United Way announces 2019 community partners; Plumb Place off list for being out of compliance

The United Way of the Flint Hills has announced its 20-plus community partners receiving allocations later this year as its current fundraising campaign comes to an end.

United Way Director Jami Reever says 25 different community partners will receive a combined $450,000-plus in grants through the United Way.

Not on the list: Plumb Place, ending a community partner relationship dating to 1948. Reever tells KVOE News it was a difficult decision, but a needed one to ensure donations are used as indicated.

Reever did not go into specifics of the Plumb Place situation but says the United Way “requires all of its community partners to sign a Memorandum of Agreement and Grant Agreement, which outlines our responsibilities to one another. In general, United Way’s oversight role includes delivery of programs as outlined in the grant application and that the organization has the policies and procedures in place to ensure the financial health and integrity of the organization.”

Last August, it was divulged that Plumb Place had over $50,000 missing from January 2014 to April 2017. The United Way suspended funding and ordered the Plumb Place Board of Directors to take several steps to be reinstated as an official community partner, including a fraud examination by a certified examiner and additional steps for accountability, transparency and training to meet United Way standards. The United Way then reinstated Plumb Place as a community partner and restored funding, provided that Plumb Place adhered to the United Way’s directives.

When the missing money was announced, Plumb Place Board of Directors President Jesse Murphy said the board had increased the size of the board from seven to 15 members and transferred check-signing authority from the director to certain board members. He also says Plumb Place has developed an action plan, although it has taken longer than expected to start implementing it.

After learning of the missing funds in April 2017, the Plumb Place board asked for the resignation of one full-time employee. Plumb Place has not specified which employee was asked to resign, but former director Jill Wheeler subsequently resigned after leading the agency since 2001.

Murphy says the Plumb Place board reconfigured the agency’s budget after prior director Clara Corn resigned earlier this year.

Murphy says the United Way’s decision doesn’t affect Plumb Place this year.

The Emporia Police Department has been conducting an investigation into the missing funds since last summer. Formal charges have not been filed.

Plumb Place can apply for community partner status for future years, but it cannot appeal this decision. Murphy would like to see Plumb Place reapply, either this year or next.

Plumb Place has seen several personnel changes since August. Prior board chair Brandon Stiner resigned last fall. Corn’s position, meanwhile, has not been filled.

The United Way is in the final planning stages for its annual Community Celebration on March 20. For more information, call the United Way at 342-7564 or go online to www.unitedwayoftheflinthills.org.

United Way of the Flint Hills 2019 community partners