The board of directors of Cowley County United Way have decided to merge with United Way of the Plains to improve its ability to meet Cowley County needs. “Cowley County United Way is excited for the merger with United Way of the Plains and what that will mean for our local agencies,” said Cowley County United Way Board Chair Elaine Phillips. “United Way of the Plains is a professional and experienced organization that will provide excellent support and strengthen fundraising for our agencies. Likewise, United Way of the Plains has strong controls in place that will ensure that funds raised in Cowley County will go to Cowley County agencies and programs.” The process began earlier this year when Cowley County United Way board members contacted United Way of the Plains, based in Wichita, to discuss Cowley County United Way’s interest in merging. Phillips said the Cowley County board wanted to improve its ability to meet local needs–identifying those needs, raising funds and distributing funds to programs to meet needs. “Cowley County United Way is an all-volunteer organization,” Phillips continued. “And we have found that it has become increasingly difficult to find volunteers to serve and few of the volunteers participating felt personally qualified as fundraisers. Despite our mission of directing these raised funds to local agencies that support a variety of critical needs in Cowley County, contributions have continued to decline each year. We believe that United Way of the Plains will be a tremendous asset to the citizens of Cowley County and are excited about the merger and what this will mean for our future!”
Even before a merger, United Way of the Plains has provided and will continue to provide services that have benefited Cowley County residents:
- Funding nonprofit programs: community volunteers annually distribute donated funds to nonprofits. In 2018, $121,578 were distributed to United Way of the Plains partner agencies that served Cowley County residents 1,626 times.
- 2-1-1: Information and referral service to find help or volunteer. Individuals can dial 2-1-1 to talk with a call specialist, search online at 211Kansas.org or text their ZIP code to 898-211. 2-1-1 handled 317 calls from Cowley County residents.
- Give Items of Value program (GIV): accepts donated items from companies and offers them at no charge to nonprofits. The GIV program will be opened up to Cowley County nonprofits after the merger.
- Volunteer Center: connects individuals and private or company groups with volunteer opportunities. The center’s activities will be open to residents and companies in Cowley County.
- Free income tax preparation: coordinates trained volunteers certified by the IRS to prepare income tax returns for mid-to-low income individuals. The program prepared tax returns for 357 Cowley County residents.
The merger will be completed Dec. 1, 2019.
