Center for Women seeks state support

Now the organization is looking for a return on that investment — $150,000 in state funding to expand their services.

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It appears they will have a hard time getting it.

A slow economy and a state budget that is already $160 million in the hole could prevent the organization, which has made contact with more than 2,000 women business owners in the state, from moving forward with its mission “to empower women to become economically self sufficient and prosperous through entrepreneurship.”

”We have so much support from the community, now we are looking for financial support from the state,” said CWE Executive Director Carol Malysz. “We want to raise the visibility and opportunity for our women business owners. To do that we need money.”

Getting that money is going to require Malysz to work the halls of the State House, convincing legislatures and the governor that her program is worth adding to a budget that is in the process of being dramatically cut.

”A lot of people don’t really know how many women-owned businesses there are in this state,” she said. “I consider us to be a niche economic development program for those business owners. I know that it is going to be very challenging, probably one of the biggest challenges I have faced as a professional, but I believe that we have to foster the growth of these businesses, and these entrepreneurs.”

Malysz could find some solace with Senator Majority Leader William V. Irons, who said the current economic climate is one that requires the state to bolster its business development plan, not stunt it.

”The best outcome for the residents of this state in the future, is a job,” he said. “This is definitely not a time when we can stop staying strong and maintaining what we have gained.”

Gov. Lincoln Almond is more cautious.

”This is not really a time to be adding new programs,” he said. “This is the time to shore up what we have. We are going to have to do some cutting.”

According to Malysz, what works to her favor are the statistics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau Rhode Island has more than 20,000 women-owned business, and nationally, women-owned businesses are growing at a rate of almost three times faster than other businesses.

In addition, she said the centers in Boston and Worcester offices already receive funding through their state budgets.

Mark Hayward, district director of the Small Business Administration, said funding the program won’t cost the state, but instead will result in a profit.

”Small business is the engine of our economy and in order for small business to continue in our state they have to access to capital,” he said. “The Center for Women and Enterprise is one way for those businesses to gain capital. This is the type of program that the state needs to be supporting because in the long run it will bring dollars back to the state’s economy.”`

In the past CWE in Providence has received funding from the Rhode Island Human Resources Investment Council, the Small Business Administration, Fleet and Sovereign banks, and the Rhode Island Foundation. The organization has also received “in kind” donations in the form of computers from the Boston-based mutual company Fidelity Investments. But this year, Malysz said, more needs to be done.

“Just like any small business we need enough money to operate, to maintain the quality of our services, and to enhance our vision for the future,” she said. “Our phone is always ringing. We are always getting referrals. The challenge is to keep up.”

The CWE isn’t the only organization facing a budget crunch this year. According to Almond, a variety of organizations, both public and private, could be facing some serious cuts.

“We don’t have enough money to fund the 2002 budget,” the Governor said recently in an interview. “We have programs but no money. I don’t think that the budget crisis has really sunk into a lot of people yet, I don’t think they view it as seriously as we do in my office and in the budget office.”

Irons is a bit more optimistic.

“I don’t think that there is a necessity for people to panic,” he said. “We have had downfalls of greater magnitude in the past and we have worked our way through it. We will work our way through this.”

For Malysz, crunch time is just beginning. With her organization expected to present its budget request early in the new year, Malysz said the meetings with politicians, budget officers, and clients is just beginning. Either way, Malysz says she hopes the funding issue will be resolved by the start of the 2003 budget year on July 1.

“We have been very successful in the past and I think we will continue to be successful this year,” she said. “I run this organization like a business, and I will do everything in my power to keep it going, to keep it successful.”

Bethany Costello can be reached by email at: costello@pbn.com