In the midst of what an economic research group recently labeled a recession, local non-profit organizations are taking budget hits that could result in fewer specialized services.

A meeting at Norman City Hall on Wednesday night manifested the troubles facing 19 agencies in the Norman area.

Leaders from those agencies gave presentations to city officials in hopes of receiving a piece of the Community Development Block Grant—federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“It was not a fun meeting,” said Linda Price, revitalization manager for the City of Norman. “What I’m hearing is that costs and needs are going up, and contributions are going down. Some agencies might not even get funded.”

These agencies provide various services like abuse counseling and holiday gifts and food for needy families.

Price said the amount of funds available through the grant has declined steadily throughout the last decade, and are projected tohit a new low in 2009. In 2000, the grant peaked when it exceeded $1 million.

This year’s grant was just more than $800,000, but only $120,000 of that will be put toward agencies. Price said the amount going to agencies is far from sufficient.

There will be around $5,000 less available to agencies than there was last year, she said.

“That’s a huge amount, [it] might be the difference in an organization closing or not.”

Community Services Building Inc., an institution that houses 16 non-profit services in Norman, is experiencing problems due to its non-profits’ depleting budgets, said Becky Aguilar, executive director of CSBI.

Aguilar lobbied for funds to continue improvements to the corporation’s heating and air systems Wednesday night. The improved system would be more energy efficient, allowing organizations to rent at a lower price.

“If we don’t get it, it will definitely hurt a lot,” she said.

Organizations like the Center for Children and Families Inc. and Bethesda, which counsels children who are sexually abused, have also suffered substantial cuts.

Price said the groups operate off fundraising too, which has been down recently.

“It’s a double whammy for those organizations,” she said. “They lose government money as well as donations.”

Some organizations that don’t receive government funds are being forced to change their strategy.

The Eden Clinic, a pregnancy and counseling center, relies only on donations and has been forced to transition to a volunteer model of leadership.

Mark Hiehle, executive director of The Eden Clinic, said he hopes soon to have around 20 volunteers working at the clinic, as opposed to about five volunteers prior to the budget cuts.

“We are trying to trim as much as possible without jeopardizing quality,” Hiehle said. “A lot of our major donors have talked about how they’ve taken hits in the stock market. I think contributions are down everywhere.”

Hiehle said he is tapping into new resources and organizations like rotary and optimist clubs to combat the cuts.

Agencies shouldn’t lose hope, though, Price said. She thinks funds will increase in the coming years for those who receive it.

President-elect Barack Obama will try to make helping these organizations a priority, Price said.

“It’s important to both parties, but because of certain situations now, we haven’t been able to help these agencies,” she said. “It might get worse before it gets better, but I think it will ultimately improve.”