Source: Colorado Springs Gazette
One of the biggest contributions to the Prop. 8 campaign in California came from Colorado Springs-based right-wing anti-gay activist group Focus on Family.
But the group headed by James Dobson now blames a "weak economy" and "cash-strapped donors" for a severe cash-crunch that has led it to eliminate 202 jobs and to cut its its budget from $160 million in fiscal 2008 to $138 million for fiscal 2009.
The "ministry", as the group calls itself, laid off 149 workers, and cut another 53 vacant positions.
The cuts announced Monday slash Focus' local workforce by nearly 18 percent -- from about 1,150 to 950. Twenty percent of the cuts are in management, Colorado Springs Gazette reports.
Another 96 jobs were eliminated in the past year.
Glenn Williams, Focus' chief operating officer, said that more than 95 percent of the organization's income comes from donations, with book sales accounting for the remainder.
A separate political arm, Focus on the Family Action, sees its funding ebb when there are no elections on the horizon, but election cycles rarely have a significant effect on Focus on the Family, according to the Gazette.
Although Focus grabs most of its headlines on political topics, it spends only 6 percent of its budget in that arena, such as the roughly $500,000 the organization spent to support the Proposition 8 marriage equality ban in California.
The other 94 percent of its budget is dedicated to its far less sensational mission of dispensing what it describes as "parenting" and "marital" advice via Dobson's radio broadcasts, as well as through books, magazines, and Web sites, the Gazette reports.
Focus spokesman Gary Schneeberger said the money earmarked for this year's anti-gay and anti-choice political battles did not affect the pot of money for employees, according to the Gazette.
The cuts are taking place throughout the organization. The most visible change will be the elimination of the print editions of four of its eight magazines -- Plugged In, Breakaway, Brio, and Brio & Beyond. The magazines will become web-only.
Plugged In, for example, has seen its print subscriber base dip to 30,000 while its Web site attracts 1 million unique visitors a month, Williams said.
Source: Focus lays off 149, eliminates 53 vacant positions | Colorado Springs Gazette
Last modified: 17 Nov 08 09:09
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