With barely over a month to go until it merges with a similar group in the Cambridge area, United Way Kitchener Waterloo & Area is shedding jobs.
The organization announced Wednesday that it will be eliminating four full-time positions, and leaving two vacant positions empty for now.
“We’ve had to make some difficult decisions,” Jan Varner, its CEO, said in an interview.
Varner says the layoffs are due to fundraising levels during the local 2016 campaign coming in at $4.3 million, or $200,000 below the organization’s target.
“It’s a very difficult time for fundraising,” she said.
That difficulty was also cited as the reason why United Way Kitchener Waterloo & Area is merging with United Way Cambridge and North Dumfries as of April 1.
Varner said that the layoffs announced Wednesday, which include both front-line and management positions, are “completely separate” from the merger.
