Dear Friends:

Thank you for your past support of PACT, Inc. programs. Whether by way of a financial contribution, donation of your time, or keeping us in your kind thoughts, you have made a positive difference.  We are confident that we can be grateful for your financial support this year.

We know that the few things we say only touch the surface of the difference PACT makes in the lives of people with developmental and other disabilities, but we hope that these examples will encourage you to partner with PACT in our mission of providing quality service coordination. We are the first point of contact for help, and we are often the only source of help available to people.

Many of PACT’s services are funded by the State of Illinois. A University of Illinois at Urbana study done a little over two years ago demonstrated that across the State of Illinois, developmental disabilities programs are funded by the state at only about 75% to 80% of their costs. PACT currently relies heavily (over 90% of the annual budget) on state funding, and available funds continue to shrink or stay level while our costs and the demand for services continue to increase. Funds are often based on what the state can afford, not on the need for service. In the current fiscal year for example, there was no inflation increase for any of our state-funded services. Program funding is usually limited due to scarce state resources. Under the current economic conditions, even the level of state support we do receive is in jeopardy. In addition, regular increases in our costs automatically translate to significant financial challenges for us.

In addition to the above, we also want to make you aware of the continuing good work of PACT, and of our goals for improvement.

• We currently help more than 3,200 people annually, in seven different programs.

• Our Child and Family Connections program continues to grow daily, currently serving approximately 1,400 DuPage County children and their families. Our service coordinators are linking children birth to three years of age to needed therapies and their parents with various personal and community supports.

• Our service coordinators in PACT’s other programs are helping children and adults with developmental disabilities find residential, day programs and other community supports when they are in need of basic care, are homeless, or are in other crises.

• Our service coordinators are helping parents of adults with developmental disabilities sort their way through the maze of eligibility for State of Illinois funding and provider programs.

• Our service coordinators are assisting people in need of advocacy (case management), guardianship and trusteeship throughout northeastern Illinois and linking them with additional expertise in the community.

• Our board of directors and staff maintain an excellent strategic plan directed to ongoing improvement.  This plan focuses on three goals, including continuation and enhancement of our service quality; enhancement and revision of our development efforts; and expansion of our advocacy, guardianship and trusteeship activities.

Very importantly, PACT, Inc. remains in need of continued financial support from our customers and the general community. The need for community support exists even more strongly now than ever due to the continuing lack of adequate increases in state funding over the years. No company could be expected to operate in a quality manner or with a quality product for very long if it had no way of adjusting its pricing to reflect increased costs of operation. This is the very situation in which we find our services, but even more seriously so since we can positively affect life outcomes for vulnerable people with disabilities.

We are asking that you search your hearts in partnering with us and seriously consider sending a very generous financial contribution to PACT, Inc., 555 E. Butterfield Rd., Suite 300, Lombard IL 60148.

PACT, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and contributions are tax deductible to the full extent accorded by current law and regulation.

On behalf of the people we serve, the PACT, Inc. Board of Directors, and staff members, we thank you in advance for your consideration, generosity and kindness.

Cordially,

Joseph A. Straka, Ph.D.                                          Fred Hawk
Executive Director                                                  Director of Development