United Way proposes 18-month communitywide plan; committee to forward $50,000 partnership resolution

The Community Services and Land Use Committee reviewed a resolution to partner with United Way of the Lowcountry on an 18-month communitywide strategic plan aimed at improving household self-sufficiency, and agreed to forward the resolution and an associated $50,000 investment to full council.

Dale Douthat, president and CEO of United Way of the Lowcountry, told the committee that 34% of Beaufort County households are below a local self-sufficiency threshold — an ALICE measure that captures households that are asset-limited, income-constrained but employed — and said the proposed effort would bring nonprofits, foundations and county partners together around shared goals and metrics. "We need to come together to create a plan of action so that all nonprofits in the community are working ... with common goals and metrics," Douthat said.

United Way said it had engaged consultant 1000 Feathers to guide the effort and listed potential partners including the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry and several local nonprofits; staff said Jasper County could be invited to join because United Way serves both counties. The committee moved to forward the resolution to full council for approval of the partnership and funding from the Community Services grant program.

Committee members asked about implementation, partners and how the planning process would address interconnected needs such as affordable housing, childcare and transportation; United Way and staff said the process will aim to include those sectors in early planning stages. The committee did not adopt the resolution itself; full council will consider it at its next meeting.