Despite a drop in public support over the past few years, officials at the United Way of Butler County say the situation is starting to improve, especially with the new “30 by 30” initiative that the group has started.

The Butler County United Way's total liabilities and net assets dropped from $1.51 million in 2015 to $944,138 in 2016, with public support dropping from $792,018 in 2015 to $523,097, according to the organization's year-end audit report, which goes through June 30, 2016.

“Public support to nonprofits in general has gone down in several years,” Kierston Hobaugh, United Way executive director, said. “Grant funding dollars from designations are also going down.”

Donor designations, which are awarded to specific groups chosen by the donors also dropped, from $587,097 in 2015 to $435,541 in 2016.

At the same time, management costs rose, from $161,525 in 2015, to $224,760 in 2016. Fundraising expenses also grew, from $101,140 in 2015 to $127,936 in 2016.

Sherry Sholes, director of finance, said those expenses increased because of the issue focus change, as staff was adjusted to compensate for the new goal.

“It is very important for any nonprofit to remain viable to the community it serves,” she said. “Simply acting as a pass-through doesn't do the work that our board and staff want to do.”

Sholes said the numbers will improve in the 2017 audit, and by the 2018 audit, she said the group expects that management costs will drop as the organization “is providing more services that directly benefit the citizens of Butler County.”

“We expect to see this very much turn around,” she said. “During the time of transition, a lot of administration work was needed to be done to make sure the agency was on solid ground. That was our concentration last year. We spent a lot of time and effort into shoring that up and making sure we are heading in the right direction. The direction is now more in making a difference in the community than simply raising money.”

A dozen programs run by 11 agencies will be the first to receive funds under the local United Way's new issue-focused direction. The money was raised during the 2016-17 fundraising campaign, according Hobaugh. Exact numbers of how much was raised during the campaign were not available, but will be delivered to the board of directors at the organization's monthly meeting in June, she said.

That money will start to flow out to those organizations on July 1.

The campaign was completed during a transition period for the local United Way, which moved from Route 8, south of Butler, to offices on West Jefferson Street in January.

More importantly, the group made a move to a more defined mission, to help families and individuals toward self-sufficiency and align with United Way of Butler County's goal of reducing the number of families and individuals living below the self-sufficiency standard by 30 percent by the year 2030 ­— the “30 by 30” goal.

The organization also has reorganized when its fundraising campaign is scheduled, Hobaugh said. It now runs annually, starting and ending on March 31.

“Our first full campaign under the new issue focus will happen this year,” Hobaugh said.

The United Way has received “very positive” response to that issue focus because “people want to know how their funds are spent.”

The organization did not set a goal for fundraising during the campaign, as has been done in the past, after the 2015 campaign raised nearly $1 million, but fell short of the $1.43 million goal.

“We did not set a goal for this current campaign because people are less concerned with how many dollars are raised and more concerned with how those dollars are used,” she said. “The shift has garnered very positive feedback, to knowing how the dollars are working toward a common long-term goal.”

Organizations receiving nearly $230,000 from the most recent campaign include:

Childcare Scholarships — $48,120

Inclusive Childcare — $39,000

Utility Integrated Point of Contact — $28,200

Transitional Housing — $23,500

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance — $23,500

Camp Apple (Children's Services) — $18,800

Primary Healthcare for the Uninsured — $18,800

Transition ... The Next Step — $14,100

NAMI — $4,700

The Inn: A Maternity Home — $4,700

Future What? — $4,700

Career Exploration — $1,880.

In addition to the grant awards, United Way will distribute about $450,000 in donor-designated funds to numerous nonprofit organizations both locally and nationwide, and will manage and distribute an additional $100,000 in special initiatives funding through the Butler County Emergency Relief Initiative.

That group provides utility and other emergency assistance; a grant from XTO Energy for after -school tutoring and the Employment Initiative; grants from UPMC Health Plan and Peoples TWP to assist with operating 2-1-1 in Butler County; and other grants specifically utilized for the Employment Initiative, according to a news release.

The Employment Initiative is a collaboration with Butler County Human Services to find meaningful employment for those with criminal backgrounds, a disability, are homeless, or are veterans who may need the additional assistance, in the Cranberry Township area for the residents of Butler County, the organization's website states.

Agencies were notified on May 4 of grant funding decisions. Applications were received from 21 programs in total, with nine program applicants not receiving United Way of Butler County funding this year, the news release states.