The United Way of Butler County is projecting a $180,000 shortfall in its annual fundraising campaign.

The organization announced the figure Thursday morning at its annual meeting at Butler County Community College.

The campaign, which officially ends June 30, is expected to cap at $1.42 million, short of the $1.6 million goal set last fall.

The figure also is more than $64,000 short of the campaign receipts from last year.

“It’s been a difficult year from the financial standpoint,” said Jake Friel, the controller with BC3 and the organization’s treasurer.

The shortfall came despite receiving more than $50,000 in recent weeks from two major supporters, executive director Leslie Osche said.

It also marks the second consecutive year the organization failed to reach its fundraising goal.

Tim Morgus, an accountant with Maher Duessel, announced the audited financial statements for the year that ended June 30, 2013.

The United Way finished about $200,000 short in its campaign fundraising goal that year.

“We’ve had two significant years of decreased income,” Friel said.

While the organization had shortfalls in revenue, it kept the grants designated to its partner agencies the same as budgeted.

The agency had a $294,000 net loss last year and is projecting about a $250,000 loss this year.

It won’t be able to afford the financial cost for a third year.

“We have to make some big adjustments,” Friel said.

Perhaps the biggest change will be how much the United Way will be awarding to its partner agencies next year.

Osche said the United Way will have a 40 percent overall reduction in grants awarded to its partners.

“Obviously it was a difficult year,” Osche said. “We had to make some decisions that are never popular.”

The cuts will not impact every partner or activity.

“It’s not across the board,” Osche said. “If we’re seeing a lot of success in some areas, we don’t want to jeopardize that success.”

Osche said decreases in major corporate campaigns was a leading factor in the shortfall.

About 4,500 employees make annual contributions to the United Way. Both the number of employees giving and the amount donated have decreased in recent years.

Osche said the United Way has reached out to its top supporters, including MSA, Westinghouse, and AK Steel, recently, and will attempt to draw in more corporations not currently involved with the campaign.

“We’re having discussions on how to attract other top 50 employers,” she said.

The best way to attract donations is through concise missions, Osche said.

“We’ve got to get our goals and message right,” she said. “What is it we want to accomplish? We can’t just say we’re the United Way. That was the old theory. We must say what we are about.”

A focus on select goals also should help combat declining grant allocations.

“If we don’t get a better focus, our ability to raise money to do work is challenged,” she said. “We need to make a compelling case.”