University of Phoenix
Financial Management in Human Services
May 6, 2013
Magnolia Therapeutic Solutions is a nonprofit organization that is located New York City. The organization provides psychotherapy and assistance to clients with Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PSTD). The organization was created in 1998 by Mary Stewart. During that time there was very few organization that catered to people with Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder. Since there were very organization like this Mary took the opportunity to open a nonprofit organization and serve as the Executive Director. Before the September 11 terror attacks the organization was doing very well. The organization started out with six employees that rapidly grew into 34 employees. The organization was doing very well they had received many awards and the budget was over 1.3 million dollars. After the attacks the organization was now in great need Mary was given a 1-year grant to help meet the needs of the clients and the organization. Mary in return hired more staff and was able to increase other administrative services. The board of directors did approve for a 2 million dollar budget to help meet the demanding needs of the organization. It is clear that Mary knows how to run a nonprofit organization, before the September 11 attacks the organization was doing well, but after there was a bigger need and the organization needed more money. I believe that if I was in the position to make the decision to offer the grant, but I would want to see her plans for the money first, I don’t agree with the idea of using the money to hiring as much staff as she did maybe she could have done with the administrative staff is she already had some administrative staff in place. I would have asked what she is going to use the money and to have a plan in place. I do feel that she is capable of running a organization and meeting the needs of the clients so I would have given her the money.
I think the main cause of the organization experiencing some hardship was the fact that terror attracts, I don’t think anyone was prepared for that, and Mary and her staff had to step up and do more than what was expected. In this case there most likely was not a time where they could sit back and regroup and figure out what they were going to do. If I was put in the position if I was Mary I can only imagine that she had to think on her fee and act fast, I feel that she did what she thought was best. What Mary could have done different was to create a plan on how she would spend the money