SMARTER needs more funding

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

SMARTER is currently facing a desperate financial situation, according to the organisation’s president.

Society for the Management of Autism Related Issues in Training, Education and Resources President Malai Hj Abdullah Hj Malai Othman said yesterday there is only a total of $2,000 in the organisation’s bank account at the moment.

“We are in ‘desperado’ mode, and really need financial support from the public and the government now,” he said.

Although the organisation reportedly collected about half a million dollars in 2013, Malai explained the public only “sees that the money comes in, but do not see or realise that the money also goes out”.

“What the public needs to understand is that SMARTER is not rich. Whenever the organisation receives money, there is always a need to spend it, it is always gone,” Malai explained.

The organisation needs to spend a minimum of $45,000 each month on expenses, including staff salaries and housing, rent, bills and transport costs.

There are new additional students coming in every year, and we need extra staff to cope with them, Malai admitted.

“We have 109 students, and we only estimate that we will receive about $9,600 from 80 per cent of them, as some of the families are too poor and cannot afford to pay us the $120 monthly fee that we charge our members.

“We are additionally expecting $1,400 in estimated donations this month, and an estimated $2,500 income from our SMARTER shop, which when added to the $2,000 in the bank, makes an expected total of $15,000 for this month,” Malai said.

However, after factoring in the month’s expected expenses, SMARTER is still set to face a deficit of $29,500 at the end of this month.

“We need at least a ‘starter’ amount of donations for this month,” Malai said.

To illustrate the bigger picture, its financial projection for the entire year showed an estimated income of $471,360 (including donations), but expenses for the year are estimated to be $585,760, which would equate to a 2014 financial deficit of $114,400.

According to Malai, SMARTER will not be merely sitting and waiting for donations as the organisation will be trying to raise funds on its own by having six fundraisers this year.

“The first one we’re set to do is a coffee table book titled ‘Acknowledging Autism: The Enigma of a Beautiful Mind’, which we hope to release at the end of this month, or early February,” Malai said.

The organisation plans to produce 3,000 copies of the book, which will be sold at $50 each.

“We are also hoping that someone will be willing to come forward and invest in our project by donating a starter amount of $20,000 for printing costs. That amount will then eventually translate into $150,000 (3,000 x $50) for SMARTER,” Malai said.

Other events in the pipeline include a treasure hunt, musical concert, sports tournament, a carnival fair as well as a ‘Zumbathon’ event.

Yet, SMARTER’s overall bank balance for the year is projected to still be negative, as the total income expected to be generated through the fundraisers will only be $224,400 – not enough to cover the organisation’s expected expenses for the year.

“The organisation and I do not want to struggle for the next 11 months without the public realising that we need help,” Malai said.

The NGO president said that he would be forced to make a decision to shut down both of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Intervention Centres that the organisation currently runs, ASD Sengkurong and ASD Kuala Belait, if SMARTER’s finances do not improve soon.

“I am sorry, but I will focus my attention on BACA (Brunei Autism Centre for Adults), as my 16-year-old son is there. My priority will be the son, and I will need to take care of him.

“Next will be the 37 members of BACA, as the adults have been with SMARTER for a while now,” Malai admitted.

Malai said that it would be a shame if the two centres were shut down, as the organisation has achieved plenty, including being recognised by the National Autistic Society United Kingdom as being on par with UK’s best in 2010, and being lauded as a leading regional body which provides world class quality service, according to a South Australian university expert in 2008.

He further said the organisation would have no choice but to pay staff a third of their supposed salaries, and to request that parents pay their children’s fees months in advance.

“We are very grateful to sponsors, especially our regular donors, as some of them make a fixed amount donation to us every month, without fail. Those are the people that keep us alive, and afloat.

“But, we need a constant flow of donations coming in, and we need the public to understand that all the donations we receive are for the benefit of the people with autism – nothing more.”

The Brunei Times