1940: Social Service, Private

War Charities.

The outstanding development in the private welfare field during the past year was the rapid rise of 'war charities,' reflecting the course of the second world war in our generation. In December 1940, according to a survey conducted by the New York Herald-Tribune, there were 295 organizations engaged in war relief work in this country. About 1,500,000 men and women, it was estimated, were participating in the activities of these groups, mostly on a volunteer basis.

In May 1940, the American Red Cross launched a national campaign for a war relief fund, raising nearly $21,700,000 for this purpose by December. The United States Congress voted an appropriation of $50,000,000 for the purchase in this country and shipment abroad of agricultural, medical and other supplies 'for the relief of refugee men, women and children who have been driven from their homes or otherwise rendered destitute by hostilities or invasion.' The President was empowered to designate agencies to distribute these purchases. Many millions of dollars have been raised in cash, food, clothing and medical supplies by organizations specifically established for the relief of war victims in Europe and Asia. It has been estimated that more than fifty independent groups are soliciting contributions for Britain alone. One of the most active of the non-partisan war relief agencies is the American Friends' Service Committee. At the beginning of the year very elaborate arrangements were made for large-scale transportation and care of child refugees from war-torn countries, involving the cooperation of many private agencies in this country. Ensuing complications, however, resulted in a considerable curtailment of the original program.

Another outcome of the war situation has been the expansion of youth-serving activities in connection with the national defense program. The Selective Service Act of September 1940, contemplating the compulsory military training of millions of young men, brought in its wake the problem of providing recreational, health and welfare services for the trainees in camps throughout the United States. To coordinate this work, a Recreational and Welfare Section has been established in the War Department's Division of Morale. A number of private agencies are taking an active role in planning and putting into execution various social services at training camps and at Army and Navy bases. Another question that will undoubtedly require concentrated attention as the program gains momentum involves the welfare needs of families of draftees, but this problem had not reached noticeable proportions by the end of 1940.

Normal Social Services.

Trends in normal activities of private social agencies generally followed the lines observed during the preceding year. The development of the Federal social security program, greatly enlarging the scope and extent of public welfare, continues to exert a strong influence on the course of voluntary social service. Private organizations are giving greater attention to non-material services outside the public welfare domain, with increased use of those techniques of dealing with individuals and family situations that come under the generic term, social case work.

Social Service Through Community Chests.

The tendency toward centralization and coordination of the fund-raising and administrative functions of private social work continues. The chief medium for central financing is the community chest, a cooperative agency that carries on annual community-wide campaigns for its affiliated health and welfare organizations. All but four cities of over 100,000 population had community chests in 1940. But while the chest idea has achieved wide acceptance, especially in urban areas, many organizations, large and small, continue to depend on independent fund-raising campaigns.

A total of $86,186,466 for private social service was raised by 552 community chests for 1940,* as compared with $82,071,697 raised by 523 chests for 1939 and $101,377,537 by 397 chests for the peak year of 1932. One-third of the total for 1940 was accounted for by the ten largest chests in the country, which raised sums ranging from $1,806,510 to $4,674,724. An increase of 3.5 per cent over the 1939 total was registered in 1940 by the 523 chests which conducted campaigns for both years.

* Funds budgeted for 1940 were raised during the previous year.

According to statistics compiled by Community Chests and Councils, nineteen out of every hundred people in 124 cities subscribed to the community chest for 1940, an increase of 8.4 per cent over 1939. Fourteen of these nineteen givers contributed sums of less than $5 each. The proportion of those contributing less than $25 has increased steadily during the last decade, reflecting the widening circle of lower-income groups giving to chests. More than one-half of the increase for 1940 represented gifts under $25, while 28.5 per cent of the increase came from contributions under $5.

Sources and Disposition of Income of Private Social Agencies.

