What do we mean by becoming a line item in an existing budget? ___You understand what a line item is. ___You're aware of the different ways of becoming a line item in a local public or organizational budget. When would you want to become a line item in an existing budget? ___You're trying to become a line item because your financial back is against the wall, and there are simply no other funding sources available to you. ___You're trying to become a line item to stabilize your funding, and to avoid spending so much time searching for and applying to small funding sources. ___You're attempting to become a line item as part of your basic local funding. ___You're attempting to become a line item to change policy on your issue, to increase your credibility, or to take advantage of a one-time opportunity. Why would you want to become a line item in an existing budget? ___You know the advantages of becoming a line item: Your organization will stay alive and continue to operate. You'll get a large chunk of stable funding that you don't have to compete for every year. You'll gain the attention and protection of whoever put you in the budget. Having stable funding may allow you to be more creative in what you do. It can free you from administrative drudgery. It can expand the range of services of your organization by giving you access to those of another organization as well. It can leave you with a mutually beneficial collaborative relationship with another organization. It can establish you as a partner of a larger organization, and may thus work to improve your standing in the community. ___You're aware of the potential disadvantages of becoming a line item: You may anger colleagues by bypassing a funding process they still have to contend with. You may be taking money away from other, equally-needed services. Rather than freeing you to be creative, it may make your organization complacent : It may not be ethically consistent with your organization's view of the world. You may be dependent on another organization's funders. You may be dependent on another organization's continued interest in sponsoring your work. You may have to give over control of your organization and your work to another organization in return for the budget line item. The other organization could use its position to push you in directions different from those you'd prefer to go in, or even to take over your work. You may find that you have serious philosophical differences with the other organization, or that your methods of operation are incompatible. How do you become a line item in an existing local government budget? ___You are totally familiar with the budget process and timelines. ___You have personal contacts with most or all of the people who might have some influence on whether you become a line item or not. ___You make sure that all the appropriate people understand all the possible arguments for making you a line item, and have all the information they need to make those arguments to others. ___You maintain contact with those involved in the budget, and continue to push your point. ___You continue to follow up once you have become a line item, so that you can maintain your status. How do you become a line item in an organizational budget? ___You consider carefully the mission, philosophy, methods, target population, etc. of the organization you're considering. ___You make personal contacts at more than one level of the organizations. ___You think about what each organization can offer the other. ___You establish mutual trust before you enter into any agreement. ___You work out any agreement carefully beforehand. ___You put it in writing. ___You continue to maintain and build your relationship, even if you reach a point where you no longer need the line item.
