United Way Lays Out Challenges Facing the Organization

Saturday, 29 June 2013 at 11:10

The United Way of Oxford is one of over 100 United Way agencies across Canada. And on Wednesday, the local members heard from the President and CEO of United Way of Canada. Jacline Abray-Nyman spoke at the Oxford United Way's AGM about developing a co-ordinated approach amongst all those agencies. "To ensure that all of that great work that's happening in individual communities is well understood, is measured, is evaluated and then repurposed in other communities so that we can continue to be a highly effective organization. Raising and investing over a half a billion dollars in our Canadian communities." She also says trust in charitable organizations is waning but that the good news is that the United Way is one of the most trusted names when it comes to donors. "We dig deep when we think of how governments spend our money. Any public organization. We really want to see and understand better the measurement of how our dollars are being spent and I think that's in large measure because our dollars are very precious and perhaps more so than ever. So it's really up to the United Way to continue to be, and it has been awarded year after year some of the top awards for transparency." Abray-Nyman says there's a growing challenge to allow younger donors to use technology to donate to the cause and that they are challenged, as a charity, to keep up with technology. "How can we keep pace and develop the apps and interfaces to be able to meet the consumer need is an expensive proposition. So that's something we need to work very hard on and very smart on and again if we can ensure we're doing that for the nation and not replicating that a hundred different times in a hundred different organizations then we are going to be a more affective organization." Here in Oxford, the United Way is turning to a couple of trusted names to co-chair their next campaign. It was announced at their AGM that Kristy Cross, formerly of the Canadian Cancer Society, and Chris Friesen, Principal of WCI will co-chair the next drive.