Betsy Krisher

“United Way makes a difference, and I’ve enjoyed working with other philanthropic leaders to be part of the impact.”

Betsy Krisher has always had a passion for her community. When she was asked to become a founding member of United Way’s Westmoreland and Fayette County Women’s Leadership Council in 2006, she did not hesitate to get involved.

“It was really inspiring to be at the ground level. We worked to determine what initiative our chapter of WLC would focus on, and we decided on United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior initiative,” Betsy explained. “Studies show that women mostly end up being the caregiver for elderly parents. We want to show these women in our community our support.”

Since then, Betsy has become involved with United Way in an even larger capacity. She joined United Way’s Tocqueville Society and played an intricate role in the successful merger between the United Ways of Allegheny County and Westmoreland County.

“Throughout the merger and in our work together today, we always focus on local dollars and local presence,” Betsy said. “We help each other out and take advantage of the tools and resources in each county.”

Betsy recently stepped in as the new chair of the local operating board for Westmoreland, Fayette and Southern Armstrong counties.

“I hope I can help keep the momentum going and continue to make United Way a relevant force in terms of raising philanthropic dollars and spending them in places that will make a big impact in our community,” she said.

After many years of giving her time, dollars and talents to United Way, Betsy sees the unique impact the organization— and all of its partners and supporters— has on the community. “It’s all about collaboration and connecting people with the many ways they can make a difference,” she added.

Betsy feels there is a place for everyone at United Way. “United Way has the talent and infrastructure to ensure dollars are well spent, and they have such a broad base of activities. I encourage those interested in getting more involved to talk to donors, check out the website, come to an event. I’m confident they’ll be ready to raise their hand,” Betsy said.

To learn more about United Way of Southwestern PA and how you can get involved with Westmoreland, Fayette or Southern Armstrong County, visit http://www.unitedway4u.org/