the rate in these three classes of membership. If the same number of members were obtained as at the present time, and the rates increased to $15, $6.00 and $5.00 for the three groups mentioned, the additional income to the Y. M. C. A. would be about $1,600 per year. Present Y. M. C. A. Staff and Salaries It is the opinion of the survey that the present staff of the Young Men's Christian Association cannot be reduced without impairing the service program of the organization. The salaries which are being paid are not excessive. They are lower than in some cities, and very reason- able for the character of personnel employed. The Community Chest Allotment to the Y. M. C. A. The following table shows how the amount allotted by the Com- munity Chest to the Decatur Y. M. C. A. compares with the allotment made by Community Chests in other cities to Y. M. C. A.'s. In studying this table it should be remembered that the Decatur association has no dormitories and that its income from earnings is therefore necessarily reduced. 122 Community Chest Allotments to Y. M. C. A. % of Total raised Chest allotment by Chest allotted per capita of to the Y. M. C. A. population DECATUR 16.7% 26c Youngstown, 16.3% 39c Dayton, 12.6% 38c Worcester, Mass 12.7% 28c Harrisburg, Pa 12.4% 28c The Oranges, N. J 10.5% 32c Columbus, 10.3% 21c Hartford, Conn 10.2% 20c Richmond, Va 9.6% 21c Akron, 8.4% 23c Bridgeport, Conn 8.2% 17c Oakland, Calif 7.2% 19c Toledo, 7.1% 19c Denver, Colo 7.1% 18c Wilkes Barre, Pa 6.5% 15c Syracuse, N. Y 5.1% 16c Scranton, Pa 4.1% 17c Average 9.3% 23c (Excluding Decatur) Y. W. C. A. LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Young Women's Christian Association. LOCATION 43C North Main Street. EXECUTIVE Miss Louisa E. Parks PRESIDENT Mrs. J. D. Moore. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mrs. J. D. Moore Mrs. A. S. Kazmark Mrs. C. A. Morrow Mrs. H. Garman Mrs. F. M. Anderson Dr. H. D. Chandler Miss M. Belle Ewing Mrs. Guy P. Lewis Mrs. E. A. Gastman Miss Janet Anderson Mrs. T. T. Roberts Mrs. H. M. Owen Miss Mary Love Mrs. Geo. Weatherby Mrs. C. P. Thatcher Mrs. J. L. Tallman Mrs. W. A. Pownall Mrs. E. N. Wells Mrs. Ira Barnes Mrs. H. S. Alsip Mrs. Ralph C. Varner Mrs. Horace Pettee Mrs. E. V. Huston Mrs. J. W. Miller Mrs. Edward Buckner Mrs. H. A. Staley Mrs. A. M. Kenney TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $13,280.00 $15,159.60 1926 10,322.86 7,958.46 1927 10,356.32 11,377.20 1928 9,430.95 7,322.64 1929 7,162.72 6,424.05 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION The usual Y. W. C. A. program ; conducts a summer camp ; has no cafeteria ; has converted some of its rooms into dormitories. The Y. W. C. A. represents the Traveler's Aid Societies in Decatur. 123 Suggestions and Recommendations The program of the Young Women's Christian Association in Deca- tur has been for a number of years controlled by a rather small group of women, although there has been considerable change in presiding officers and also in the younger women on the board. It is the older and more conservative group which up to the present has directed the programs and policies of the organization. Staff The staff is made up of a general secretary who is a most sincere earnest woman and who has had years of experience in Y. W. C. A. work. She builds well and has been respected in every community in which she has worked. There are associated with her a very pains- taking business secretary who is a local woman, a residence secretary, an older woman who is in charge of a few rooms which have recently been made available to girls, a physical director who has been on the staff for several years, and a young attractive girl who works with Girl Reserves between the ages of 12 and 18 and who is this summer a student at the Y. W. C. A. school at Geneva. The salaries paid the professional workers are low. Summer Camp The rates charged at the summer camp are $6.50 a week for Deca- tur girls and $7.50 a week for girls from outside of Decatur. When the cost of operating the camp is computed to include the salaries of those who devote all or part of their time to camp management and supervision, these rates do not cover the cost of operation. It is recom- mended that the camp rates be increased to $10 per week with special provision