The Community Investments Process

The Community Investments process is the hallmark of the Tulsa Area United Way. Each year, approximately 150 Panel Volunteers, the Audit Review Committee (ARC), and Community Investments Cabinet (CI Cabinet) complete the review process. This process strives to measurably improve the lives of people in our community by investing TAUW's resources in efficiently managed agencies providing programs that effectively help at-risk individuals and families develop and sustain self-sufficiency.  TAUW fulfills its investment strategy by utilizing a community-based decision making process comprised of three levels of assessment - panel review, division review and cabinet review.

Panel volunteers work on 8- to 10-member panels assigned to review 3 to 6 partner agencies. These volunteers ensure that partner agencies are making a significant impact in our community and meeting TAUW partner agency standards by reviewing partner agencies' annual funding requests and conducting site visits. The volunteers then make funding recommendations for the next calendar year and propose assistance with particular needs, if necessary.

At the second level of assessment, panel leaders meet with division chairs to present their panel's recommendations and justifications for their decisions.  At the third level of assessment, division chairs present the recommendations for final approval to the Community Investments Cabinet which includes a chair, incoming chair/PAEDA liaison, past chair/special review committee chair, audit review committee chair, TAUW board representative, prospective partner agency chair, collaborative initiatives representative and the six (6) division chairs.

Once final investments are determined, the CI Cabinet chair presents the Cabinet's total recommendations (including the goal amount that would need to be achieved to provide for all of the recommendations) to the Campaign Cabinet.  After the goal is established, the CI Cabinet and Campaign Cabinet chairs submit their recommendations to the TAUW Board for approval.  The TAUW Board approves the recommendations and sets the fall campaign goal.

As the final step of the process, partner agencies are notified of TAUW's Investment in their agency provided the campaign goal is attained.

 For more information or to volunteer as a panel member,  click here.