The increasing need for the Selma-Dallas County United Way was met with increased donations during the 2011 fundraising campaign.

According to executive director Jeff Cothran, as 2012 approaches, the organization’s fundraising goals appear to be achievable.

“It looks like we are going to exceed what we did last year by $3,000 or $4,000,” he said. “Last year we actually collected a lot more money than what we had budgeted for and because of that and the grant opportunities we had, we are going to be able to allocate out about 10 percent more than we did last year.”

Allocations for the past year totaled $210,000 and could increase as much as $21,000 in 2012. This increase, Cothran said, can be huge for the groups supported by the United Way.

“When you look at a 10 percent increase at a place like Boscoe Nutrition, they’ll be able to serve 10 percent more meals,” he said. “The same is true for the food bank. A dollar there buys 10 or 15 pounds of food. It’s really going to help re-enforce a lot of the programs that help people who have been laid off or others in need.”

Cothran said the United Way would also be able to increase aid to the Salvation Army and Doc in a Bus programs.

Some organizations, like Sabra Sanctuary, have seen grant allotments from the state cut by as much as 30 percent. Increased funding from the United Way, Cothran said, can soften the blow of cutbacks.

“The money they get from United Way is a huge part of their budget,” he said. “We are very excited to be able to increase their allocations at a time when the state has cut. Hopefully that will offset so they won’t have to cut their services.”

There is still time for people to donate to the United Way if they have not done so already. Online donations can be made at www.selmaunitedway.org, or by calling 874-8383.