United Way of the Plains is mailing out surveys this week in Sedgwick and Butler counties.
The nonprofit sends out surveys once every three years and uses the results to identify unmet social, health and human service needs. United Way then brings local government, business and nonprofit organizations together to raise money toward those community needs.
Delane Butler, vice president of marketing for United Way of the Plains, said the organization uses the results to determine where to focus its efforts.
“We use it for looking at priorities,” Butler said. “You know, we’re not able to fund everything in the community, so we have a committee that goes through the survey results to develop some priorities for the funding in the next few years.”
More than 6,000 surveys have been sent to randomly selected residents. The survey asks residents questions about education, health and income issues within their households and neighborhoods.
Butler said the average response rate for the survey is about 10 percent. Women are more likely than men to complete and return it. United Way said in a statement that surveys completed by adult males are particularly valuable.
United Way will publish a report on the survey results next spring. It will also distribute the report to various community organizations for internal use.
The survey is available to complete online at speakupsurvey.org.
Ascha Lee is an Engagement Assistant at KMUW and an intern in the KMUW News Lab. Follow her on Twitter @aschalee.