whereby girls from families who are unable to pay the full rate be taken free or at part cost. Service Charges and Fees Some of the fees charged by the Y. W. C. A. seem very low. The gymnasium fee is $2.50 and $3 for six week courses. The swimming fees are 35c for class lessons, 75c for private lessons, 15c for single dips (6 dips for 75c), and a special "bargain-price" of 5c a dip on Sat- urdays for children. The Girl Reserves pay no membership fees at all. The Business and Industrial Department has no membership charge or fee. The dormitory rates are $3 per week for two persons in a room, $2 per week for six persons in a dormitory, $3.50 for single room. (There is only one single room). As shown in the following tables the percentage of self-support by the Decatur Y. W. C. A. is lower than in some cities, and it is recom- mended that the board of the Y. W. C. A. consider seriously the advis- ability of increasing its fees and charges with a view to increasing its percentage of self-support. Self Support by Y. W. C. A.'s In considering the percentage of "self-support" by Young Women's Christian Associations in different cities it is important to bear in mind that no two cities are alike, and that no two association programs are similar. With these thoughts in mind however, the following table indicates that the percentage of self-support by the Decatur Y. W. C. A. is lower than might be expected compared with other commun- ities. 124 Per Cent CITY — Self-Supporting (from fees, etc.,) DECATUR 47 % Harrisburg, Pa 56.7 Scranton, Pa :.. 84. Youngstown, 77.2 Omaha, Neb 85.5 Bridgeport, Conn. 63. Dayton, 84. Richmond, Va 73.5 Reading, Pa 59. Worcester, Mass 68. Oakland, Calif 73.6 Denver, Colo 84. Columbus, 73. New Haven, Conn 67. Wilkes Barre, Pa 68. Syracuse, N. Y 80.6 The Community Chest Allotment to the Y. W. C. A. From the following table it will be seen that in the majority of cities the Community Chest allots the Y. W. C. A. a smaller portion of its chest-fund, but a larger amount in dollars-and-cents per capita of population, than is the case in Decatur: Community Chests' Allotments to the Y. W. C. A. Per cent of total Am't allotted to raised by Chest YWCA per capita allotted to YWCA of population DECATUR 7.9% 12c Youngstown, 11.4% 27c Omaha, Neb 9.3% 18c Bridgeport, Conn 9.1% 19c Dayton, 8.7% 26c Richmond, Va 8.4% 18c Reading, Pa 7.9% 26c Worcester, Mass 7.6% 17c Akron, 7.4% 20c Oakland, Calif 7.0% 17c Denver, Colo 6.5% 16c Columbus, 5.7% 12c New Haven, Conn 5.5% 19c Wilkes Barre, Pa 5.3% 13c Syracuse, N. Y 5.2% 16c Harrisburg, Pa 4.7% lie Toledo, 4.5% 12c The Oranges, N. J 4.2% 13c Scranton, Pa 3.6% 14c Average (exc. Decatur) 6.8% 17c 125 SECTION IV. of Reports on Community Chest Agencies HEALTH WORK Private — The Hospital Clinic The School Clinic The Tuberculosis and Visiting Nurses Association Public — Macon County General Hospital St. Mary's Hospital City Health Department DECATUR'S HEALTH PROGRAM General Comments It has been impossible of course in a two-weeks' study to do any- thing more than make a very superficial inspection of the general activ- ities of the private and public health agencies. The city is fortunate in having a forward-looking health officer, who is doing his best with the limited personnel and equipment at his dis- posal, to get results. The City Health Department consists of the fol- lowing : 1 Health Commissioner. 1 Full-time Health Officer. 1 Quarantine Officer. 1 Sanitary Inspector. 1 Milk Inspector. 1 Nurse (contagious disease) paid by school board. In the health appraisals made by the State Department of Public Health Decatur ranks third among fifteen cities rated. The rating ac- corded Decatur is as follows : Decatur Score Standard Score Vital Statistics 53 60 Communicable Disease Control 98 175 Venereal Disease Control 50 50 Tuberculosis Control 68 100 Health of pre-School Child 160 200 Health of School Child 116 150 Sanitation, Water, Sewerage, Food .... 