Meet yet another loser in the Winningham minimum wage jihad.

Non-profits.

Originally published Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 4:09 PM

Guest: How raising the minimum wage to $15 would hurt a nonprofit

Immediately increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour in Seattle would be extremely problematic for nonprofit organizations that provide care for people with intellectual and development disabilities, writes guest columnist Sylvia Fuerstenberg.

By Sylvia Fuerstenberg

Special to The Times

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Gabriel Campanario / The Seattle Times

CAPTURING the complexity of raising the minimum wage is difficult.

As a nonprofit leader who is concerned with social justice, I’ve lost many nights of sleep considering this issue.

How can we build a more just and equitable community without bankrupting the organizations that help our most vulnerable?

That’s what may happen if the city of Seattle raises the minimum wage from $9.32 to $15 an hour. An advisory committee appointed by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is exploring how to raise wages to $15 and is expected to recommend changes at the end of April.

Support for a minimum-wage increase is spreading regionally and throughout the country. President Obama in a recent address stated, “... Americans overwhelmingly agree that no one who works full time should ever have to raise a family in poverty.”

We agree on this point, but the timing and planning of the implementation is critical to keep businesses and nonprofits sustainable.

In my agency, The Arc of King County, I’m responsible for 77 employees. Since 1936, The Arc has provided supports and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families throughout all of King County.
In Washington state, people can either choose to get care in one of the state’s four institutions or opt for services in the community in an integrated setting, at a much reduced cost to the state. The Arc provides care in the community.

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