ST. PAUL – The St. Paul Abilities Network (SPAN) is actively developing strategies to ensure the future success of both SPAN and its programs, navigating beyond past financial challenges. SPAN is a charitable agency that supports people who live with limitations or challenging conditions, created back in 1964.
During SPAN’s annual general meeting on Nov. 16, Anthony opden Dries, executive director of SPAN, said the organization is focusing on its core vision and values.
“SPAN will maintain and enhance current program offerings to best meet the needs of individuals, while undertaking a structured process of debt reduction to better position the organization for long-term operations,” he said, during his director report.
SPAN’s priorities include investing in the “structures, skills and processes needed to elevate its workforce and build a strong and attractive employer brand,” enabling SPAN to continue delivering high-quality services and support.
He said SPAN will also work on its programs to be able to respond to the changing needs of individuals being served now and in the future.
Financials
According to SPAN’s financial statement of revenues and expenditures for the 2022 fiscal year, April 2022 to March 2023, which was audited by Gallo LLP Chartered Professional Accountants, SPAN’s actual revenue was $10.3 million, compared to its budgeted revenue of $9.8 million. The year prior, SPAN’s actual revenue was $9.8 million.
The $500,000 increase in revenue is attributed to SPAN receiving more grants. About $8.5 million in actual grants were received.
For expenses, SPAN expected a loss of $60,311 in operations for the fiscal year. The actual loss for SPAN's 2022-23 fiscal year over expenses from operations is $688,054.
According to Preet Sandhu with Gallo LLP Chartered Professional Accountants, who provided Gallo LLP’s independent auditor report on Nov. 16 during SPAN’s AGM, the majority of the increase is attributed to increased spending in salaries and wages.
“That went up from about [$7.6 million] to [$8.7 million],” said Sandhu.
Len Gagne, president of the board of SPAN, said the board approved the wage increase for staff in June of 2022, which was rolled out in January 2023.
Also, SPAN hired 56 new staff in 2022.
In addition to the $688,054 deficit, SPAN also paid $372,555 in Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) surplus repayment this year, adding up to a total of $1.06 million in deficit.
The repayment was due to SPAN being unable to use $372,555 of the funding provided by PDD at the height of the pandemic restrictions back in 2020, when it had to limit the services it provided, leading to some employee layoffs, for example.
Gagne said the PPD surplus repayment goes back to the PDD contract from April 2020 to October 2020. “That repayment action will be completed by the end of this year,” he said. This means SPAN will not have to worry about the PDD surplus repayment in the future.
PDD is a provincial program that assists qualified adults who have disabilities in planning, organizing, and accessing services to enhance their ability to live independently within their community, based on the Persons with Developmental Disabilities Services Act and Regulations, according to information from the Government of Alberta.
SPAN was also recently awarded a three-year contract with PDD from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2026, according to the director's report. PDD is among SPAN’s biggest funders. “We have established a sound working relationship with PDD and have set expectations moving forward,” said opden Dries, in the report.
Other funding partners of SPAN, in addition to PDD, include but are not limited to, Alberta Health Services (AHS), Addictions and Mental Health, Alberta Brain Injury Network, Alberta Treasury Branch, Portage College, the Town of St. Paul, and the provincial and federal governments.
SPAN is also looking at restructuring some of its properties, including putting up for sale the Western Industrial Laundry, its laundry service that provides linen, towel and mat rental services. But it will be keeping assets that serve as a social enterprise through employment of persons with disabilities, such as its catering business.
The property restructuring is part of moving SPAN back to the direction of focusing its services to helping individuals and less into property accumulation. Properties it will be selling will be discussed in the future.
Gagne, who is stepping down as the president, acknowledged SPAN’s board and staff for their work. While SPAN works to overcome hurdles, “I feel very confident in [the current] board’s direction moving forward.”
He added, “We continue to develop long-term viability to provide continuing services through debt reduction and diversified revenues.”
SPAN will elect a new president in January 2024.