62 115 Milk Supply Control 18 60 Laboratory Service 57 70 Popular Health Instruction 13 20 Total Points Scored by Decatur 695 1000 This health appraisal is a measuring-rod to show the strong points and the weak points of a city's health program. It is used by cities all over the United States to find whether their health work is up to stan- dard. A score of 695 points is a good score. The highest score yet made by any city, we believe, is about 800 points. The above rating would be a good starting point for a committee of THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL AGENCIES, or possibly the "Health Council" of The Council of Social Agencies, in its program for studying the health needs of the com- munity. Decatur's Death Rate Another way of measuring: the health of the community is by com- paring its death-rate with other cities. 126 Decatur's death rate is 13.8 per 1,000 population. Cities with a lower death rate than Decatur are: Cicero 4.5 Aurora 11.7 Moline 12.3 Joliet 13.5 Rockford 10.2 East St. Louis .... 12.4 ENTIRE STATE.. 11.7 Cities with higher death rates than Decatur are : Quincy 15.7 Evanston 14.6 Oak Park 14.4 Elgin 22.2 Peoria 15.9 Springfield 17.2 Danville 15.6 These death-rates indicate that there is work for a Health Council to do. There is no reason why the death-rate in Decatur should be higher than the average for the state as a whole. Another health-index is the INFANT MORTALITY RATE, the num- ber of babies who die in their first year of life per 1,000 births. Decatur's Infant Mortality Rate Is 71.7 State Average Infant Mortality Rate 64.3 Suggestions It is suggested that the Council of Social Agencies appoint as one of its standing and permanent groups a HEALTH COUNCIL. There should be on this group two persons from each health agency plus selected individuals elected to individual membership without regard to any organization-representation. There should be representation of the Macon County Medical Society. This group will naturally wish to study the milk situation. Only about 50% of the milk is pasteurized at present. It will wish to study the possibility of an intensive toxin-anti-toxin diphtheria prevention cam- paign. In the past three years 14 persons died here of diphtheria, a high figure for a city of this size. It will want to find out why 234 babies under one year old died in Decatur in the past three years, and see if this figure can be brought down for the next three years. It will want to study the possible need for more nursing service for the community. This subject is discussed in the following pages in the section-report of the Tuberculosis and Visiting Nurse Association. Along these and along other lines such a group can study together the health needs of the community-as-a-whole and plan how to work together in team fashion to make this an even more healthy commun- ity than it now is. There is no reason at all why Decatur cannot be made the healthiest city in the United States. 127 THE HOSPITAL CLINIC LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Decatur and Macon County Hospital Clinic. Decatur. EXECUTIVE Miss Ruth S. Sweeney. BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Hospital Management takes care of the affairs of the Hospital Clinic. There is no separate board or committee. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $5,281.37 None 1926 3,180.78 None 1927 4,569.95 None 1928 2,880.40 None 1929 3,460.68 None Comments and Recommendations The work of this clinic cannot be considered apart from the entire out-patient and in-patient program of the hospital. The hospital is running a deficit which is growing larger month by month due to free service given patients who are not paying for their service and who are presumably unable to pay. The subsidy now being received by the hospital from endowment income and from small con- tributions is entirely insufficient to balance its operating-deficit. Deficit Due to Free Service The following summary indicates the unsound position of the hos- pital's finances: Cost of free service rendered, 1929 $61,971.60 Reimbursement received from county 20,191.10 Free service-costs remaining unpaid $41,780.50 The only sources that the hospital has for meeting the cost of this free service are as follows: From Free Sendee Fund $4,066.45 From Walbridge Endowment 1,443.80 From Summerfield Endowment 93.50 From miscellaneous contributions 710.19 Total subsidy for free service 6,322.94 BALANCE OF FREE SERVICE COST $35,457.56 Recommendation The survey recomends that the hospital board engage the services of a competent hospital specialist to spend a week in Decatur to study the