Contrary to a widespread impression, the major part of the income of private social agencies generally is derived not from voluntary gifts, but from public tax funds, fees paid by clients and other sources. An analysis covering member agencies of chests in 104 cities reveals that 35.7 per cent of their total income for 1940 came from the community chest, 7.9 per cent from public tax funds, 38.4 per cent from clients, and 18 per cent from other sources. Full or part payment by beneficiaries for services rendered accounted for nearly two-thirds of total hospital income, two-fifths of leisure-time agency income, over one-fourth of the income of agencies caring for the aged, and one-fifth of income for health services other than hospital care. Child-caring agencies affiliated with chests received 17 per cent of their total income from tax subsidies, while the same source accounted for 11.5 per cent of hospital income.

Nearly 25 per cent of the 1940 community chest funds was allocated for family service and general dependency, 24.2 per cent for leisure-time activities, 18.3 per cent for child care, 10.4 per cent for the Community Chest and Council, 20 per cent for hospital and health services, 1.5 per cent for care of the aged, and 1 per cent for miscellaneous services. A significant trend is reflected in the sharp decline in private expenditures for the care of the aged since the extensive federal and state programs for old age security went into effect. In contrast, there has been a steady rise in voluntary expenditures for leisure-time services.

Public and Private Social Work.

As previously indicated, the tremendous expansion of public relief in recent years has caused private social agencies to place increasing emphasis on non-material services. Estimates based on an analysis of trends in 116 urban areas of the United States show that in 1929 nearly 25 per cent of aggregate relief funds came from private sources, which accounted for 29 per cent in the peak year of 1931, and less than 1 per cent during the past three years. Of a total of $814,815,341 expended for public and private assistance (including earnings under the Work Projects Administration) in these 116 urban areas from January to September 1940, only $7,828,088 came from private funds; in 1939 private sources accounted for $10,741,088 of an aggregate total of $1,273,294,901. Other data indicate that the proportion of private funds in total relief expenditures is even lower in rural areas.

While the extent of private relief is almost negligible when compared with public relief, the granting of material aid still plays an important though declining role in the private family welfare field. According to statistics compiled by Ralph G. Hurlin based on a sampling of sixty voluntary family welfare agencies, about 38 per cent of the active cases carried by these agencies in October 1940, were relief cases, as compared with a ratio of 40 per cent in 1939 and 48 per cent in 1937.

Mergers of Private Agencies.

Manifestations of a tendency toward consolidation of services on the part of certain voluntary organizations have been observed with increasing interest. The Family Welfare Association of America, with 209 member agencies, reports six mergers in 1940 affecting its members. Three private family organizations consolidated with children's agencies, two united with other family agencies, and one with a travelers' aid society. One of the most important mergers of the year took place in January when four Jewish child-caring agencies in New York City — the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society, the Jewish Children's Clearing House and Fellowship House — united under the new name, New York Association for Jewish Children, now the largest voluntary agency for dependent children in the United States. In view of the interest displayed in the question of the effect of mergers on the income of agencies, it may be noted that the Community Service Society of New York City, largest private family welfare organization in the country and the product of the consolidation of two prominent agencies in 1939, received a higher total of contributions during its first fiscal year than the combined total of the two agencies before the merger took place.

Child Welfare.

In the care of dependent, neglected and delinquent children outside their own homes, there has been a growing trend toward increased utilization of foster home services and a corresponding decline in institutional care. This tendency has been particularly pronounced in the Jewish welfare field, wherein the proportion of children in foster homes increased from 44.4 to 61.3 per cent between 1929 and 1939, inclusive, while that of children in institutions declined from 53.8 to 31.7 per cent in the same period.* Two Jewish child-caring institutions closed their doors in 1939, bringing to seven the number closed since 1929.

* A small percentage of the children under care were neither in institutions nor foster homes.

According to statistics compiled by the United States Children's Bureau, 594 agencies in 39 urban areas reported a total of 63,289 dependent and neglected children under care away from home in September 1940. Of this total, 72 public agencies were caring for 21,783 children, while 522 private agencies in the same communities had 41,506 children under care. Of the children under public care, 3,234 were in institutions and 18,549 were in foster homes; 22,427 of the children under private care were in institutions and 19,079 were in foster homes. (See also CHILD WELFARE.)