Word from the Muttart Foundation

As you all know, the Muttart foundation has provided a significant amount of the funding for CORI over the years. A number of commentators on this blog have asked if there might be information made available about the current standing of the Muttart with regards to CORI/Homes. I wrote to Bob Wyatt, the executive director of the Muttart Foundation and he graciously replied and added a detailed comment to another blog entry on this site.

To ensure that it is easily available to all I have decided to add it as a separate blog posting. So here it is, again, with thanks to Bob for his comment and for his expression of interest in the current database changes facing you all. (Please continue to get the word out about this blog site so we can gather together the sort of community where positive things happen!)

Mike Boyes

The following is a re-post of a comment recently posted to this site By Bob Wyatt

Bob Wyatt said...
I appreciate the interest in CORI and in the HOMES database. I can assure you that the CORI Board of Directors recognized fully the implications of ceasing operations; it made the decision only after careful thought and analysis.

Both the CORI Board and the board of the Muttart Foundation continue to examine how to help CORI's clients. I hope we will be able to make some announcements before the end of this month.

I'll watch for suggestions with interest. At this point, I just want to clarify a couple of comments made by another poster.

Muttart is, in fact, a co-owner of the software that operated the HOMES database. Hull Child & Family Services is the other co-owner. I think both are open to looking at other options to continue to serve nonprofit organizations that understand the critical importance of collecting outcome information.

The suggestion of a 20-year contract between Muttart and Hull is not correct. Muttart has been a core funder of CORI (and its predecessor iteration) since the early stages of software development. Muttart has provided almost $4 million in core funding. It was this funding that helped keep licence fees low and also helped subsidize training. Other funders had, until this year, also contributed to the operating costs, through paying for training and other costs. Muttart's funding alone was not sufficient to continue CORI in its existing structure. Would other structures work? That's what we're examining.

Personally (and without having had the chance to discuss it with my Board), the idea of a co-op arrangement of some description is an interesting one. The sustainability of such a structure would, of course, be critical. And while the database was an important part of CORI's work, the training was also essential, as was the provision of IT support and a help line. All of those costs add up.

I'll continue to watch for comments and ideas.

Bob Wyatt,Executive Director, The Muttart Foundation

January 5, 2010 10:37 PM