A Reset Year That Makes Us Stronger: What’s Coming Next for United Way Wayne & Holmes Counties By Katie Koglman Every once in a while, you hit a point where you know things have to change not because something is wrong, but because you want to build something stronger. That’s exactly where we are at United Way Wayne & Holmes Counties. We’ve spent nearly seventy years running our grantmaking on a pledged model. People promise donations during campaign season, and we make grant decisions based on those promises. For a long time, that worked. But the world is different now. Donor behavior is different. And the last few years have taught all nonprofits the same lesson: you can’t invest dollars you don’t actually have yet. So we’re taking 2026 to shift into a cash-on-hand model. It’s responsible. It’s transparent. And honestly, it’s overdue. So What Does That Mean Right Now? It means we’re taking the rest of 2025 and 2026 as a reset time. No new grants. No application cycles. No rushing agencies through a process that needs to be redesigned anyway. Our Board of Directors are spending this time rebuilding our criteria, tools, and scoring with intention not just “because that’s how we’ve always done it.” The new, modernized grant cycle will open Spring 2026. Clear, fair, and grounded in the real dollars we have on hand. Our current core community partners have already been awarded unrestricted grants for the start of 2026. But Let Me Be Clear: 2025 Was NOT a Quiet Year Far from it. If anything, this year proved that United Way Wayne and Holmes is at its best when we can respond quickly and fill the gaps others can’t. Your Volunteer Investment Team made big, thoughtful grants in 2025 From behavioral health to crisis services, youth development, addiction recovery, arts access, job support, and more—our volunteers showed up with intention and heart. Providing the following organizations with programmatic funds: · American Red Cross – $30,000 · Anazao Community Partners – $92,724.50 · Catholic Charities – $82,000 · Children’s Advocacy Center – $60,945 · Goodwill Industries – $55,000 · Holmes Center for the Arts – $11,000 · NAMI Wayne and Holmes Counties – $33,500 · Learn N Play – $20,000 · OneEighty, Inc. – $135,000 · Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club (Rittman) – $22,500 · Salvation Army – Wooster – $70,000 · The Counseling Center – $58,500 · Viola Startzman Clinic – $100,000 · Wayne County Schools Career Center – $17,560.50 · YMCA – $50,000 · IncludeAbility – $12,500 · Nick Amster, Inc. – $4,050 · Norwayne Local Schools – $4,650 Our Board stepped up with responsive funding We supported after-school care, emergency housing, mobile vaccine access, sensory needs, food programs, and community-led ideas that deserved a boost. Providing the following organizations with timely, need based funding: · Kevin McAllister Fund – $100 · ASPIRE – $100 · Holmes County General Health District (Mobile Vaccine Unit) – $5,000 · West Salem Outreach – Food Assistance – $2,000 · Catholic Charities – $500 (Gifts of Gratitude nomination) · YMCA – Holmes County Before & After School Care – $25,000 · Habitat for Humanity – Holmes County – $7,500 · Knights Academy – Meal Prep Classes – $2,000 · West Holmes Early Intervention – Sensory Furniture – $2,000 · Viola Startzman Clinic – West Salem Expanded Services – $5,000 · Community Action Wayne/Medina – Emergency Housing Assistance – $5,000 · West Holmes Middle School – Shop with a Teacher – $1,250 And Operation SNAP GAP helped local food programs stay afloat With the changes to SNAP benefits, the need has grown and we made sure the following local food pantries had support when they needed it most. · Christ’s Cupboard – $250 · Community Action Wayne/Medina – $1,000 · Crown Hill Mennonite – $250 · Faith Fellowship – $250 · Glenmont Food Pantry – $250 · Homeward Bound – $250 · Lakeville United Methodist – $250 · Millersburg Church of God – $500 · Millersburg First Presbyterian – $250 · People to People Ministries – $250 · Pregnancy Care Center – $250 · Rittman United Methodist – $250 · The Love Center Food Pantry – $250 · The Server – $1,000 · West Salem Outreach – $1,000 · Wooster Hope Center – $250 · YMCA of Wayne County – $250 We didn’t slow down. We just shifted how we moved. Why This Reset Matters (And Why I’m So Proud of It) I’ll say it plainly: This transition makes us better stewards of community dollars. It puts us on stable ground. It lets us invest confidently. And it opens the door for more nonprofits to be part of the process moving forward. Our Board President, Bonnie Ferguson Hall, has been a tremendous partner in this work. Her leadership reflects exactly what we want this reset to stand for: clarity, accountability, and community first. This isn’t about giving less. It’s about giving smarter, stronger, and more sustainably. Looking Ahead to Spring 2026 We’ll roll out clear information early next year about: what the applications will look like eligibility funding priorities how scoring works timelines and deadlines My goal? A process that nonprofits don’t dread and one that reflects the real challenges and opportunities in Wayne and Holmes Counties. Thank You for Trusting Us While We Do This Work You’ve allowed us to hit the reset button for the right reasons. And because of that, we’re going to be able to support more people, more organizations, and more needs in the years ahead. This is a rebuilding year and a strengthening year. The truth? I’ve never been more optimistic about where we’re headed. And I can’t wait for 2026.