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June 19, 2009

United Way turns down stimulus funds

Mark Millican

Around $500,000 in federal economic stimulus funds are available to the United Way of Northwest Georgia to meet needs in Whitfield and Murray counties, but on Thursday the agency’s board of directors voted not to accept the money because of some of the requirements that go along with it.

“We have a very educated board whose members are experienced in their organizations and have already looked at these stimulus funds where they work,” said Amanda Burt, president of the United Way that serves Whitfield and Murray counties. “When you look at what it takes to process these federal funds, it would cost us more than it’s worth to manage the funds. We felt it would be a better use of our time and resources to say no to these funds.”

Burt, who was attending Friday’s Hunger and Housing Forum co-sponsored by the United Way, the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia and the Chattanooga Food Bank, said reporting on how the funds are used and auditing requirements would mean it would “cost more to comply than it would bring (funds) into the community.”

“We can do better with conferences like this and by sharing resources,” she said.

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