History and Purpose,
Although most early records have been lost, the Heart of the Ozarks United Way was incorporated August 24, 1960, as the United Fund of West Plains.  The scope of the organization was later broadened to encompass the entire county.  The first Board of Directors included Pearl Butler, Bessie Hand, Fred Eads, Joe Paul Evans, Jack McFarland, Frank Martin, Robert Neathery, Dwight Richards, and Jack Wiles, MD.   

The Heart of the Ozarks United Way, Inc. is a non-profit and non-stock organization.  The object of the organization is to develop coordination among the social agencies serving Howell County, Missouri, and the surrounding area, for the purpose of raising funds for special projects or programs that will have a positive impact on the communities.  Providing accountability of funds raised, awarded and expended is of utmost importance. Any organization or agency meeting membership criteria and approved by the Board of Directors may become a member agency.  Membership criteria are:

• Operate with tax-exempt, not-for-profit status under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
• Be governed by a volunteer board of directors which holds meetings on a regular basis;
• Function as an agency or agency branch that offers health, welfare, and/or character building services and is either physically located in or provides significant services to the citizens of Howell County, Missouri.

Corporate Standing and Bonding
The Heart of the Ozarks United Way is registered with the Office of the Secretary of State for the State of Missouri as a not-for-profit organization.  A copy of the Certificate of Corporate Good Standing is located in Appendix 1.  At the recommendation of the Board president, and the agreement of the Board of Directors, the Board purchased bonding insurance for the principal officers and the Office Manager.  A copy of the dishonesty bond issued by the Western Surety Company is located in Appendix 2.

2006 – The Beginning
Following the determination of officers for the year, the Board of Directors met in executive retreat on January 28, 2006, at Cafe 37 on the Court Square in West Plains. A timeline of activites for the year (Appendix 3) was developed and reviewed by President Bergman.

Policy
Heart of the Ozarks United Way operates according to the By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation (Appendix 4) adopted by previous boards.  Board members adhere to the Code of Ethics (Appendix 5) and are encouraged to sign a Conflict of Interest Policy (Appendix 6).

Executive Committee
As a key strategy to helping ensure a successful year, an executive committee met monthly, one week prior to each regular board meeting.  The committee included Jonathan Bergman (President), Mary Dyck (Vice President), Jack Pahlmann (Treasurer).  Debbie Nunn, Office Manager, also attended each meeting.  An agenda (Appendix 7) was issued in advance of most meetings.  Minutes (Appendix 8) were kept of all executive committee meetings.

Board of Directors
The Board of Directors met monthly, the second Wednesday of each month at the West Plains Country Club.  An agenda (Appendix 9) was issued in advance of most meetings.  Minutes (Appendix 10) were kept of all meetings.

Financial Statements
A budget for the year was approved on February 8, 2006 (Appendix 11).  The board treasurer maintained financial records and presented financial statements for board review and approval by the full board.  A copy of each financial statement for the year appears in Appendix 12.

Audit
An independent audit was conducted by the accounting firm of Schultz, Durham & Rapp, P. C.  The audit was presented to and approved by the Board of Directors at the August 9, 2006, board meeting.  The full audit report appears in Appendix 13.

Agency Selection
The possibility of United Way funding for qualified agencies was widely publicized in the media and through other means throughout Howell County.  Twenty-six agencies responded with an application for funding.  Board members were assigned to liaison roles for each agency.  Agency hearings were held on the evenings of June 21 & 22, 2006, at the Great Rivers Distributing conference room in West Plains.  The agenda for the hearing process appears in Appendix 14.  Following the entire hearing process, the board placed agency requests in three priorities. After considering required operating expenses and the practicality of the campaign, the board declared a campaign goal of $260,000.00. A copy of the agency request/allocation analysis spreadsheet appears in Appendix 15.

Agencies selected for funding consideration included:

• 37th Judicial Circuit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
• Agape House of Mountain View
• A Sporting Chance of the Ozarks
• American Red Cross – Howell County Chapter
• Birthright of West Plains
• Boy Scouts – Ozark Trails Council
• Bryant Watershed Project
• Christos House
• Girl Scouts – Dogwood Trails Council
• Habitat for Humanity – Mountain View
• Habitat for Humanity – West Plains
• Hammond Mill Camp
• Lakes Country Resource Center
• The Media Arts Center
• Mountain View Family Youth Center
• Ozark Action, Inc. Head Start
• Ozarks Family YMCA
• Riverways Adult Daycare of Ozarks Medical Center
• Riverways Hospice of Ozarks Medical Center
• The Salvation Army – West Plains
• The Salvation Army – Willow Springs
• Samaritan Outreach Center
• Senior Citizens Club of Willow Springs
• Special Olympics – Missouri South Central Area
• West Plains Senior Center
• Willow Springs Imagination Library

During the December 14, 2005, meeting, the Board of Directors also approved a request for funding from Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).  The group had made a number of preliminary contacts prior to the United Way campaign and initiated a request for 2006 funding.  It was well into the campaign, however, before CASA representatives completed all requirements (e.g., 501 (c)3 not-for-profit status with the United States Internal Revenue Service) for funding. 

The Campaign
The campaign to secure funding for approved agencies in 2007 began with three Kickoff Breakfasts held in Willow Wprings (Willow Springs Senior Center on August 30, 2006), Mountain View (Mountain View Family Youth Center on August 31, 2006), and West Plains (West Plains Country Club on September 1, 2006). The programs for the three breakfasts apprear in Appendix 16. On September 21, 2006, letters (Sample in Appendix 17) announcing the beginning of the campaign were mailed to campaign prospects along with a campaign brochure (Appendix 18). Board members made personal visits and telephone calls to prospects, as well as making presentations to employees in larger organizations.

The Conclusion
As planned throughout the year, the campaign ended successfully in December 2006, with total pledges of $272,130.99. Additional funds came in after that time. The campaign produced the largest amount in the forty-six year history of the organization. All funds initially approved by the Board of Directors were appropriated and will be disbursed in quarterly installments during 2007. Contractual Agreements were develped wtih recipient agencies and fully executed by authorized officers of the agencies and Heart of the Ozarks United Way. An example of the contractual agreement form appears in Appendix 19.