Photo: Nicholas Johansen

Shelley Gilmore

The United Way of the Central and Southern Okanagan held their annual appreciation night at the Kelowna Yacht Club Thursday to thank their donors and set a new fundraising goal for 2016.

The organization, which strives to “create opportunities for a better life for everyone,” also announced their total funds raised from 2015, which was $1.25 million.

Unfortunately, this came up short of the organization’s goals for the year, which was $1.5 million.

“The economy has played against us for sure,” said Shelley Gilmore, executive director of the United Way CSO. “We have a lot of people in the Okanagan that relied on the oil patch for work, so we did lose some donors because of economic instability within their own worlds, but they all said they’re coming back when their worlds come back.”

Gilmore said the organization relies on both corporate sponsorships and individual donations.

“I think the number was just over 60 per cent comes from our work place campaign, so that’s pay roll giving and corporate matches and then the rest is from individual donors and sponsorships throughout the year,” she said.

The United Way tempered their expectations slightly for 2016, announcing a $1.45 million goal this year.

“Based on the investments we want to make, in the Family Hub, in BC 211, we’re asking the community for $1.45 (million) this year,” Gilmore said. “What’s raised here stays here.

“We’re hoping the community will step up and continue to understand the importance of what we’re up to but we also have some reserves that we’re going to dip into to hopefully make sure we don’t have to make a really hard decision of not funding something.”