The United Way of Howard County announced on Thursday during its annual meeting held at Bel Air Events in Kokomo the organization’s 2017 Annual Fundraising Campaign raised $2,493,963. In 2017, instead of announcing a dollar amount it aimed to raise, United Way focused on its #75in5 goal, which aims to ensure that 75 percent of incoming kindergarteners are ready to learn by 2022.
Over the past year, the organization has established five working groups of Uniform Assessment, Public Policy, Community Mobilization, Quality Early Learning and Family Engagement; collaborated with Ball State University researchers,
the Community Foundation and five local school corporations to create a system to track the progress of #75in5; developed and implemented a communications plan; and opened 120 Quality Pre-K spots through the On My Way Pre-K pilot expansion, a press release stated.
United Way also invested $1,766,560 into local programs in 2017, both directly through programs that assist people through United Way services, and indirectly through grants to independent nonprofit organizations like Bona Vista, Carver Community Center and Project Access.
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