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A Long-Term Investment
Loveland Daily - Reporter Herald
December 10, 2002
United Way in the News

Along with the rest of us, United Way struggles to make ends meet.

Although the United Way fund-raising campaign in Larimer County is on track to raise as much as last year, organizers are hoping for more – a lot more.

"We could stand back and be very happy with where we are, given the economic conditions, but the need has increased so much we just aren’t’ willing to settle for that," said Stephanie Giard, marketing director for the United Way of Larimer County.

Last year, the Loveland and Fort Collins United Way chapters raised $4.3 million combined. However, requests for funding from nonprofit agencies far exceeded that amount, Giard said.

Based on those needs, the two United Way set a joint goal of $5.5 million which is crucial to allow agencies to meet ever-growing needs in the county while at the same time dealing with federal and state funding cuts, Giard said.

She listed the following as examples of the fiscal challenges currently faced by agencies:
o The Boys and Girls Club of Larimer County will lose money because of cuts in state funding for youth programs. The program is not getting as many grants from private foundations because earned income from endowments is down.
o Twenty-five participants in Project Self-Sufficiency - a program that helps single parents gain education and job skills – have lost county funding to help them pay for child care. One woman in the program had to decline a promotion because she did not know if she would be able to pay for childcare.
o Alternatives to Violence, which helps families cope with the effects of domestic violence and sexual assault, cut its child and adolescent counselor position to halftime because of state cuts in youth-program funding.

United Way officials believe people have not increased their donations over last year because of the economic uncertainty, Giard said.

Some major individual donors have not increased their gifts because their stocks or other investments are not showing good returns, she said.

In addition, many companies have fewer employees to contribute to United Way because of layoffs and attrition, she said.

"There are big companies that have taken hits, but we are going into companies that used to have 50 people, and now they are down to 30 or 40 people," she said.

"There has been downsizing going on in smaller companies that hasn’t been getting a lot of press," she said.

United Way officials have extended the campaign through January to try to raise more money, Giard said.

Volunteers are working to find potential donors and to educate people about the needs of nonprofit agencies, she said.

Last year, officials in the Loveland and Fort Collins United Way agencies decided to run a joint campaign with a single goal and message.

Each chapter will receive a separate pot of money to distribute to agencies, and donors may still choose whether they want their contribution to go to Loveland or Fort Collins.

Officials also decided to allow any county nonprofit program to apply for funding and for recognition as a United Way agency, Giard said.

Agencies applying for new funding will undergo the same accreditation process that current United Way agencies have completed. Staff members and volunteers will make sure the organizations are financially responsible and strong before they receive money, according to officials.

United Way staff members and volunteers hope people will consider the organization when donating to the needy this holiday season, Giard said.

"There are many programs that find toys for kids or a turkey for families," she said. "In addition to these, please consider giving to United Way to solve the underlying problems and to create long-term solutions."

-By Felicia Jordan

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