 |
Moving Forward, Boldly
by David W. Balch, President and Chief Professional Officer, United Way Capital Area
and Dick Moeller, Board Chair, United Way Capital Area
As 2008 gets underway and we, as a community, look toward the challenges and opportunities we face in the upcoming year, it's critical that we do so with courage and eye to the long-term future.
United Way Capital Area has made a bold, exciting change to the way we approach improving the lives of Central Texans and investing in nonprofit agencies. We're confident that this new approach, which includes addressing the underlying causes of community issues and engaging more people around them, will pay enormous dividends in the lives of countless families in the years and generations to come. But change-especially to an organization as old and rooted in the Austin community as ours-can be difficult to accept. So we'd like to take this opportunity to explain why we've shifted our tactics and how we think it will benefit everyone.
For more than 80 years, United Way Capital Area has been investing community dollars in worthy causes: feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, helping people make it to their next paycheck, etc. We're proud of that work.
But meanwhile, the number of homeless grows, more and more kids drop out of school, the poverty rate almost doubles, fewer children enter school prepared to succeed, and so on. To think that addressing these same problems-problems that are getting worse, not better-with the same approach is somehow going to make those problems disappear permanently … well, that's wishful thinking.
And you, the community, have recognized this. You have told United Way that a new solution is in order. You have demanded that we fix our shared problems with innovation, focus, and an eye toward the future. It's not enough to patch up the symptoms of a problem, you said, United Way must help eliminate those problems from the ground up.
So with the help of thousands of community members and volunteers, United Way Capital Area unveiled its new approach last month when we announced the 47 community-based programs we would be funding in the next two-and-a-half years. These programs, which are managed by 36 nonprofit agencies, align with one or several of our three focus areas: Health, Education, and Financial Stability.
No, these three aren't the only issues of concern to Central Texas, but they are the ones our community, research, volunteers and partners said were at the heart of the countless other issues that affect our most vulnerable neighbors. By providing educational opportunities, access to quality healthcare, and the tools to become financially stable and escape poverty, the myriad other issues that our community faces will become less dire. It's really that simple.
Some of the nonprofit agencies that United Way distributed community dollars to in the past are not funded in this upcoming cycle. The more than 165 volunteers who invested 1,800 hours in determining which programs and agencies United Way should directly fund had to make some close, difficult decisions. Why? Because while United Way has approximately $3.7 million to distribute this year, we received requests for more than $13.6 million from more than 88 nonprofits-more than at anytime in our history. Would we have liked to fund every program that applied? Of course. But the dollars simply aren't available to do so.
Another important clarification to make: Some may initially see this change as a shift away from United Way’s traditional role as fundraiser for basic needs—that is, food, clothing, shelter, and emergency assistance. I cannot emphasize enough that this is simply not the case. In fact, more than half of our announced Community Investment Grants funding will go towards basic needs programs and services in our community, directly helping our region’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations. The difference? That we want to provide a hot meal, clothing, and temporary shelter to those who need it, but as part of a larger, ongoing process that aims to pull those people out of such drastic conditions. In other words, United Way will continue to feed the hungry, but more than that, we want to make sure they’re not hungry in the first place. With the help of our countless nonprofit and corporate partners, we know we can do this.
Finally, I want to thank you, Central Texas, for staying with us during this time of transformation. United Way isn't merely a fundraiser. We're a meeting place for the community's interests. We're just what our name implies: a way of bringing together everyone-every resident, every family, every corporation, every charity, every nonprofit organization-in the hopes that together, united, we can do anything.
This piece was originally published as an Op-Ed in the Austin American Statesman on December 17, 2007.
|
|
Summary of the Community Impact Model
By now, many of you know that United Way Capital Area has made the shift to our new approach to addressing community issues, known as the Community Impact model. The transformation certainly engendered a lot of debate and discussion across Central Texas, as this is the first major change United Way has undertaken in years. As we attempt to engage more and more people in the ongoing debate about community priorities, we're proud to have played a role in raising such issues recently. Keeping the dialogue active, responsive, and dynamic is an integral part to developing the best strategy for building a strong future for everyone.
In mid-December of last year, a team of more than 165 volunteers, who had spent the previous two months reviewing and evaluating applications for United Way funding from more than 135 different programs, approached the United Way Board of Directors with their recommendations. The volunteer reviewers-who logged more than 1,800 hours of donated time and expertise-had a tough challenge facing them when they began: With less than $4 million available to distribute, the volunteers received requests for more than $13 million. In other words, tough decisions were required. And though the process was arduous and required serious prioritizing, the volunteers finally came up with a series of strong recommendations.
