The year 2006 was mixed with a number of challenges!  Some programs were discontinued due to the expiration of multi-year contracts, but that was off-set by new programs generated through an aggressive fund raising and program development drive.

Overall, FOCUS was able to expand some of its adult Education and Youth Development programs to compensate for those that expired.The Staff and Board of Trustees have worked diligently to identify non-traditional sources of revenues that provide a more reliable cash-flow stream. Because many government contracts do not provide advanced payment to the vendors, non-profits must subsidize the first two to three months of a contract before the initial payment is received.  This common practice places a severe financial strain on cash flow.  Currently, we are generating a financial strategy to correct this situation.

Efforts to re-open FOCUS Community Health Center have been successful and we expect that it will begin to provide Health Services during the second quarter of 2007. Great emphasis will be placed in utilizing an area in the health center to conduct health care training programs for a fee fulfilling two important objectives, generating revenues and preparing Latinos to enter the healthcare field now in great demand for bilingual professionals. Another aggressive effort is to secure longer and more reliable federal contracts principally in the area of health and Economic Development. Negotiations continue with a developer to build a new mixed-use project where FOCUS will acquire a commercial condominium to house its headquarters. This project should generate revenues that can be applied to permanently resolve the cash-flow dilemma. In conclusion, we continue to find viable strategies to successfully address the unpredictable situations that emerge from changes in the US economy. Foresight and proactive action are indispensable tools that can be utilized to confront unexpected variations in both the profit and non-profit sectors from time to time.
Human Development Initiative