SPRINGDALE -- United Way of Northwest Arkansas is accepting applications for its new nonprofit training program, part of a retooling the organization has undergone as it deals with falling donations.
The Achieving Capacity Together program offers several monthly sessions at no cost on such topics as strategy, employee and board development and evaluating nonprofit groups' programs. The course wrapped up its first run with about a dozen nonprofit groups last month and is accepting applications for the second round until Aug. 17, United Way President Kim Aaron said.
United Way Achieving Capacity Together program
United Way Northwest Arkansas is holding a nine-month training program for local nonprofit groups for the second year. Groups are eligible if they:
• Have revenue between $200,000 and $3 million
• At least partly serve people living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, a line that comes to about $50,000 in yearly income for a family of four
• Apply by 5 p.m. Aug. 17.
Source: United Way Northwest Arkansas
United Way will accept 10 participants whose nonprofit group receives less than $3 million in revenue and serves people in or near poverty.
"Organizations don't spend a lot of time investing in themselves, particularly organizations in the social services," Aaron said, adding the small class size is deliberate. "Part of what organizations are getting from this experience is a lot of individual attention, but also a lot of opportunity to kind of cross-pollinate with other organizations."
United Way made a name for itself around the country as a trustworthy hub for donations that would then be distributed to other local charities, but it has struggled in an age of donation-by-text and other changes to the fundraising game.
The Northwest Arkansas branch reported early this year it had raised about $1.9 million in its primary workplace fundraising campaign, $500,000 short of its goal and less than half of the peak amount in 2008. The campaign allows Northwest Arkansas residents to give part of their paychecks to the group.
So United Way is trying some new things, Aaron said.
Instead of kicking off its fundraising campaign with an early morning speaker event, the group is holding an evening basketball dunking and 3-point contest for athletes at Har-Ber High School in September.
The group in 2016 focused its grants on child poverty. It began the Achieving Capacity Together program last year as a way to help other nonprofit groups accomplish more.
"We believe we're building our niche, and we see a very clear way to move forward," Aaron said. "We're building the capacity for prosperity."
The first program participants came from a variety of fields and included the men's transitional housing group Souls Harbor in Rogers, Fayetteville's food charity Seeds That Feed and Bentonville's Trike Theatre for children.
Chris Shimmer, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Benton County, said the capacity program had the benefits of being local, offering chances for networking and covering a range of topics over nine months that otherwise might've required three or four conferences.
"It was really outstanding," he said, adding he was particularly interested in the session on staff recruitment, relationships and retention. "Our staff are the ones that have the greatest impact on the kids that we serve."
Aaron said other aspects of United Way's work are also changing. Its gift-in-kind warehouse, which gave out household products donated by Walmart, will close in October because the Walmart distribution center supplying it will close.
Walmart spokesman Aaron Mullins said the company decided to move the center to another U.S. location. He said Walmart still supports United Way through product donations, grants, volunteer hours and donations from associates that are matched by the Walmart Foundation.
United Way of Northwest Arkansas is also looking to see if other United Way groups in the state can share the costs of its 211 hotline, which connects people with housing, food and other types of services, its president said.
"We're recognizing we need to be more innovative, we need to be more streamlined," Aaron said. She said the group has a three-year plan. This is the first year and will include some cutbacks, next year will stabilize and the year after will have new programs focusing on families who are one accident or illness away from poverty.
Other parts of United Way's work are staying pretty much the same, Aaron added. Its annual "Fill the Bus" event gathering donated items and supplies for low-income schoolchildren is set for Friday and Saturday at the region's 10 Walmart Supercenters and at several companies. And it will continue paying the almost $3 million in two-year grants awarded last year to domestic violence shelters, after-school providers and other groups.
"We're optimistic," Aaron said. "Just having the plan makes you feel encouraged."
NW News on 07/29/2018