Wane: United Way Announces New Priorities, Shift In How The Organization Helps Community

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The United Way of Allen County has announced new priorities for the organization, marking a shift in how it helps the community. A taskforce noted that the top needs of the community are education, public health and mental health.

After much research and many community conversations, the taskforce comprised of 18 field experts from various industries, presented findings to the Board of Directors of United Way. The board then approved the strategic focus on educational opportunities, food security, housing stability and mental health access.

“Across the networks for the last decade, United Ways have been transitioning to the community impact model,” President and CEO Matthew Purkey said. “This is our transition. This is us saying ‘what is the community’s priorities?’ How can we positively impact the lives of those in Allen County. This is the new direction of United Way. We are no longer just a non-profit ATM, but instead, we are a community problem solver and we’re asking the community to join us in this effort.”

The change in priorities is part of a shift to a community impact model way of doing things, replacing what the organization calls a ‘nonprofit ATM’ role.