United Way lays out $1.39M funding plan

The United Way of the Ozarks Education Council recommended $1.39 million in program funding to the organization's board of directors Wednesday as part of its community investment process for 2013 and 2014.

The board approved the funding recommendation that same day. United Way's next step is fundraising to reach the amount, said Cindy Howell, vice president of resource development for the organization, which funds more than 40 programs in 23 partner agencies and eight initiatives that address health and human service needs in a 14-county area in southwest Missouri.

The council focused its support on four youth agencies in the Ozarks - Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks; Boy Scouts of America - Ozarks Trails Council; Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield; and Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland, according to a news release.

The organizations are being targeted by United Way because they help prepare youth to succeed in the future, Howell said.

“With the programs they put together ... they build character, they build successful youth and they increase graduation rates for all of these kids at risk to really have a solid foundation to move forward,” she said.

The council has requested $189,732 for Big Brothers Big Sisters' mentoring program; $243,161 for Boy Scouts of America’s Cub Scouts, Varsity Scouts and venture/exploring programs; $731,500 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield’s club and teen programs; and $225,330 for Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland’s leadership program, according to the release.

These funds will serve more than 19,450 Ozarks youth each year, according to estimates by United Way, and will target red-flag issues such as children at risk, children in hunger and poverty facing the Ozarks community , Howell said.

United Way also has restructured the community investment process from an annual process to a 24-month funding cycle, UWO CEO and President Jennifer Kennally said in the release.

“Primarily, it helps the agencies work on solid, outcome-based programming, which can give true benchmarks for their work to implement real change in our community,” she said.

The change to a 24-month cycle also would allow agencies to present quantitative information on the accomplishments of their programming, Kennally said.