When facing a gigantic task, an old saying seems to put things in perspective. “How do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time.”

Such a task faces the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou. The group is deep in the throes of its 2008 fundraising campaign, working on a $400,000 goal.

That money will come from a diverse array of sources — from large corporate donations to individual donors who give only a dollar or two. The funds will come from young and old, rich and poor, black and white.

The local United Way has served as essentially the community’s mutual fund of giving for a number of years.

The amount of lives touched through United Way funded agencies in the Miss-Lou is certainly countless.

In recent years, that giving has continued, but it’s changed a bit.

United Way’s mission has turned slightly. The aim of the changes is to increase the accountability of the funded agencies. In short, the United Way wants to know more specifics of how the money will be used. It’s a noble attempt at improving the system.

Unfortunately, some of the new rules and regulations have caused some long-time local charities to either voluntarily or involuntarily lose their funding.

Despite the changes, the United Way still remains a great way to spread your money around and hit a broad spectrum of the community.

And even if a local group is not in line to receive general funding from the United Way, a donor can earmark funds for a specific non-profit. So long as the group has federal non-profit status, the can receive such designated funds.

We urge you to consider the United Way, learn about how it works, learn of its impact in the community and give to local charities through it — regardless of the size of your “bite.”