Innovative Thinking Headlines Community Investment Training

United Way of the OzarksAnnouncement, Education, Financial Stability, Health

New fund supports nonprofits with an entrepreneurial and competitive spirit

Our region’s challenges require new and innovative approaches.

United Way of the Ozarks’ new Community Investment strategy includes a unique approach to addressing our community’s needs and emerging challenges.

Starting this year, 10 percent of the undesignated funds collected during the annual fundraising campaign will be placed in a new Innovation Fund. This fund is designed to encourage United Way’s nonprofit partners to think outside the box, try something new and propose innovative solutions to community issues. It’s an opportunity to make our community better by cultivating the kind of change that matters. 

Innovation training

United Way of the Ozarks partnered with the efactory to offer customized training sessions to both nonprofit leaders and Community Investment Innovation panelists.

Sessions encouraged innovative thinking to support new initiatives, as well as covered the essentials of submitting an effective proposal and developing a framework to evaluate applications.

The hands-on training equipped attendees to foster new creative, scalable solutions targeting upstream causes of social issues.

New Community Investment

United Way of the Ozarks is sharpening its focus on cultivating positive change in the health, education and financial stability of our neighbors. Our concentration of funding programs that Champion Children and Provide Pathways Out of Poverty will impact the lives of thousands of our Southwest Missouri neighbors across 14 counties.