Letter to the Editor

by Erie County Comptroller, Kevin Hardwick

Erie County Comptroller, Kevin Hardwick

In December, my office published a cultural monitoring report on the African American Cultural Center (covering calendar years 2020, 2021, and 2022). Weeks later, it was covered by the Buffalo News and became a highly publicized story. I regret the negative impact this had on the current Executive Director and Board President (all of whom came on board at the Center in 2023 as replacements for the prior leadership), who were not involved in the circumstances reviewed and have worked diligently to move the organization forward.

The African American Cultural Center has a long and important history of serving an underrepresented and underfunded community. As noted, the Center has undergone significant leadership changes with new leadership having to face and improve upon several things we noted in our review. My office supports the Center’s future funding applications and has worked to ensure its current capital funding remains in place.  Most importantly, my office seeks to support and provide helpful resources as the new management of the Center moves it forward to a new era of service to the community.

When we launched the Cultural Monitoring Program in 2023, our goal was to provide oversight, transparency, and support to organizations receiving county funding. The program has identified common issues across many organizations, including insufficient segregation of duties and risks associated with lack of proper oversight. Developed in partnership with the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, the program has strengthened funding applications and streamlined reapplications for numerous cultural organizations.

We have since expanded it to additional organizations and contracts across Erie County. One thing was clear – many organizations need help.  While we have a duty to perform under law, we want to always approach our cultural assets in the spirit of helping them with policies and procedures that comply with the law and the funding agreements they have with the county.

In response to this situation, I am expanding outreach to offer guidance to the broader community. On April 25 from 9:00–10:30 a.m., my staff and I will host a presentation on nonprofit governance and financial practices at the Delavan-Grider Community Center, alongside the New York State Attorney General - Charities Bureau and attorneys from Hodgson Russ LLP who specialize in counselling not-for-profits and tax-exempt organizations. We welcome executive directors, board members, and nonprofit leaders to attend.