The Wisconsin branch of Experience Works could close its office in West Bend and lay off all five staff members within the next two months if the organization is left out of an upcoming round of federal grants.
Experience Works is a national nonprofit that provides training and employment to seniors. Its only office in Wisconsin is in West Bend.
The organization notified the Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington Workforce Development board of the possible layoffs Tuesday afternoon, citing a “significant downturn in business, resulting in a corporate-wide reorganization.”
The notice was sent “in anticipation of not receiving funding for the (Senior Community Service Employment Program) in Wisconsin,” Experience Works representatives wrote.
SCSEP grantees and the amount of money awarded will not be announced until July.
Experience Works will lay off at least 85 employees nationwide in the next two months, but as many as 102 positions could be eliminated, depending on how much grant money is received.
Nationally, the nonprofit has seen declining annual revenue and income in recent years. Though the group posts more than $100 million in revenue annually, it sustained losses of $340,401 in 2014 and $327,721 in 2013, according to financial information filed with the federal government. The group’s 2015 financial information has not yet been made available by the Internal Revenue Service.
An Experience Works representative was not immediately available for comment.
