Jannette Taylor has been President and CEO of United Way of Douglas County for only nine months, but she is clearly the right person to provide strong leadership for the organization.
Prior to coming to Lawrence, Taylor earned a reputation for championing social justice concerns in Omaho, NE. Among other initiatives, Taylor founded and led a community-based nonprofit, Impact One Community Connection. This small nonprofit worked to provide life-changing services to at-risk youth and young adults.
Now Taylor champions the three areas of focus that the United Way of Douglas County has identified for its efforts in Douglas County:
academic success of all children;
health access for all; and
financial stability of every person.
The 2017 Annual Report tells stories about households dealing with these issues. It also outlines the scope of these challenges and highlights the ways that United Way has mobilized community resources and developed partnerships to meet them.
Taylor explains that the agency uses the “community impact model” to target resources and avoid duplication of effort. The model also employs an assessment tool to gather data about needs and results.