financial and service problems of the hospital and submit a plan to the board of the hospital. Community Chests and Hospitals In the majority of Community Chests the hospitals are financially participating agencies. The usual plan is for the hospital to submit its entire operating budget to the Community Chest and for the chest to make its allotment on the basis of helping to pay for free service which cannot be met from any other source. In some Community Chests 128 the maximum allotment to be approved by the chest is named, and this is paid to the hospital monthly or quarterly at the rate of so much per hospital-day for each free case. Where this is done a social worker is required to pass on free cases. THE SCHOOL CLINIC This is the HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM of the Department of Education. It includes School Nursing, the School Dentist and so on. The total 1929 expenditure for salaries, wages, and other expenses and the amount contributed by the Community Chest is shown below : Year 1928-1929 Salaries, wages and other expense $6,042.50 Community Chest allotment 1,992.03 Amount remaining for Educa. Fund to pay $4,050.49 There is no committee or board supervising the disbursement of the Community Chest contribution towards this health work in the schools. School Revenue The total amount received from taxes and miscellaneous income for the past five years is shown below : Total Revenue Year — Educational Fund 1924-25 $626,491.56 1925-26 641,506.64 1926-27 656,931.05 1927-28 702,252.84 1928-29 715,573.61 It will be noticed that since 1925 the total revenue for school pur- poses has increased $89,082.05 and that from 1928 to 1929 the increase was $13,320.77. Attention is called to these figures to point out that although the needs of the school program are constantly growing, the available revenue is also slowly increasing. Recommendation It is entirely fitting and proper for the Community Chest to help finance a program such as this for demonstrating purposes. However it is not good business nor good community financing for the Commun- ity Chest to continue the financing of an educational or school program after the demonstration period is passed. Consider the School Dentist. In most cities it is taken for granted that the schools department will finance from its own funds the dental program of the schools. A great many city school departments have a school dentist, and a dental clinic. It is taken for granted that this is a part of the Health Promotion Program of the school system. In Deca- tur $900 of the Community Chest allotment to the school clinic goes to pay for the services rendered by the School Dentist at the dental clinic. It is recommended that the Community Chest discontinue its appro- priation to the School Clinic. The work being done by the "School Clinic" is of the greatest importance. However it belongs in the school program, and should be financed from the educational fund. 129 THE TUBERCULOSIS AND VISITING NURSES ASSOCIATION LEGAL NAME OF ORGANIZATION Macon County Tuberculosis & Visiting Nurses Association. LOCATION Citizens Bank Building. EXECUTIVE Miss Rubye Mochel. PRESIDENT Dr. O. O. Stanley. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. O. O. Stanley Miss Rubye J. Mochel Mr. G. L. Heinle Mrs. E. L. Pegram Dr. C. M. Jack Dr. D. O. N. Lindberg Mr. W. C. Gilmore Dr. C. Martin Wood Mrs. Mary Mose TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIVE YEARS From Community From Other Chest Sources 1925 $3,955.96 $ 7,650.86 1926 3,023.06 8,357.51 1927 2,144.86 13,630.69 1928 775.44 16,815.42 1929 689.48 17,205.57 PURPOSE AND PRESENT PROGRAM OF ORGANIZATION Visiting Nurse program, with bed-side nursing. Uses the district plan. Does the work for Metropolitan Insurance Company, Hancock Insurance Company, and for the Staley Company. Handles the Tuberculosis Seal Sale for State Tuberculosis Society. Comments and Suggestions About $4,000 a year, derived from the sale of Tuberculosis seals at Christmas time, is being spent in helping to finance the Open Air School rooms at Washington school. The money supplied by this organization is to pay for milk for the children, lunches, car fare to selected chil- dren, and the "Eskimo Suit" for the children. This open-air school project was started as