Every year, a diverse group of volunteers agree to represent our community by serving on the Budget and Allocations Committee. When someone serves on this committee, they are making a huge contribution to United Way and its partner agencies. They are literally changing lives!
If you have served in the past, please know how much we appreciate your participation. If you are considering serving for the first time, you are in for a real treat! Prior committee members understand that they play an important part in holding everyone accountable; including the United Way, the agencies and the programs it supports. Your participation helps ensure that our community’s donations entrusted to the United Way are wisely invested in community-wide programs that Live United by advancing the common good.
The amount of time required of Committee Members includes the following:
· The Annual Committee Orientation and Training Session – lasting approximately one hour. New panel members are required to attend, but the meeting is optional for former panel members .
· During the training session, you will receive your panel assignment and a copy of the application packet from each agency to be reviewed by your panel. You will also have the opportunity to meet your fellow panel members and Panel Chair. (Your panel will elect a Vice Panel Chair at the session as well as decide if you will conduct agency site visits.)
· Site visits can be scheduled after the orientation and prior to an agency’s scheduled review date. United Way staff will provide information to you on the best dates/times for scheduling site visits at the various agencies and will assist panels in making the necessary preparations with the agencies.
· Participation on one of nine (9) Budget and Allocations Review Panels (depending upon the county in which you serve).
· As noted above, each panel reviews the application of two to four agencies and participation on some panels will involve site visits at one or more of the agencies it is reviewing. While the decision to conduct site visits is determined by the members of each panel, as is the schedule for such visits, these visits are strongly encouraged.
Your participation on a panel will involve the following:
· Review of Agency Application Packets- The length of time required by each volunteer to review the applications for the agencies their panel will evaluate will vary depending upon the number of agencies on their panel, complexity of the agencies’ program and budgets and whether or not that panel member is one of the identified “finance” members of the committee.
· Review of the application packets prior to the Review Session with agency representatives is imperative to helping you conduct a thorough, knowledgeable review.
· Participation in the Agency Review Session for your Panel
· Some agencies serve all three counties. In those cases, we are asking all panelists to come together for the review session at the United Way conference room. During all sessions, the panelists will review the programs, funding requests and budgets of agencies assigned to your panel. You will hear from the agency representatives as they present their program needs and funding requests. You are invited to ask questions about their programs and needs as well as pose financial questions about their initial funding recommendation.
If interested, please visit the United Way website at liveunitedclarksville.org and complete and return the Panel Member Profile Form. Please return the form no later than Monday, March 15, 2010. You may fax your completed form to 931-647-4338 or email the form to tszopinski@unitedwayofclarksville.org . To assist us in making panel assignments, please be sure to indicate on this form when and where you will NOT be able to attend an agency review session. All information regarding review sessions are also available at the website provided.
To avoid any potential for conflict of interest and ensure this process remains unbiased, committee members will not be allowed to serve on a panel reviewing an agency for which they have volunteered in any capacity during the past three (3) years. Accordingly, please be sure to complete this section of the form.
If you have any questions or would like to inform us of someone who might serve on this committee, please do not hesitate to contact one of the following:
Beckie Moore or Tara Szopinski at 931-647-4291.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of our invitation to serve in this capacity and please know that your participation is sincerely appreciated.
