Montgomery County United Fund is exploring a merger with United Way of Greater Lafayette, a move officials say will open the door to bigger checks for nonprofits.
By joining forces with the larger agency, MCUF would be able to apply for larger grants and improve communications with donors, the local organization told partner agencies Tuesday in a virtual public meeting.
If the merger is approved, MCUF’s board would still oversee the annual fundraising campaign, with local people reviewing grant applications and distributing the money to Montgomery County agencies. The discussions come as MCUF prepares to hire a new area director, who would be based in Montgomery County.
The United Way would help market the campaign and oversee a regional board that would have fiduciary responsibility over Montgomery County’s organization.
Discussions began about a year-and-half ago as MCUF sought to partner with the United Way to help modernize its fundraising efforts.
“There’s a lot of things that modern philanthropic boards do to help their communities that we just weren’t doing,” said Eric Olofson, an MCUF board member who serves on the committee weighing the merger.
At the same time, the United Way was partnering with agencies in other neighboring counties to serve more people.
“For us, looking at how do we most meet our mission of helping all members of our community meet the maximum potential, it’s hard to keep that just within [Tippecanoe] county,” United Way of Greater Lafayette CEO Michael Budd said.
The partnership led MCUF to receive a $250,000 COVID-19 response fund grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to distribute among local nonprofits.
Combining with the United Way would not significantly impact short-term operational costs, Olofson said.
MCUF’s board will vote whether to move forward with the merger. The organization has sought input from some of its corporate partners and donor agencies. The United Way of Greater Lafayette’s board must also approve the move.
An announcement is not expected until early next year, Budd said.
MCUF has begun distributing materials to local industries ahead of the annual campaign.
A $300,000 goal has been set.
“We took in to account the year of 2020, needless to say more about 2020,” said Heather Shirk, MCUF board president. “But we think it’s a goal that … we can reach this year. Now I hope we blow that out of the water.”
MCUF hopes to hire an area director within the next month, Shirk added.
