KC Mayor’s Christmas Tree fund needs more than money. It needs help

Mayor Quinton Lucas will renew an old tradition Friday when he helps throw the switch on the Mayor’s Christmas Tree at Crown Center.

Kansas City mayors perform ceremonial chores like this all the time. This one is a bit different, though: This summer, Lucas’ staff members discovered to their mild surprise that they’re actually responsible for overseeing the Mayor’s Christmas Tree fund, not just turning on the lights.

Kansas Citians donate money to the fund, which then buys gift cards for low-income seniors and the disabled who don’t get holiday help elsewhere. Only Kansas City residents are eligible.

Helping the less fortunate in our community is an essential part of the holidays. But you’re right if you believe that the mayor and his team have more important responsibilities than running a small charity.

Operating a nonprofit isn’t a core function of the mayor’s office, nor should it be. It’s clearly time for an established charity to assume full responsibility for the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Association to ensure the fund helps as many disadvantaged people as possible.

Fundraising has been a challenge for years. The fund’s last public tax return showed a loss of more than $31,000. The fund’s reserves now sit at around $105,000, the mayor’s office says.

That isn’t former Mayor Sly James’ fault, and Quinton Lucas won’t be to blame this year. Fundraising is difficult under the best of circumstances, which is why many organizations rely on professionals to do it. The mayor’s office lacks that expertise.

But fundraising is just half of the equation. Few Kansas Citians who might qualify for a gift card even know how to apply. This year’s applications were due Nov. 15, but that appears to be a little-known fact.

Independent, outside oversight would make the Mayor’s Christmas Tree fund more effective. A board comprised of nonprofit professionals could seek more donations, particularly from corporations. A transparent, public application process would ensure help gets to the people who need it.

A new oversight structure would also absolve the mayor of responsibility. The current arrangement is largely an accident: For decades, the fund was run by the late Jerry Cohen, who set ambitious goals for fundraising. Kansas City’s mayor was only incidentally connected with the project.

When Cohen died, Kansas Citians naturally turned to the mayor’s office. But the mayor has as much experience with running a holiday-focused nonprofit as the United Way does with plowing streets after a snowstorm. Which is to say, none.

Lucas is open to a new structure. “We’re certainly committed to exploring new ways to ensure this program is serving our community as effectively as possible,” he said Wednesday.

The Mayor’s Christmas Tree is a great tradition that appears to date back to the late 1800s. It’s roughly as old as this newspaper.

The tradition shouldn’t end. But with a new approach, this well-intentioned effort would have more of an impact. The best way to do that is to find outside experts to run the fund by this time next Christmas season.

This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 1:29 PM.