The major fundraising campaign for the United Way of Douglas County is at risk of falling short of its goal for the second year in a row.

Leaders with the United Way said the campaign is projected to fall about $125,000 short of its $1.8 million goal, unless giving increases significantly before the end of the year.

“If we don’t reach the goal, it will impact the ability of our nonprofit agencies to provide all the services they have provided in the past,” said Brian Iverson, co-chair of the campaign. “There is no way to get around that.”

The fundraising drive last year fell about $100,000 short of its goal, which also was $1.8 million. But United Way leaders were able to use reserve funds to make up much of the shortfall, said Colleen Gregoire, vice president and campaign manager. Gregoire said the United Way wouldn’t be able to count on reserve funds to make up any shortfall this year.

Gregoire said a decline in the amount of money that people are giving through payroll deduction programs that are offered at many area employers is part of the reason for the projected shortfall. She said that area of giving is down by about 10 percent.

“It appears that people are maybe just uncertain about their expenses and how much they can give to philanthropy at this time,” Gregoire said.

The United Way gives funding to 29 nonprofit agencies that provide services in one of three strategic area: education, self-sufficiency and health.

Iverson said the United Way has been requiring agencies to keep better statistics on outcomes, which means the organization has more details about how programs are working.

“We do have success stories to tell,” Iverson said.

Among the programs the organization is highlighting this year:

• A program to give extra support to students at Kennedy Elementary School in eastern Lawrence has helped math proficiency levels rise to 90 percent, up from 54 percent in 2011. Reading proficiency has risen to 83 percent, up from 74 percent in 2012.

• A collaboration between Health Care Access and Visiting Nurses Association is providing uninsured patients with physical therapy to help them manage pain. During the first three months of the program, emergency room visits by those patients have declined by 40 percent.

Iverson said board members of the United Way would be doing significant outreach to potential donors before the end of the year. He said board members are concerned that the organization has not increased its fundraising goal in recent years, and is still having difficulty reaching the number. He said the organization needs to figure out how to increase the number of households that give to the campaign. The county has about 110,000 people, while about 5,300 households or organizations give to the United Way campaign.

“We think we’ll increase that number this year, and hopefully over time that deepening of the donor pool will allow our giving to increase. But it won’t happen overnight.”

People interested in making a donation to the United Way can go to the organization’s website at unitedwaydgco.org or can call the office at 843-6626.