Stillwater Area United Way   |   109 E. Ninth    |   Stillwater, OK 74076    |   405-377-2161     

Needs Assessment

Identifying the needs of our community in order to develop, evaluate and fund services to meet them is an important part of United Way. It's the way you know your donations produce results that make a difference here. The Stillwater Area United Way will commission its latest community-wide needs assessment for human services in the fall of 2007.

A Public Report

The United Way needs assessment evaluates the impact and value of current United Way agencies, but the final report also includes information on unmet needs as well as issues no longer considered critical. The United Way Board uses the information to assist in funding decisions, in the selection of new initiatives to fund and in helping develop new services for our community. The final report is available to the public and is a valuable resource to anyone writing a grant to fund a community service.

The 2007 study is the fourth Needs Assessment commissioned by the Stillwater Area United Way in the past six years. To determine needs in the community, interviews will be conducted with United Way agency directors, community leaders,social service providers and service recipients.

Prescription for Health

One of the first assessments in the Stillwater area revealed a large population of medically underserved citizens. As a result, the Stillwater Community Health Center was formed and is now funded by contributions to the Stillwater Area United Way. Another issue identified in a United Way needs assessment was a shortage of quality child care here. The Stillwater Area Success By 6 was started with a Bank of America grant and is now funded by the Stillwater Area United Way. Success By Six has helped increase the number of local child care facilities ranked by the state's “Stars” program and has helped train substitute workers as a resource for smaller child care providers. Quality daycare benefits children, their parents, their parent's employers and our community.

Transportation Solutions

Transportation is another issue that has appeared in every Stillwater area needs assessment. Every study ranked public transportation as the number one need in the community. OSU referenced the United Way commissioned Needs Assessment is their federal grant request that eventually led to the establishment of the bus system in Stilwater. With rising gas prices, ridership is at record levels this fall. While neither OSU nor the bus system is a United Way Agency, the United Way director is a member of the OSU Transportation Advisory Committee to insure that “The Bus” is serving the population in our community most in need of transportation assistance.

Results

Results of the Fall 2007 Needs Assessment was used in the Spring of 2008 for United Way allocations decisions for the year.