Washington State Human Rights Commission

1949We Will Survive

WSHRC Budget Cuts

• Three separate cuts since July 1, 2009• Staff reduction from 51 to 31 employees• Closed three of our five offices• Only five administrative staff left• Flattened the agency• Hiring, spending, and travel freeze• Eliminated much of our outreach program• 10 days of furloughs• Washington State is facing another shortfall of

over 3 billion dollars

The Economics of Civil Rights

• The work must live on• Without out funding we cannot do the

work• This means meeting contracts• Establishing MOUs with other state

agencies• Applying for grants• Finding alternative

funding for outreach

How to survive

• Legislature• Legislation• Partnerships• Free Opportunities• Reorganize• Good fiscal

Control

Legislature/Allies• Lobby for your budget• Hot sheet regarding impacts of budget

cuts• Know who is on what committee• Tell them about significant work• Make friends off session• Get other organizations to lobby for yours• Work closely with the

Governor’s office

Legislation• Do your statues help or hinder the

work• Can you streamline the work via

legislation?• Decide your

own destiny before they do

• Look at what other states do

PartnershipsMost important element of

survival • Washington State Partnership

• Advocates• State agencies• Federal agencies• Local civil rights

organizations• Local officials• Build Alliances

Beg, Borrow and Share• Co-locate share spaces• Share services (IT, Admin staff, HR…)• Free training and outreach opportunities• Use interns• Joint trainings and outreach• Free facilities to use• Work with groups and

organizations• Let it be known you are are

suffering

Boards or Commissions• Manage your board• Working boards and commissions• Use their legislative and community contacts• Ask them to find ways to save money• Use Technology

Web-cams for meetings• Training increases efficiency for

boards• Decrease the cost of meetings

and public hearings

Reorganize• Does your current structure work with

budget cuts• Where are your offices located• Save jobs by downsizing office spaces• Use senior investigators as

supervisors to lead teams• Ask staff for ideas• Get staff to buy in to what you are

doing

Serving your state with limited resources

• Washington State is a huge geographical area• Use technology and media to get the word out• Secure talk radio and other free media

opportunities• Develop a newsletter to send out electronically

(let your state know about the good work you are doing)

• Conduct investigations by geographical areas• Meet with community groups and organizations• Work smarter

Good fiscal control

• Internal Fiscal audit• Pre-authorization form for all spending; • Contrast all spending requests to fiscal

impacts• Stay within your allotments• Get increased federal spending authority• During these times a good fiscal analyst

on staff is important.

Most important keep in mind we are tasked with preserving civil rights for future

generations.