FARMINGTON – As stewards of the community’s charitable monies, The United Way of the Tri-Valley Area is making a gradual shift toward focusing on immediate human needs in the community, Executive Director Lisa Laflin said.

Things like heating fuel, food, health, transportation and elder and child services are the kind of human needs the agency wants to focus on, she said.

It’s more than a change in the look of the UW brochures, which now sport more compelling graphics touting the slogan, “Live United.”

It’s part of a larger effort being undertaken nationally and by other Maine United Ways to make a community impact that truly reflects the local need.

The local organization began a process of prioritizing local needs over a year ago, Laflin said.

Nationally, all United Ways have been asked to support three broad goals including health, education and poverty.

Locally the organization wanted to better define those goals with specific priorities in order to make an impact on this community, she said.

This may mean some changes in allocations to the 20 plus community partners who apply for funds from the United Way, but those changes, while expected to be gradual, have yet to be determined.

“No organization that sees a change in funding is undeserving,” she said, “but organizations should be responsive to changes in the community in order to be effective and continue to grow.”

The organization’s board will meet for a strategy retreat in September to discuss some of these issues including the most effective, efficient and understandable way to define what used to be called agencies and are now called community partners, organizations that do tremendous good work, she added.

The changes also reflect accountability, she said. For every dollar given, the story of how it impacted the community needs to be told.

Other plans for the local United Way include studying past approaches to campaigns and planning this year’s with campaign chairmen Chandler and Charlie Woodcock.

Laflin is also keeping track of requests to help identify gaps and determine what the real needs are.

“We need to keep a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the community…be nimble to fundraising all year and come to the allocation process well informed,” she added.

Each year, applications are reviewed and decisions on how to best distribute the money will be based on the current, most immediate needs of the community according to UW materials.

“One other goal is for the United Way to have a presence all year as community builders and leaders…not just a campaign fundraiser from September to December,” she said.

As the new executive director facing her first $395,000 campaign, she knew when she applied, for several reasons, that it would be a challenge, she said.

“But my faith in this community has assured me that I made the right decision . . . every day something good happens,”

This week, she cried tears of joy after a donor called asking for assurance that if she gave a donation it would go toward keeping people warm. After the caller was assured, the campaign received a $6,000 check, Laflin said.

Along with giving to the community fund, which supports community partners, there are more than 40 organizations that receive donations through donors who designate specific beneficiaries of their gift, Laflin said.