LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville's nonprofits are in a fight for funding.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville Metro Council leaders spoke candidly to the directors of some of the city's biggest nonprofits Friday.

"You know, math is a stubborn thing, and if anyone understands budgets and knows how to stretch dollars, it's you all," Fischer said. "There is no money tree."

The people in that meeting were those who directly impact thousands of lives in Kentucky's largest city and throughout the state. The agencies they lead serve the homeless, the hungry, the poor and abused and those lacking education.

The takeaway of that meeting was to prepare to do more with less. Again.

"Our revenue is not growing fast enough to continue to provide the services we're providing and meet those pension costs," said Bill Hollander, a Democrat who represents Louisville Metro Council's District 9. "That's just the reality."

Louisville recently slashed spending in response to a state-mandated pension increase. The city's police and fire departments, as well as community services, all took a hit.

On Friday, Hollander said that the next budget has a projected $14 million hole due to the pension problem.

Pam Darnell, the president and CEO of Family and Children's Place, said her agency lost more than $350,000 from last year's cuts.

"Absolutely, our services have been reduced," she said.

It forced the nonprofit helping child abuse and sex trafficking victims to eliminate four positions, including two therapists.

"We have to constantly make the best decisions we can about what services we can offer to the community," Darnell said. "They're gut-wrenching decisions."

It's a 1-2 punch for Louisville's nonprofits as the city cuts spending their major fundraising hub, Metro United Way, has changed the way it awards grants.

Some charities are seeing less money.

"There's uncertainty at the city, state and national level, and so there's fear," said Paul Robinson, president and CEO of Home of the Innocents. 

Leaders said a restaurant tax could generate the money for pensions, but there's push-back from the food service industry, and implementing it would require a change in state law.

"Talk to your constituents about those things," Louisville Metro Council President David James said. "Tell your story."

The group was told to stay loud and active and to tell the people they're serving to share the message of how they've been helped by their services as the fight for funding enters the next round.

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