Closing Remarks #11

It's me again. As promised (or warned?), I am back with some endings and analyses from the wider world of nonprofits...because they are raining down on us like leaves from autumn trees.

Thanks for having me in your inbox again this week. This is a lengthier edition, so grab a snack and let's get into it....

1) Mental health facility's abrupt end leaves hundreds of men stranded
For over 30 years, Men’s Action Network (MAN) supported thousands of mentally struggling men in the Northern Island town of Derry. Deep budget cuts in the country are to blame for its demise, and the community is uncertain how they will fill the gap in for men in the area suffering from such issues as social isolation, unemployment, and the stress of parenthood. It also worked to raise awareness of domestic abuse perpetrated against men.

2) UK's last coal power plant goes up in smoke
In exciting environmental news, Great Britain's last coal power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, billowed its last puff on Monday, September 30th. The station had been in operation since 1967, and the nation had relied on burning coal for fuel for 142 years.

3) Investigation of recovery center causes a lapse in critical services
For years, Minneapolis, Minnesota-based nonprofit Refocus Recovery worked closely with for-profit company Kyros to provide one-to-one peer support to others struggling with addiction. However both organizations have come to a screeching halt under the weight of state investigation. The Minnesota department of health cut funding due to allegations that Medicaid had been billed for thousands of recovery services that were never delivered.

4) Canadian safe injection site to shutter
The government of Alberta has announced that the Red Deer overdose prevention site (OPS) will soon be replaced by "options focused on health, wellness and recovery." Red Deer is the province's third largest city and the closure of its OPS represents the first such in Alberta.

5) Supermodel is no model citizen

UK's Charity Commission has disqualified supermodel Naomi Campbell as a trustee after it found that her charity, Fashion for Relief, had been “poorly governed” and had “inadequate financial management”. The group, which was committed to alleviating poverty and supporting health and education initiatives, was removed from the UK's charity register in March due to alleged impropriety. New managers have since been appointed to recover several hundreds of thousands of pounds that had gone missing under the previous board.

According to a recent survey nearly 80% of nonprofits in a new statewide survey reported that they have less than 12 months before they face financial distress. From food pantries to cultural arts groups, a lot of organizations in the state are now reportedly hitting a "COVID cliff", which is characterized by a decline in charitable giving, coupled with declining participation, and disappearing federal, state, and local support. This precarity not only means a gap in services, but also growing unemployment as nonprofits employ an estimated 14% of Minnesota's workforce.

7) Montana STEM Center makes a speedy departure
In what the executive director describes as a "quick decision" in the face of financial insolvency, the Bozeman-based Montana Science Center is no more. The space was a resource to science learners in the area for 23 years.

After over 40 years of being a vital resource, St Andrew's Centre in Brockley has closed. The space offered play groups, sports, drama and pensioner clubs, as well as other community services. While the leadership claimed it could no longer afford to keep the it open, some community members complain that there was a failure to raise funds or awareness in order to save these vital services.

Statesville Prison was featured in numerous films and housed such infamous criminals as Leopold and Loeb and John Wayne Gacy . While the building had fallen into deep repair, the closure still is raising concerns from those who are uncertain where all the inmates will be moved in fhr already-overcrowded system.

I dunno, maybe let people out?

Tech company Mozilla has announced plans to sunset its Mastodon server. The fediverse --- of which Mastodon is just one part -- has been billed as an open source alternative to private, corporate platforms such as Twitter/X and Instagram. Mozilla disinvestment represents a corporate pivot over to everyone's new favorite cash cow, AI. Users of Mozilla.social have until December 17, 2024 to download their data and move to a new Mastodon instance.

12) OpenAI pivots to pay day
The departures from and criticism of OpenAI are ramping up as founder Sam Altman shifts the organization to a for-profit corporation, further imperils our social fabric, and suits up to swim through a vault of coins Scrooge McDuck Style. How nice.

Closing Remarks is brought to you by The Wind Down, a consultancy for exploring, building, designing, and delivering better non-profit endings. If you're enjoying it, please support my work.