UNITED WAY OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY PROFILE
MISSION STATEMENT
TO BE THE LEADER IN BRINGING TOGETHER THE RESOURCES TO BUILD A STRONGER, MORE CARING COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE
· Assess on a continuing basis critical community needs for human service programs.
· Allocate United Way financial support so as to meet the greatest and most urgent needs of the community.
· Encourage and develop the management efficiency of both the United Way enterprise and the agencies supported through it.
· Unite people from across the community to work together to identify and address the issues that matter most, change conditions and improve lives by:
• Raising awareness
• Raising money, goods and services
• Matching resources to needs; and
• Creating initiatives to fill the gaps
DESCRIPTION
United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) was incorporated as a charitable nonprofit in 1956 and has jurisdiction in the ten-county BRADD area including Allen, Barren, Logan, Simpson, Warren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Metcalfe, and Monroe Counties. Governed by a local volunteer board of directors, the organization has long served a major role in the community by bringing together people to address the most important health and human service issues.
UWSK’s focus is on measuring the lasting change made in people’s lives. UWSK plays a pivotal role in helping the community to identify, improve, and where possible, resolve health and human care problems. To identify the most pressing issues and gaps in Southern Kentucky, UWSK conducts a regular comprehensive needs assessment. Based upon county assessments and subsequent data evaluation completed in 2005, UWSK focuses efforts in seven priority funding areas: Disabilities, Literacy, Personal Abuse, Poverty, Senior Services, Substance Abuse and Youth Development. Additionally, United Way has identified the area of Youth Development/Early Childhood Education and Substance Abuse as community impact areas, where concentration is focused on altering a community condition.
UWSK is working to advance the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all by issuing the call to action is for those in our community to LIVE UNITED by making the choice to give, advocate, and volunteer. In 2010, $1,077,792 was distributed by UWSK volunteers to 33 member agency programs that were responsible for providing 53,342 services to people in need in Southern Kentucky. Additionally, $36,881 was distributed to 8 nonmember agencies in the BRADD area. UWSK also invested $80,000 in two key community impact areas, Substance Abuse and Early Childhood Education. These monies were focused on a substance abuse treatment admission fee program and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. More than 1,700 individuals volunteered over 7,000 hours in 2010 through UWSK.
UWSK has a unique role as a community leader of philanthropy to benefit human services, and as a major resource to local organizations. Throughout our communities, United Way has earned public trust nurtured by years of ethical, honest, and responsible charitable service. The continued success of UWSK depends upon the ability to remain:
Transparent: United Way is open and honest about who is funded, how the money is utilized and who is involved. Local and Autonomous: United Way is volunteer driven and governed by a local volunteer Board of Directors living and working in Southern Kentucky.
Responsive: United Way analyzes the needs of the community and then responds to the most critical and serious issues impacting the region today.
Accountable: United Way ensures that the dollars donated go to help people where they are intended.
Of Integrity: United Way values trust and works to strengthen that trust through management processes and goals every day.
Financially Sound: United Way is conservative in conducting business to ensure not only the success of today, but the maintenance of that success for another 50 years.