United Way of Pitt County is improving the way it invests donor dollars to achieve maximum impact.

What is Changing?

UWPC, like many other United Ways across the nation, is taking a new approach to how it operates and invests in the community. Through an evolving Community Action Plan, the United Way works with community leaders, volunteers and representatives to identify the most urgent needs in the community, develop and implement strategies for positive change and provide accountability through measuring results.

The focus of the United Way is to ask first "what does the community need" and then work with partners and agencies to address those most urgent needs.

Why Change?

As our community is continually changing with increasing needs and limited resources, the UWPC must be able to align itself in a way that effectively and efficiently meets the changing needs of the community. The Community Action Plan builds on the history and strengths of our United Way, coupling those with focused systems for increasing its effectiveness and ability to work with partners to deliver results.

What is a Community Action Plan?

Building on recent research and planning efforts through the development of the Pitt County Voices Community Needs Assessment, United Way is mobilizing resouces including local partners and community representatives to create a Community Action Plan, which identifies our community's most urgent needs and calls for collective community action around those needs in order to improve the community in a measurable way.

The Community Action Plan will be used as a strategic investment guide for the United Way and other organizations in making wise and meaningful charitable giving decisions based on results and impact relating to the issues that matter most to our community.

In developing this plan, United Way is involving a diverse and comprehensive representation of our community. Over 80 individuals will be involved in the development of the plan. These individuals provided input in the community assessment to help identify the most urgent needs, served on focus groups and/or served on one of the various committees assisting in the identification of issues and development of strategies. These individuals represent a cross-section of neighborhoods throughout the county, United Way donors, health and human service agency representatives, agency service recipients, key community leaders, as well as representatives from the business community.

The Community Action Plan will be implemented over a three-year period in order to provide appropriate time for careful and strategic system changes. This transition began in January 2007, and will continue through 2009, when 100 percent of the allocable dollars will be invested through the Community Action Plan process. 

How will the Community Action Plan affect the way funds are distributed to agencies?

UWPC will restructure how it invests resources to achieve maximum impact with an increasing focus on accountability to our donors and the community. United Way's focus is shifting to programs that address critical issues. UWPC will provide funding to partners who are able to assist in providing solutions that will positively affect issues and needs that citizens have said matter most in our community.

United Way has always been committed to making a difference in our community by using a thorough review process to determine that all dollars raised are being used efficiently and effectively. Agencies that apply for United Way funding will continue to be evaluated by trained community volunteers through a process that involves visiting agencies and reviewing their budgets, financial statements and overall plan of work.

Moving forward with a new Community Action Plan and an increased focus on accountability, agency effectiveness will be measured by the impact the programs that are funded by the United Way have in the community. This will be done through reviewing reported outcomes for each agency program, as well as how these outcomes address the key community issues that have been identified in the Community Action Plan.

What Is Not Changing?

Key foundational elements of our United Way will not change. These elements serve as the major strengths that the Community Action Plan will be built upon.

• Decisions and efforts are lead by community volunteers.
• United Way upholds agency and program accountability standards to ensure appropriate investment of community dollars.
• Dollars are spent locally to address local issues.
• United Way will continue to fund agencies and programs.

Are agencies aware of the changes in the way funding will be determined by United Way?

Agencies have been informed of the United Way's focus on the Community Action Plan, and will be update throughout the process as key decisions are made and activities occur. Agencies will also be asked to provide input throughout the process that will assist volunteer councils as they make decisions on issues identification and strategy development. In addition, all community partner agencies have been provided with necessary training to measure outcomes and the overall impact of their programs.

When will this change occur?

In May 2007, UWPC board of directors approved the Vision, Focus Areas and Goal Statements for the Community Action Plan that will drive the work of the Vision Councils for the next few years.