a DEMONSTRATION by the Tuberculosis and Visiting Nurses Association. Regarded as a "dem- onstration" this was a good program for the society. As a continuing project it is the business of the school department rather than the job of the private organization. In all cities with which the survey is fa- miliar, open-air school rooms, are operated by the school department, and it is taken for granted this is a school project to be financed and managed as such. Recommendation It is recommended that this project be turned over to the schools to manage and finance on the basis that its usefulness to the community has been definitely demonstrated. Incidentally there is no reason why the children should not pay for their lunches except in cases where the parents are too poor to stand this expense. It is probable that the great majority of the children can afford to pay the cost of lunches. It is better social practice, of course, to let the lunches be paid for than to furnish them free. 130 Is Decatur's Nursing Service Adequate? Those interested in the public health program are always anxious to know whether a community has an adequate number of public health nurses, and whether the number of nursing visits being made is adequate in relation to the health needs of the city. There is no way to answer this with a definite yes or no. All that can be done is to compare the number of visits being made by visiting nurses, school nurses, and by the health department nurse, with the total number of nursing visits being made in other communities. When this is done we have the fol- lowing figures : Nursing Visits made last year by Visiting Nurses 15,003 Nursing Visits made last year by School Nurses 1,876 Nursing Visits made last year by Health Dept. Nurses..- 1,194 (School Nurse in Health Department) Total number of Nursing Visits during the year ....18,073 Average number of Nursing Visits per month 1,506 This is equivalent to 26 nursing visits per month per 1,000 population, and this figure can be compared with other cities to see whether Deca- tur is above or below the volume of nursing service : Number of Nursing Visits per 1,000 Population Average Number of Nursing- Visits per month per 1,000 pop- ulation, including sch. nursing and all public health nursing organizations CITY— *DECATUR 26.0 Cleveland, 40.0 Dayton, 23.6 Denver, Colo 28.0 Detroit, Mich 45.6 Grand Rapids, Mich 83.9 Harrisburg, Pa 21.9 Lancaster, Pa 30.3 Minneapolis, Minn 32.0 Newark, N. J 19.2 Omaha, Neb 28.3 Reading, Pa 51.2 Richmond, Va 30.7 Sharon, Pa 6.6 Sioux City, la 17.6 Springfield, 111 24.2 Wichita, Kan 42.4 * Average (excluding Decatur) 37.5 This table shows that the amount of nursing being carried on in Decatur is below the average of other cities on which information is available. Metropolitan Insurance Rate of Reimbursement The reimbursement rate submitted this year to the Metropolitan In- surance Company by the Visiting Nurse Association seems low. In a number of cities the reimbursement is around a dollar a visit: Schenectady, N. Y $1.10 Roanoke, Va 1.50 Pittsfield, Mass 1.10 Mt. Vernon, N. Y 1.00 Orange, N. J 1.06 131 The rate here is 87c. The survey recommends that the cost-basis be re-figured with a view to finding whether the present rate includes all items explained in the literature on this subject. Fees Collected by Nurses It is a more constructive social practice to encourage persons to pay something for the nursing service received, than to furnish this service entirely free. Of course if a family is unable to pay anything whatever, the service should be always furnished entirely free. The survey is of the opinion, however, that the possibility of self-support from this source has not received very active attention by the nurses in Decatur. The percentage of the "Total Operating Budget" obtained from fees paid by those who are able to pay something in some cities, is shown below : CITY— % of Total Budget received from fees paid by individuals Albany, N. Y 11% Brockton, Mass 9% Harrisburg, Pa 9% Holyoke, Mass 7% Lancaster, Pa 18% Schenectady, N. Y 5% Springfield, Mass 11% Average for 7 cities 10% If 10% of the Total Budget of the Visiting Nurses in Decatur came from individual fees, the amount received from this source would be approximately $2,000 per year. It is