2008 Allocations Process Summary

Funds Distribution Committee

•  Bob Elkin, Chair*                

• Jay Bond

• Dan Davis

• Dona DeMarsh*

• Marilyn Chandler Ford*

• Rob Grossman*

• John Heidel*

• Mike Manning*

• Paul McKitrick*

• Ron Nowviskie*

• Sue Patneaude

• Bill Ternent 

 *Board Members Participating in 2008 Allocations Process

Mission

to distribute the community's unrestricted donated resources in response to identified community needs in an accountable and caring manner while honoring the wishes of the donor.

2008 Fund Distribution Process

The process and criteria used for making Allocations decisions for the 44 partner agencies and 86 programs in 2008-2009 was essentially the same as in the previous three years. Funding decisions were based on the type of program, the quality of the services provided and the impact that the program has on its target population.

Click Here to read the press release on the Board's Approval of this year's allocations.

·     Funding decisions were individualized, that is, across the board funding increases or decreases were not recommended. 

·     Programs experienced a decrease using the 2007-2008 final allocations funding as the base from which funding changes were made, irrespective of the amount requested by the agency for a specific program. Agencies were advised before the application submission date to only request the amount of funding actually allocated for 2007-08.

·     New programs were not funded, unless the programs represented a redistribution of existing allocations, subject to United Way approval. 

A new partner (Homeless Assistance Corporation – The STAR Center) became eligible to apply for funds this funding cycle.

·     Programs continue to be classified according to the following categories:

Category 1- Essential Services- These programs provide for basic needs, which include food, clothing, and emergency shelter.

Category 2 - Critical Services- These programs provide services for crisis support such as: maintaining or obtaining employment (including child care support), crisis medical care, and crisis mental health services.

Category 3 - Treatment and Residential Services- These programs provide ongoing services for substance abuse, health, mental health, disabilities, and support.

Category 4 - Prevention, Education and Recreational Services- These programs provide services with long-term outcomes relating to prevention, education, recreation, and outreach.

·      A funding matrix was developed, comparable to the funding matrix used last year.  Higher quality program scores were cut slightly, while lower quality program scores were given larger cuts and in one case cut all together, depending on the severity of the low score.

·     Community volunteers involved with the Allocations Review Team made revisions to the Agency Ranking Worksheet to further enhance the process of evaluating program quality. 

·     The internal programs of United Way (First Call for Help, Volunteer Center, and Success by Six) will be reviewed in June using the internal program application which focuses on outcome measures and demographic data.  Additionally, allocations leadership will meet with program directors and a member of their respective advisory committee to discuss the program and its performance over the past year.

Allocations Funding Recommendations

The Allocations Panel Chairs were notified that there would be $2,000,000 in available funds for distribution. This amount reflects a decrease of $100,000 (5%) from last year’s available dollars. To fairly allocate the limited dollars available, the committee chose to fund programs with the highest quality scores (90% or higher) with a base decrease of approximately 3.8% from last year’s allocation.  Programs scoring between 80% and 89.9% were given a 5% decrease in funding.  Programs scoring between 70% and 79.9% received a 6% decrease in funding.  Programs scoring 69.9% or lower were subject to a minimum of a 10% decrease.

One organization was assessed an additional 5% point decrease in funding for its one program due to late submission of its funding application for the second consecutive year and will be told that the Allocations Committee will not consider any future funding requests that do not meet submission deadlines.

The Allocations Committee has chosen not to recommend funding for the one program United Way currently funds from the American Heart Association due to poor program quality ratings, even though the agency was provided last year with a clear statement of United Way expectations of its requirements for continued funding of that program.

A decision was made to recommend $30,000 in funding for one program submitted by the Homeless Assistance Center, an agency newly admitted last year and is in its first year of eligibility for funding through the Allocations process.

·         Percent Changes from 2007-2008 base  (of 86 total programs)

o         3.8% decrease – 60 programs

o         5% decrease – 13 programs

o         6% decrease – 4 programs

o         10% decrease – 8 programs (one program added due to late penalty)

o         No funding (100% decrease  – 1 program)

·     Overall scoring for programs

2008-2009                                                               2007-2008                                                  

Programs scoring 90-100%:  60 programs             Programs scoring 90-100%:  53 programs          

Programs scoring 80-89.9%:  14 programs            Programs scoring 80-89.9%: 17 programs          

Programs scoring 70-79.9%:  4 programs              Programs scoring 70-79.9%:   2 programs         

Programs scoring 50-69.9%:  7 programs              Programs scoring 50-69.9%: 10 programs         

Programs scoring   0-49.9%:  1 program                Programs scoring   0-49.9%:  4 programs             

·     Funding by Service Category

2008-2009                                                               2006 - 2007                                                

Category 1:  $563,300 or 28%                                     Category 1: $640,556 or 29%                                              

Category 2:  $462,200 or 23%                                     Category 2: $735,172 or 33%                                              

Category 3:  $324,800 or 16%                                     Category 3: $378,256 or 17%                                              

Category 4:  $649,900 or 33%                                     Category 4: $446,040 or 20%                                                              

Eighty-six (86%) of all programs rated in the two highest scoring categories (80% or more), continuing a trend of steadily increasing program quality ratings, even as the Allocations Committee has placed greater emphasis on program impact in this quality scoring.

The number of programs that scored less than 50% of the total potential score decreased from 4 programs for 2007 – 2008 to 1 program in 2008-2009. Eleven programs will have funding “With Action” which means that continued funding for those programs will be contingent on those agencies taking specific corrective actions addressing identified deficiencies in those programs.

Allocations by Targeted Services

Allocation Summary

The Fund Distribution Committee continues to focus its actions on meeting its mission statement.