AUW board approves new mission and allocations proposal

On Friday, Sept. 28, the Aloha United Way board of directors approved significant changes to the organization’s funding system and Donor Choice program. Norm Baker of AUW said the changes will:

• Shift allocation of AUW’s undesignated donations over a three–year transition period to focus on our four impact issues and to funding Emergency and Crisis Services. The four impact issues are crime and drugs, homelessness, financial stability and early childhood development.
• Create Impact Councils to manage the funding system for each of the impact issues and E&CS allocations.
• Create four levels of agency association: Issues Partners, E&CS Partners, Health and Human Service Partners and Community Support Programs.
• Change the Donor Choice program to reduce barriers to designating for all donors and to streamline processing.
• Change the Donor Choice eligibility process to a pre-qualification system resembling the Combined Federal Campaign.

These decisions will change the structure and roles of AUW’s Community Building volunteer committees. The new system will have Impact Councils to manage each of the four impact issues or Emergency and Crisis Services. “While the structure and roles might change,” Baker said, “AUW’s commitment to volunteer review and decision making will not. As a matter of fact, the new system will place more responsibility and funding control in the hands of the volunteers charged with oversight of agency performance.”

AUW will contact volunteers by late October with more specifics and to encourage volunteers to serve on the Impact Councils, Baker said. In addition, AUW has scheduled an Agency Executive Forum from 9 to 11 a.m. on Oct. 30 at the Catholic Charities Nehoa Street complex to go over each change in detail.