[nabs-l] Funding rural-state student divisions

[Jim Reed]

NABS Officers, Board Members, and State Presidents.

 

I am writing to discuss the lack of stable NABS funding for
rural-state student divisions. I am also writing to ask NABS Officers, Board
Members, and State Presidents to begin considering and discussing how NABS can best
provide adequate, stable, and annual financial assistance to its rural-state student
divisions. 

 

First, using the Montana Association of Blind Students
(MABS) as an example, I will discuss the unique challenges of presiding over a
rural-state student division. Then, I will demonstrate how and why rural-state
student divisions are inherently financially disadvantaged when compared to
urban divisions. Then, I will further explain and justify the need for NABS to
provide special consideration and financial support for its rural divisions. Last,
I will make a suggestion as to how to fund rural-state student divisions; and,
I will also explain how MABS would spend any special funding.

 

To be perfectly clear about my intentions, the purpose of this
post is to begin a dialogue regarding this issue prior to the National
Convention; that way, once we arrive at the National Convention, debate will
have already begun, and action can more easily be taken to fix this problem.

 

Let me begin by
detailing a few relevant statistics regarding The State of Montana: 

1. In terms of land mass, Montana
is the 4th largest state in the union.

 

2. Montana
has a state population of slightly less than one-million people.

  

3. In terms of population density
(persons per square mile), Montana
ranks 48th in the union.

 

4. In terms of population size, Montana
ranks 44th in the union.

 

5. Montana
only has six cities with populations larger than 25,000 people; and only three
cities with populations larger than 50,000 people. 

 

6. Statewide, the Montana University
System only has two major universities, four smaller universities, five
colleges of technology, three community colleges, and three private
institutions, for a statewide total of 17 higher-education institutions. 

 

7. For fiscal year 2009, the entire
Montana University System only has approximately 36,000 full-time students. If
you consider part-time enrollment, the two largest universities combine for
only 50,000 students.

 

8. I have been told by the DSS
Director for The University of Montana (the larger of the two major
universities), that the University only has 10 blind students; based on this
number, I estimate that there are less than 30 blind students in the whole
state.

 

9. The annual Montana Association
of the Blind (MAB) state convention averages only 80-120 attendees.

 

How do the above
statistics influence the operations of MABS?

 

1. Statewide, Montana’s
blind population is small. This means that MABS will also be small. Our small membership
leads to insignificant dues revenue. Furthermore, our small membership also
means a reduced labor supply for the purposes of advocacy and fund-raising
efforts.

 

2. Currently, MABS is represented
in three universities; there are 1-3 students per university, and those universities
are separated by 200-400 miles.  Our
small, dispersed membership reduces our ability to establish our division as a
presence within the state, within our state NFB affiliate, within any given university,
or within any given community. This hurts both fund-raising and recruitment efforts.
Additionally, this geographic dispersal and isolation prevents our division
from establishing a sense of community within itself, thus reducing membership,
recruitment, involvement, and motivation. As president, I have yet to meet any
of my division’s members face-to-face.

 

3. Due to our state’s large
geographic area, as well as its inadequate public transportation systems, efforts
to bring all MABS members together for purpose of a social event, an advocacy
effort, or a fund-raising campaign are expensive, time-consuming, and
impractical affairs. For example, it can take eight hours by Greyhound bus to
go from The University of Montana (in Missoula)
to Montana State University-Billings.

 

In general, how and
why are rural-state student divisions inherently financially disadvantaged when
compared to urban-state student divisions?

 





1. Rural-state student divisions
lack the membership to be able to generate any meaningful amount of dues revenue. Furthermore, unlike urban-state student divisions, where the blind student population is larger, thus
more easily located and recruited, there is not much a rural-state student
division can do to expand its membership. 

 

2. Due to insufficient dues revenue, all funding for a rural-state
student division must come from fund-raising and grants, this includes the
funds for basic operating costs, as well as all funding for any special
projects or events. This puts rural-state student divisions at a financial disadvantage
when compared to urban-state student divisions because rural-state student
divisions have to engage in fund-raising simply to exist, whereas urban-state
student divisions can cover their basic operating cost with dues revenue. 

