UWCC Recruits Community Impact Panel Members
by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County
Going behind the scenes can be a powerful experience. Even when you think you know how something works, there is still a beauty in seeing it for yourself.
Through Leadership Charlotte, I had the opportunity to peek behind the scenes at the Punta Gorda Symphony (back when it was still called the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra).
We were introduced to the various instruments, learning a little nugget about our own personalities based on the instrument we gravitated to. The maestro shared with us how he builds a symphonic concert, while we sat with the musicians who played our instrument of choice.
On its own, one instrument can make music that is quite lovely. Collectively, though, the sound of a symphony incorporates deep layers of music that are meant to stir up emotions and mental imagery. While they are playing different instruments and different notes, they are working together to weave the audible threads of the same beautiful tapestry.
I would like to invite you to a behind the scenes opportunity that similarly demonstrates the beauty that is possible when many individuals work together with the same goal in mind, albeit with different instruments and different notes.
United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC) annually conducts Community Impact Panels. These volunteer panels work in teams to review grant applications, participate in site visits to the applying agencies, and discuss the merits of all that they learn. UWCC manages and administers grant funds from local donor dollars and local government dollars (via the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Punta Gorda). We serve as the maestro, conducting a symphony of impact for those in need in our community.
But it is the volunteer panel members that dig into the details. “It’s people in our community making tough decisions,” said volunteer Eve Sweeting. She added that decisions for funding recommendations are made, “based on hitting metrics and showing value.” Much like a symphony, the non-profit organizations in Charlotte County make music on an individual level, but their collective impact is demonstrated in how our community is moving the needle on education, financial stability and health and well-being.
Nick Worden, Charlotte State Bank and Trust, said that he has enjoyed being a panel member since 2016, stating, “It allows me to take a deeper dive into some of the non-profits.” Worden has experience in the non-profit world, as the former Board President for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlotte County. But even he saw “instruments” he wasn’t aware of when he was allowed behind the scenes. He was surprised to learn, “what programs are out there; what needs are being covered.”
Dr. Lori Carr, retired Charlotte County Public Schools principal, agreed. “Your eyes are really opened up. You think you know everything about the county and then you go on these site visits.” There truly is a wealth of resources in our community that many are unaware of or don’t know how to access.
Having the community review the applications, tour the program sites, ask questions, and provide input to our Board of Directors on how best to allocate funding adds a layer of accountability to the agencies who apply. Sweeting stated that this is reassuring for donors, who care where their charitable dollars go, and to the community, who cares where local government dollars go.
Impact Panel volunteers will attend a training in April and serve on their panel day in May. Each panel will review at least two programs, working together to determine a final score for each application. If you would like to help us make beautiful music in Charlotte County, please email admin@unitedwayccfl.org or call our office at 941-627-3539 to learn more or to sign up to volunteer for the 2022 Community Impact Panels.
For more information about United Way of Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.