United Way in the News
United Way notifies programs of funding
Article published May 25, 2007
By DIANE CHUN
Sun staff writer
Officials with United Way of North Central Florida announced Thursday that more than$1.2 million in contributions has been allocated to support agencies and programs that will have the greatest impact for the neediest members of the community.
Dollar allocations to specific agencies have not yet been posted, but area groups and programs have been notified if they will get continued support or in some cases, must face cuts.
After-school and summer programs for low-income families received the largest investment with $319,019 going to programs that will help at-risk youth avoid drugs, crime and teen pregnancy.
Overall, one-third of the funds raised last year are being invested in four “impact areas,” according to Karen Bricklemyer, president and CEO of United Way of North Central Florida.
In one of the impact areas – children and families – money will go toward child care and training for child-care providers, treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect and parenting skills and support.
Support for the new Success by 6 program, designed to assure that every child is prepared to begin their education when he or she enters kindergarten, had been announced earlier. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist trimmed the Success by 6 dollars from the budget bill on his desk Thursday afternoon, but Bricklemyer said those cuts will not affect the program here.
“We did not count on the state money for our Success by 6 program,” she said. “We are going to get very creative in this community in finding ways to help parents be parents and to raise kids who enter kindergarten ready to learn.”
A second impact area has programs to help meet immediate needs. They will address the need for interim housing, emergency relief, food and clothing.
A third impact area is health care and health education for the low-income, uninsured, elderly and disabled. And the fourth impact area includes job skills, life skills training and in-home support for the elderly and disabled.
Another 35 percent of the total $1.2 million will go to United Way agencies in the form of direct donations, Bricklemyer said. Nineteen percent goes to United Way programs like Success by 6 and the 2-1-1 information line.
Nine percent is spent on fundraising and operations, and the remaining 4 percent represents uncollectible pledges.
Greg Adams was one of the 63 volunteers who evaluated the grant proposals and programs at the various agencies before any allocations were specified. Adams said the approach represents “a strategic change in the process that focuses on a project’s impact.”
Adams and other volunteers evaluated 12 programs, going on site visits, evaluating grant applications, sitting through presentation on each agency’s programs then making a funding recommendation about programs they felt were worth investing in.
“Our focus as volunteers is to have the greates community impact and serve the most people with the best cost-efficiency,” he said.
Not all community organizations are happy with the new approach of targeted funding.
The Girls Club of Alachua County for example, was notified that their United Way funding allocation would be cut by 74 percent.
“The Girls Club will receive no United Way funding for its…athletic programs or after-school care,” according to a news releaser from Executive Director Renae Clements. It will receive $16,000 of the $31,520 it requested for a summer camp program.
Liz Jones, former Girls Club president, says with the current emphasis on the need for physical education at the elementary school level, “United Way seems to be out of touch with what the public believes is important.”
Not so, according to Suni Brito, another community volunteer who assisted in evaluating agencies and programs for funding in 2007-2008.
“This is a time of change both for United Way and its partner agencies,” Brito said. “Having gone through the training process, I’d say United Way has done their best to help agencies make that transition. I think these high-impact strategies will ultimately provide the most benefit to the community.”
Bricklemyer cites the more than 1,575 hours put in by community volunteers in the review process and adds, “We hold our heads high about making the best decisions to reach the people of the community who are the greatest in need.”