CHANGING ROLE OF UNITED WAY

Last year the Area Wide United Way stopped funding the Cape Girardeau Civic Center two-thirds of the way through the year.

This year the United Way is welcoming the center back into its fold, but with conditions.

United Way executive director Nancy Jernigan said the center has been asked to contribute as much money to its working budget as the United Way does. The organization isn't asking that of any of its other agencies.

Jernigan said problems with the center's bookkeeping and management in 1996 forced the United Way to withdraw funding after the second quarter. The United Way allocated $35,000 for the center last year but only paid about $20,000.

"It was such a good place, but it was just starting to decline," Jernigan said. "The board was doing everything within their power -- many board members were getting personally involved -- in making sure it stayed afloat. But it just wasn't working."

Jernigan said her organization did pay an additional $3,000 in December to make sure the center's facilities stayed on and insurance was maintained on the building.

She said monthly financial reports were requested from the center's management but were not provided. "No one was keeping the books, it seemed," Jernigan said.

The United Way was also providing 99 percent of the center's income, Jernigan said. The United Way generally funds less than 10 percent of its agencies' budgets.

"We don't want to get back into a situation where we are their only funder," Jernigan said. "That's just not healthy. They need other sources of income."

The center is scheduled to receive some money from the United Way this year. Jernigan said the amount will be determined after a fall fund-raising campaign.

John Jenkins, Civic Center board president, said the center requested about $37,000 from United Way this year, and he is confident his organization can raise the matching revenue through a series of fund-raisers and grants.

"What we want to do is become a more credible organization," Jenkins said. "Whatever we get, we want to go out there and get it for ourselves instead of having our hands out saying, 'Give me, give me.'"

Jenkins said the center plans to teach by example that it pays to earn your income. The center's basketball program will also emphasize this attitude as it will promote education as a part of athletics.

"We see this all the time: that kids just think that basketball and athletics are everything. But once it's over it's over, and you've got nothing to fall back on," he said.

Jenkins said the center has received widespread support from the community in its efforts. Many people had written the center off, but there were also people who wanted to see it succeed.

Jernigan said this year's campaign goal had not been determined but will be higher than last year's goal of $525,000. The United Way's campaign season goes from Aug. 1 to Nov. 1, and during that time it prevents its agencies from doing their own fund-raising.

Jernigan said this is to prevent competition for funds. The goal of the United Way is to raise money so its agencies don't have to.

Some organizations have declined to become United Way agencies because of the fund-raising restriction, Jernigan said. Local United Ways do have the option of doing away with that part of the contract. The board reviews that option every year.

"It's a policy that's been in existence for years with United Ways, and it has proven to be helpful," Jernigan said. "Now things are starting to change because agencies have more demands for income."

Harry Rediger, former United Way board president and campaign chairman, said the organization has undergone a wide range of changes over the years. Rediger has been with United Way for 18 years and has seen a number of changes firsthand.

Rediger said the organization has grown: A full-time staff has been employed and a permanent office established. All of these things have promoted the United Way's goal.

"We've been trying through a united effort to fund human-services needs throughout the area," Rediger said. "It really is a simple thing."

Rediger said now that a full-time office and staff have been developed the agencies have come closer together in their endeavors. "They're more involved in communicating the needs of the community and helping the campaign. It's become a kind of a family thing," he said.

National welfare reform will move the United Way in yet another direction, Jernigan said. The United Way has already moved from simply a fund-raising group to a leader in community building, she said.

Jernigan said more government agencies are coming to the United Way looking for funds because of reduced government involvement.

"We're trying to have a relationship will all health and human-service agencies in the community so that we can help to coordinate," she said. "United Way is trying to take a leadership role in health and human service."