Bloomsburg, Pa. — During June, six program directors and 13 community board members of the Susquehanna Valley United Way ( SVUW ) convened for a strategic planning retreat, giving them renewed focused on their mission and vision for the future. This was only the beginning of a series of significant summer events for the organization.
"Strategic planning and visioning are vital to the health of every organization," said Adrienne Mael, President/CEO of Susquehanna Valley United Way. "We are excited to look to the future so we can continue to be responsive to needs in our local communities. This retreat is a first step, and we look forward to collaborating with partners and community members for their valuable guidance and feedback as we tackle our community's biggest challenges together."
Nonprofit leaders representing 26 of the 56 SVUW Funded Partner agencies also met in late June at the Shiloh United Church of Christ in Danville. SVUW staff shared updates on the annual campaign and allocation process, highlighted several marketing and behavioral/mental health training opportunities, and ended the meeting with agency roundtable discussions. This provided networking and feedback, which United Way will use in future planning.
"At our summer meeting, the partner organizations were excited for the opportunity to be together," said Christine Orlando, Director of Community Impact. "We have heard from our partners that providing space for camaraderie, support, and collaboration is invaluable to them, and we have facilitated and seen first-hand the positive impacts these collaborations have on our community."
In early July, SVUW announced the organizations and programs that will receive awards for the coming fiscal year. In total, 56 partners and other nonprofits will receive $290,000 in funding.
Funding decisions are made by a committee of community members from different sectors across Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union Counties. These funds provide residents with food security, access to childcare and early education, summer and afterschool programs, workforce development, and other vital services, which are all core to United Way's mission of creating vibrant communities where all can thrive.
This year, six volunteers and three United Way program directors reviewed 53 applications. Then, they met to make funding decisions, which the board approved before funding was released in July. Allocation volunteers included representatives from Bucknell University, Central Susquehanna Opportunities, Inc., Commonwealth University of Bloomsburg, Journey Bank, and SEKISUI KYDEX.
"The allocation of United Way donations is important because we are able to take the funds entrusted to us by the generous contributions from our communities and businesses and distribute them back into the community to best meet the needs of our citizens," said Eric Rowe, Allocation Committee Chair for the Susquehanna Valley United Way.
"There is always a greater need in the community than funds available, but through the due diligence of our allocation process, we hope to demonstrate to our donors that we are making the most effective use of their precious dollars to improve the lives of people here in the Susquehanna Valley United Way footprint."
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