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Published - Oct 28th, 2009
By Pat Bolen
EXETER — “If you didn’t take the step, there would be no presence,” said United Way of Canada president and chief executive officer Al Hatton at the Huron United Way annual general meeting Oct. 21 in Goderich.
Hatton was speaking of the merger of the Huron and Perth United Ways, which was formally ratified by passing a motion, which will see the Huron United Way officially dissolve Dec. 31.
Huron president Jerry McDonnell said with two disappointing campaigns in the past two years and the resignation of executive director Michelle Gellatly, the agency couldn’t afford to hire a new executive director and keep up its collections.
Perth agency director Ellen Balmain said that United Way services will still remain in Huron County and money collected here will stay in the county, with separate accounts kept for both counties.
Asked if there would still be an office in Huron County, Balmain said “probably not,” since money spent on office expenses was something that could be put into services.
With the Huron 2008 campaign having raised $177,349, which was down from $222,443 in 2007 and $283,000 in 2006, Balmain said the agency needed to “hunker down” and get the 2009 campaign on track and then decide what to do next.
Balmain said the name of the new agency also required a lot of discussion but it came down to “sheer economy in numbers.” With the Huron United Way declining and large donors giving to the Perth agency, it was decided the new name would be the Perth-Huron United Way.
Hatton said the merger of the two agencies was typical of what a lot of communities are facing and that to keep up the same infrastructure “was not sustainable.
“This will be seen as a stellar move,” said Hatton, adding the merger is part of a larger move by the United Way to change how it does business.
Hatton said over time the agency had lost some of its “raison d'être” and was now focusing more on its community impact instead of just fundraising.
“Both are important and they have to be in balance,” said Hatton, who described the merger as an important model for the United Way of Canada. “We’ve been tracking this…I have no doubt it will succeed
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