If you care about Bucks County, we want to hear from you.
Our 2013 public Needs Assessment Survey is open now through Saturday, September 7 at www.uwbucks.org/needs.
By participating in our Needs Assessment survey, you will share your opinion about the issues facing Bucks County. Responses will impact future United Way of Bucks County funding decisions.
A Unique and Inclusive Process
We conduct the Needs Assessment every two years. We want input from anyone and everyone who cares about – or has a stake in the success of- Bucks County. Getting a varied response pool helps UW Bucks get the most accurate picture of the county’s needs.
This information is then used to help a panel of volunteers decide where to allocate our funding for the next two years. The panel uses their data about Bucks County, information from the assessment, personal experience, and other UW Bucks resources to make their decisions.
This community involvement is unique to the United Way. Most nonprofits determine their fiscal plan without opening their process up to all stakeholders. We choose to include many opinions because we believe an open dialog leads to programs that unite our community.
Categories of Funding
The United Way focuses on three main categories: education, income, and health. We also try to approach problems at the root. This means working on underlying conditions rather than individual cases.
Currently, the majority of funding goes to helping children and youth succeed, promoting economic independence, and strengthening families. These priorities can be altered if the Needs Assessment shows us that other issues are emerging.
The survey asks participants what issues they find most pressing in the community. It also asks how they became aware of the issues. It mentions specific programs we currently fund to see which ones are most important to the community.
Participate Now
The survey only takes a few minutes to complete. Take it here, and share it with friends to help UW Bucks make the greatest possible impact in Bucks County!
About the contributor: Katie Pilot is the Marketing Intern at UW Bucks for the summer. She is a rising senior at Villanova University with a major in Communications. Due to her passion for social justice, particularly the importance of education, she is excited to help get the word out about UW Bucks’ great contributions to the county to help get more people involved.