 

3. Rural-state student divisions lack the manpower to be able to
fund-raise effectively. When it comes to writing grants, rural-state student
divisions don’t have the personnel to have multiple people writing multiple
grant applications; this limits the grants we can apply for. Additionally, when
it comes to other means of fund-raising (such as selling candy), rural-state
student divisions lack the manpower to execute fund-raisers that will generate a
noteworthy amount of revenue. 

 

Why should NABS provide
special financial support for its rural-state student divisions?

 

1. If state student divisions are
to be governed by NABS, then NABS needs to provide adequate support for its
state divisions. In the case of urban-state student divisions, NABS might not
have to expend many resources to insure that those divisions remain viable and
sustainable. On the other hand, in the case of rural-state student divisions,
NABS may need to spend more of its resources to insure the stability of those
division.

 

Within the field of political
science, it is widely accepted and recognized that the only reason individuals
(collectively forming society) agree to be governed is because government provides
services that they, the individuals, are unable or unwilling to obtain on their
own. If a government stops providing services for the people, then the people no
longer have a reason to continue to consent to being governed; eventually that
government will lose legitimacy and will ultimately fail. So it goes with NABS,
if rural-state student divisions are not adequately funded by NABS, then why
should rural-state student divisions continue to consent to being governed by
NABS? 

 

The relationship between government
(NABS) and the governed (rural-state student divisions) is a two-way street; rural-state
student divisions can and will support the goals and objectives of NABS, if
NABS supports the rural-state student divisions financially. Without financial
support from NABS, rural-state student divisions haven’t the financial means to
contribute to the goals of NABS.

 

Last, I would like to clarify the relationship
that exist between the state student divisions and NABS. State student
divisions can exist under our state affiliate’s recognition without NABS,
however, NABS can not exist without the state student divisions. Therefore, it
is in the best interest of NABS to make sure that all of its state student
divisions are successful and sustainable. 

 

2. MABS, like other rural-state
student divisions, is small and dependent through no fault of its own; NABS
needs to recognize the fact that the plight of MABS is directly linked to the
fact that Montana ranks 44th
in the Nation in terms of population size, and NABS needs to act
accordingly. 

 

Additionally, I would like to point
out that small, dependent divisions could exist in urban states, and I would
venture to guess that those divisions would be small and dependent through some
fault of their own. NABS should not reward divisions that are failing due to
lack of leadership or other identifiable, avoidable, and correctable causes,
but NABS should recognize when divisions are struggling due to static,
uncontrollable, and unchangeable circumstance (such as state populations), and
NABS should adapt and respond accordingly. 

 

3. Without adequate and stable
funding, rural-state student divisions are unable to contribute towards the
goals and objectives of the NFB and NABS. What it boils down to is this: If we
are a Federation, then we work together for a common goal, and one element of
working together is the financial element. If the urban-state student divisions,
the NFB, and NABS want the rural-state student divisions to do more than simply
exist on paper, if they want the rural-state student divisions to thrive and
actively contribute towards the goals of the NABS and NFB, then we need a
different means of funding our rural-state student divisions. 

 

How can NABS adequately
fund rural-state student divisions?

            

1. I propose that NABS provides
rural-state student divisions with an annual $1,000 “subsistence grant.” Ideally,
the dollar value of these grants should remain constant from year-to-year, and these
grants should be automatic and guaranteed, as long as the rural-state student
divisions comply with established grant requirements.

 

How would MABS spend a $1,000 annual “subsistence grant?” 

 

            1. As MABS
President, I see MABS as needing $4,000 annually; $2,000 is 

needed to provide two scholarships
to send two Division members to the National Convention; $1,000 is needed to
provide scholarships to get Division members to the state convention; and
$1,000 is needed to provide funding for an annual student division summer
gathering. MABS would use a $1,000 subsistence grant from NABS to fund any of
the above expenses.

 





2. As you can see, MABS is only
asking NABS to fund 25% of MABS operating cost through an annual subsistence
grant; MABS must still come up with the rest of its operating cost via other
grants and fund-raisers. MABS is not asking for a hand-out, we are asking for a
hand-up.
I thank you all for your time, and
I look forward to working with you all on solving this problem

 

Jim Reed

President, Montana
Association of Blind Students