WARSAW — After celebrating its 60 anniversary in 2018, United Way is launching the most comprehensive strategic planning effort in its history.

With a goal of building a framework that will keep United Way at the forefront of Kosciusko County philanthropy for the next 60 years, a nine-member task force was convened and began the work in January.

“Challenging ourselves to get better and not taking anything for granted is something the board of directors takes very seriously,” said Ted Westerhof, chairman of the board of directors. “Our community is changing, and we have to evolve too.”

Kosciusko County is experiencing several national trends. The workforce is getting younger as millennials find their place in the economy. Technology is impacting how choices are made and the speed of our expectations.  Employees are often commuting further and have a regional perspective. All of this is impacting philanthropy and changing donor’s perspectives.

Donors are looking for:

• Creative solutions to today’s most pressing problems
• More chances to get their ‘hands dirty’ in dynamic volunteering opportunities
• Quality data to make informed decisions

The public is invited to share their opinions at two events:

• Feb. 6 — 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Kosciusko County Community Foundation’s lower level conference room.
• Feb. 15 — 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kosciusko County Community Foundation’s lower level conference room.

RSVP at unitedwaykosciusko.galaxydigital.com/event/  or by contacting Katelyn Blanchard ([email protected]) at the United Way offices.

Task force members include Ted Westerhof, Adam Turner, Tammy Keirn, Amanda Gould, Heath Simcoe, Randy Polston, Olivia Kmieciak, Matt Boren and Amanda Davis.