United Way approves $32 million annual budget The board of directors of United Way of Tarrant County has approved a $32,081,992 budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year in the areas of education, income and health. About 64 percent of the budget comes from the agency’s workplace campaign, and about 35 percent is grant revenue. A little more than $5.2 million will go to the fifth year of United Way’s Learn Well, Earn Well, Live Well initiatives that focus on improving the education, financial stability and healthy aging and independent living of Tarrant County residents. Dozens of partner organizations are involved in the multi-year initiatives, including social service agencies, school districts, universities, government entities and businesses. More than $1.94 million will go to the Learn Well 10-year education initiative designed to enable 8,000 at-risk students to graduate from high school on time by 2020. Ninth graders are included for the first time this year. United Way has marked $1.82 million to enable 24,000 low-income working families to reach financial stability through adult literacy classes, financial education, career training and free tax preparation centers. The city of Fort Worth is a new Earn Well partner this year and will operate VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) centers in Fort Worth and Northeast Tarrant County. The budget has allotted a little more than $1.48 million for United Way’s Live Well initiative to help 17,000 adults over age 35 who have chronic disabling conditions to be healthy at home. Among other services, family caregivers receive training on how to care for loved ones. Also in the budget is $2.64 million for services for the homeless, which includes funds from the city of Fort Worth and state of Texas that United Way has been asked to administer locally. At the direction of investors, $4 million will go to other United Ways and community agencies, including $95,658 from the United Way Women’s Fund for scholarships, services, programs and projects that benefit women and girls. The United Way Veterans Fund will receive $423,384 for services for returning veterans. The fund was established in 2013 with $275,000 from Lockheed Martin and $25,000 from Bell Helicopter, who this year have donated $300,000 and $25,000, respectively. Administration and fundraising expenses have a budgeted overhead of 11.51 percent, or $3,577,825.
Betty Dillard bdillard@bizpress.net