recommended that special attention be paid to this part of the program. Pay service should be encouraged for those able to employ a visiting nurse. The old-fashioned idea that a visiting nurse goes only to "poor homes" should be broken down. The physicians can help build up the newer conception of visiting nurses' service, at so much per visit or so much per hour, for the well-to-do as for the poor. Future Program It is probable that Decatur needs more nursing service than it now has. During the next five years the nursing program will probably be developed to meet this need. As additional nurses are added to the staff they can be financed to a large degree by developing the sources of income which have been named. This is a more constructive com- munity policy than looking forward to increased contribution support, and should be the policy adopted. Commendation Is Deserved Decatur is fortunate in having a nursing service which is conducted as efficiently and as economically as any program which has been studied by the survey. J32 INDEX Page Agencies of the Community Chest 39 Anna B. Millikin Home 87, 88, 91, 92 Annual Audits of Agencies 45 Annual Campaign 76 An Educational Program for Decatur 71 An Unhealthy Situation.. _. 34 American Red Cross — Decatur Chapter 47 Banks' and Trust Companies' Contributions 37 Board Members' Contributions 32 Board Members of Agencies 40 Boys' Opportunity Home 92, 93 Boy Scouts 116, 117 Building Fund Campaigns 54 Capital Accounts Committee 55, 56 Campaigns and Appeals Throughout the Year 56, 57 Central Index Recommended 51 Central Offices for Chest Agencies 48 Central Purchasing 47 Centralized Services Saves Money 49 Chest Budgeting Recommendations 43, 44 Children in Foster Homes 89 Colored Children's Welfare Home 96, 97 Community Chest Historical Background. 39 Constitution and By-Laws for Community Chest 64-69 Contributions by Professional Groups 36 Corporation Contributions 37 County Relief Bill Pyramiding 98 County Should Pay Full Care for Child Care in Institutions 90 Council of Social Agencies — By-Laws 69 Decatur's Annual Welfare Bill 13-21 Decatur Day Nursery 101-102 Decatur's Death Rate 126-127 Decatur's Giving Habit 27-29 Decatur's Health Program 126 Decatur Needs Pace-Setter 32 Decatur Needs to Understand Chest 75 Decatur's Nursing Service 131-132 Decatur's Total Income and Expenditures of Community Chest Agencies 22-26 Designation Plan for Decatur 53-54 Diagram of New Organization Plan for Chest 63 Diagram of Campaign Organization for Chest 77 Endowment Income for Social Agencies 60 General Solicitation Plan for Campaign 82 Girls' Welfare Home 93-94 Hospital Clinic Recommendations 128 Insurance Carried by Agencies 45-46 Institutional Care and Child Placing Programs 88 Money Raising Plans of Agencies 58 133 Mothers' Pensions 100 National Dues Paid by Agencies 46 New Campaign Plan Suggested 78-87 New Constitution for Decatur Chest 58 Newspaper Co-operation 71 One Campaign or Two ? 52 Per Diem Cost of Caring for Children in Institutions 90 Permanent Campaign Committee Recommended 78 Permanent Publicity Committee Recommended 74 Pines Community Association, The Park Board Job? 119, 120 Present Publicity Program 71-75 Program for Council of Social Agencies 50 Prospect Cards 82, 85 Recreation and Character Building, City Plan Needed 115 Red Cross — Decatur Chapter 103-104 Red Cross — National Program 47 Relief Agencies in Decatur 98 Relief to Dependent Families 98 Relief Experiments by Other Counties, Recommendations 98-100 Reorganization of Community Chest Recommended 58-59 Salaries of Community Chest Workers 42 Salvation Army 104-106 School Clinic — Recommendation 129 Schools Division — Recommended — Organization Plan 81 Should Chest Be on City or County Basis? 60 Social Planning Program 49 Social Service Bureau 107 Statement of Principles Regarding Miscellaneous Appeals by Agencies 57 Summary of the Giving Habit of Decatur 38 Surprising Situation 33 Tax Support of Welfare Work 59 T. B. and Visiting Nurses Association — Recommendations 130 Telephone Discount 49 Trained Leadership Needed — Cost — Recommendations 61-62 Trained Social Worker Recommended 89 Transients 98-114 Y. M. C. A 120-122 Y. W. C. A 123-125 134 361.91 X rue ni UNIVERSITY OF ILUNOIS-ORBANA 97735B2T2120 _ .« f„VoECATURSURVEVOECATUR.IU