The Board approved their recommendations in full. Thus, over the next two-and-a-half years, United Way Capital Area will be funding 47 programs (managed by 36 agencies) that address the underlying causes of our community’s most pressing concerns. The programs all fall into one or more of United Way’s Focus Areas: Education, Health, and Financial Stability.
The truth is, there were several programs that applied for funding----but were not chosen to receive it---that were in-line with the goals outlined by our volunteers. The problem? There simply wasn’t enough money to distribute. That's why we plan to raise more money in the coming months and years: To invest in more of these quality programs and agencies, and help create bigger impact in the community.
We won't belabor the details of the process-which was transparent and open to the public for oversight-but in the end, we're thrilled to be investing community funds in these programs, which have clearly demonstrated that they (a) will produce measurable and long-term successes, (b) address underlying causes of social ills, thus improving things permanently instead of temporarily, and (c) are sound, secure, and wise investments.
In the coming months, you'll be hearing from United Way a lot. We'll be reporting on program successes, numbers, measurements, etc. And we'll be telling you how your support of United Way Capital Area is helping change Central Texas-for good.
Thank you for your continued support. 2008 is already shaping up to be a year of impact and change, thanks to you and the dedicated volunteers and advocates who make United Way's efforts possible.
And don't forget to check out the United Way blog for constant updates on events, programs, collaborations, news, and community issues.
Here's a recent blog entry on one of our newly funded programs, Hospital Visitation to the Parents of Newborns.
|
|
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Day Of Service
On Saturday, January 19, join United Way, Hands On Central Texas, and hundreds of your fellow citizens to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
What: Day of Service
When: Saturday, January 19, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Where: Kickoff at Huston-Tillotson University, Davage-Durden Building (900 Chicon St., Austin, TX, 78702)
If you would like to participate by volunteering a few hours to build a better Austin, visit www.HandsOnCentralTexas.org or by calling (512) 382-8614.
This is how the day will go:
We start at 9:00 a.m. with "Reflecting the Dream," a civic engagement session that will focus on Dr. King's personal philosophy and why it's more relevant today than ever before. "Reflecting the Dream" will feature a number of exciting performances by local artists, musicians, and spoken-word poets, along with some inspiring words from local leaders like Rev. Joseph Parker and State Representative Dawnna Dukes.
From there, you will receive your volunteer assignments, and along with your fellow volunteers, disperse across the community to partake in a number of different projects that help build a cleaner, safer, more vibrant Austin.
For questions, please visit www.HandsOnCentralTexas.org.
|
Share with us your favorite '07 volunteering story
We'd like to thank the many volunteers who took the time in 2007 to share with us their volunteering stories, including:
Our friends who volunteered at the United Way Day of Caring, the HEB Feast of Sharing, Willow Lucas and William Penny who volunteered with the Community Tax Shelters, Peg Hart with the WGN Volunteering Initiative, and the rest of you who have shared your stories over the past year.
We'd also like to invite you to share your favorite 2007 volunteering story with us, if you haven't already. Some of the best stories we receive may be used in an upcoming newsletter, on our blog, or even in Impact Stories like William's and Peg's.
Just click here, and send us your story using the form.
|
Fall Fundraising Drive
You may remember that in November, we ran our inaugural Fall Fundraising Drive. In that short period of time, we were fortunate enough to raise more than $14,000 in donations to the Central Texas region. As an incentive for that drive, we gave away the hottest new electronic "gadget" on the market: an iPhone, courtesy of McElroy Translation.
The lucky winner of the iPhone giveaway is Shizad Jawani, of Dell. Shizad was extremely pleased to receive the Christmas gift that was on everyone's wish list this year.
Shelly Priebe, President of McElroy Translation (R), and Debbie Bresette, Executive Vice President of United Way Capital Area (L), were on hand to present the iPhone to Shizad.
First, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our inaugural fall fundraising drive-your generous contributions will help make an enormous difference as we work to Build a Better Central Texas in 2008.
|
|
This Month's Features
|
Upcoming Events
Sat, Jan 19, 2008
Hands On Central Texas' MLK Day of Service
Agency Workshop Series
· more information
...see all news & events
Leadership
Member Events
Tue, Feb 19, 2008
Young Leader Society Lunch With Leaders
How can I become a member?
|
Thank Yous
- Thanks to everyone who made 2007 a successful year of transformation for United Way Capital Area: the relentlessly devoted UWCA staff, the critically important volunteers, our wonderful Board of Directors, and of course, the generous donors who make all of this work possible.
- Thanks to 3M, winner of the Gifts In-Kind Corporate Challenge. In the first year of the Gifts In-Kind Program, 3M generously donated more than $500,000 in office supplies and electronics to local nonprofit agencies.
|
Have a LinkedIn account and want to show your support for United Way Capital Area there? Become a Linkedin United Way Capital Area Supporter!
|
| |
|
