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Focus on the Family Lays Off 49 More Workers (Due to Decreased Donations)
Christian Post ^ | 09/17/2011 | Anugrah Kumar

Posted on 09/17/2011 7:19:49 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Focus on the Family on Friday announced the layoff of 49 more employees due to decreased donations, bringing down the number of employees to less than half it had in 2002.

his new 7 percent staff reduction in the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based pro-family group brought the employee number to 650, down from a 2002 peak of 1,400 people, according to The Denver Post.

“God has never promised us a certain budget number. We’re sad today but not distraught about the future,” FOTF Vice President Gary Schneeberger was quoted as saying. “Even in these bad economic times people who care about the ministry gave us more than $90 million. We’ve been able to help tens of thousands of families with their marriages, raising their kids and walking in their faith. Our commitment to that mission is unabated.”

Focus on the Family’s budget for fiscal year 2008-2009 was $160 million, which came down to $138 million in 2009-2010. For the fiscal year 2010-2011 ending Sept. 30, it further shrunk to $105 million, and now officials project it will receive donations of only $90 million to $95 million.

The layoffs in the organization founded by influential Christian right leader James Dobson in 1977 resulted from decreased donations due to the economic downturn. “Long ago I suppose there was a time when we had fat to trim, but we’ve moved through that to muscle, sinew, bone – and now we’re scraping out marrow,” Schneeberger said.

The decision to cut more jobs was taken after Focus on the Family’s internal audit showed that it could save money by merging some business and administrative positions without affecting client programs.

Dobson resigned as the ministry’s president in 2003, and as its board chairman in 2009. Dobson’s final Focus on the Family radio program, which reached more than 220 million people in 155 nations, was aired last February. Dobson and his son, Ryan Dobson, launched a new talk radio ministry in May 2010 called “Family Talk.”

The flagship Focus of the Family radio program, succeeded by President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Daly, now has an estimated 2 million listeners.

“Most of the years of the ministry we were under a $90 million budget,” Schneeberger added. “Even so, we had a huge impact globally and believe we will continue to have a huge impact globally.”


TOPICS: Current Events; Evangelical Christian; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: bhoeconomy; charity; dobson; focusonthefamily; fotf; jamesdobson; layoffs
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To: All
This thread is posted in the Religion Forum. That means...

1. Do not use potty language or references to potty language on this thread, and

2. Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

21 posted on 09/17/2011 9:29:52 PM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: SeekAndFind
Maybe that's what happens when the hand-picked Board of Focus decides to "layoff" it's founder, Dr. James Dobson (who never took one dollar from the group he founded and worked for for decades!)

"Layoff Dr. Dobson," you might say, "I thought he 'retired.'"

Nor only did they tell the public that Dr. Dobson, without making any public statement, "retired."

Not only that, but the Board of Focus told anyone attempting to reach Dr. Dobson, that they "didn't know how to reach him."

22 posted on 09/17/2011 9:33:53 PM PDT by zerosix (native sunflower)
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To: SeekAndFind
"brought the employee number to 650, down from a 2002 peak of 1,400 people"

I remember when FOF had two employees, Jim and his secretary, in an office on Baldwin in Arcadia, and then when they expanded about 1980 over the real estate office around the corner on Foothill Blvd., before they got really big and moved about 1985 to Pomona, before they got huge and moved to Colorado.

Lots of employees have done lots of good work there for the Lord, and there are still 648 more than when they started to continue doing it, as He gives them the guidance and the means.

23 posted on 09/18/2011 9:56:12 AM PDT by Hebrews 11:6 (Do you REALLY believe that (1) God is, and (2) God is good?)
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To: Outlaw Woman
wait until limp noodle Boehner gets done. All tax deductions for charitable contributions are to be eliminated (in Obama’s jobs bill)

So Boehner is to be blamed for Obama's proposal?

Sheesh. There are some really whacked out ideas on FR these days.

24 posted on 09/18/2011 11:47:15 AM PDT by Siena Dreaming
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To: Outlaw Woman
wait until limp noodle Boehner gets done. All tax deductions for charitable contributions are to be eliminated (in Obama’s jobs bill)

So Boehner is to be blamed for Obama's proposal?

Sheesh. There are some really whacked out ideas on FR these days.

25 posted on 09/18/2011 11:47:28 AM PDT by Siena Dreaming
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To: Outlaw Woman
wait until limp noodle Boehner gets done. All tax deductions for charitable contributions are to be eliminated (in Obama’s jobs bill)

So Boehner is to be blamed for Obama's proposal?

Sheesh. There are some really whacked out ideas on FR these days.

26 posted on 09/18/2011 11:47:31 AM PDT by Siena Dreaming
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To: Outlaw Woman
Lace up your corset more tightly and learn to do more with less.
27 posted on 09/18/2011 11:52:54 AM PDT by verity (The Obama Administration is a Criminal Enterprise.)
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To: Siena Dreaming

bears repeating huh? lol!


28 posted on 09/18/2011 12:17:13 PM PDT by Outlaw Woman (Attention: Liberals & RINOS: We The People are coming for YOU)
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To: verity

Lace up my corset more tightly?

Ha...you don’t have a clue dear. There is no TV here, groceries are limited to no more than $25 per week and that’s at Aldi and Dollar General, with coupons. I go out of the house maybe once a day unless I’m out doing an appraisal for work. The socks I have on are 3 years old as is my entire collection of socks. New clothes? Haven’t purchased anything new in three years. 99.9% of all products in this house are generic. My vehicle is 1997 with only liability insurance. My mattress is so old that I have to drap cloth over the springs popping through.

On the bright side though...I am a country girl. I will survive. My house is paid for, my vehicle is paid for and my major bills are the Utility and phone bills. I can live on deer meat, fish, and home grown vegs. I can shoot the hair off a gnat’s ass and have cleared out my freezer for the upcoming deer season. Geese are now migrating and picking one out of the sky will be no problem. I have wood heat and kerosene lamps.

So..your comment on tightening up my corset should be directed elsewhere...unless of course it was to begin with. In which case I just wasted 10 minutes telling you how I’ve tightened my corset and how I will survive.


29 posted on 09/18/2011 12:31:38 PM PDT by Outlaw Woman (Attention: Liberals & RINOS: We The People are coming for YOU)
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To: Outlaw Woman

****All tax deductions for charitable contributions are to be eliminated (in Obama’s jobs bill****

Will churches then loose their 501-3c status? Will the churches then go back to preaching hot and heavy sermons, pointing out GOVERNMENT SIN like they did before the tax ammendment was enacted?


30 posted on 09/18/2011 1:44:25 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (Click my name. See my home page, if you dare! NEW PHOTOS & PAINTINGS)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Churches should be preaching that in spite of the deduction don’t you think?

My brother and I were discussing this very thing this morning.

Preach the truth! The hell with the deduction.

The churches were neutered when the 501 status was assigned to them...I believe in the 50’s? In any case, the current ‘church’ is the example of the apostate church Christ & Paul spoke of. Most of the mainstream churches have sold their souls for the tax exempt status. Truly disgusting.


31 posted on 09/18/2011 3:28:33 PM PDT by Outlaw Woman (Attention: Liberals & RINOS: We The People are coming for YOU)
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