GUESTS:
- Hector Rivera, President & CEO, Our Piece of the Pie (OPP)
- Mike Duggan, Executive Director, DOMUS Kids
- Marc Donald, President & CEO, Catalyst CT
- Ben Dubow, Executive Director, Forge City Works
- Sunindiya Bhalla, Executive Vice President of Women and 2Gen, Roca Inc.
As we navigate the beginning of 2026, the non-profit sector faces a perfect storm. On the national stage, we are weathering a harsh federal climate defined by significant reductions in funding. Closer to home, the trust that binds our community has been shaken by the recent State of Connecticut-commissioned audit findings regarding the potential misappropriation of funds within the Hartford community.
As this forensic audit hits the news, we understand there will be legitimate questions about typical policies and procedures in non-profit governance and management. While it is not the place of the “119K to Zero Collective” to comment on any ongoing investigation or other organization’s practices, we know we speak for many non-profit leaders across Connecticut when we say this: The fiscal shortfalls of one organization do not reflect the hundreds of us who wake up every day dedicated to compliance, transparency, and the service of young people.
It is critical that effective, ethical organizations in Connecticut’s nonprofit sector are not judged and penalized for the shortcomings of a few. In the same way that one doesn’t assume all businesses are dishonest because one has broken consumer trust, we must recognize that the vast majority of non-profits in Connecticut operate with integrity.
The organizations represented in the “119K To Zero Collective” follow strict non-profit industry standards. Like many of our peers leading organizations across the state, we maintain stringent financial controls, annual audits, audit committees, and board finance committees. Our staffing includes both finance and grants management teams. While our funders’ reporting schedules may vary, our staff management processes include monthly, quarterly, and annual reviews of all grant spending to ensure absolute compliance with funder requirements.
It is true that the costs associated with these financial and accounting functions are often classified as “overhead.” While there is immense pressure to keep overhead low, many of these costs are essential to operating a healthy non-profit organization. It is important to have these policies and procedures in place and to vigorously follow them.
