Our #1 Priority: Graduating Kids
Here at United Way, our chief focus is making sure kids are graduating so that is the focus of our Agenda for Change. It has become increasingly apparent how much efforts in EDUCATION, INCOME, and HEALTH intertwine to help graduate kids. Strategies like student mentoring programs, financial stability courses for families, and access to health care services all play an integral role in providing the foundation and stability kids need to graduate and be successful in school and life.
How are we creating lasting change?
Our goal is to create long-lasting change by addressing the underlying causes of problems. We recognize giving is not the only way to create lasting change which is why LIVING UNITED includes giving, advocating, and volunteering. While program investments are the cornerstone of United Way’s work, program investments alone are not enough to achieve the level of impact our community needs. Commitment to advocacy and volunteerism complement and leverage program investments.
Strategies and Capacity to Achieve our Goals
In order to achieve this ambitious work, the Agenda includes three types of strategies necessary for success:
- Program investment
- Convening/mobilizing to bring about systemic change
- Advocacy
Additionally, we have staff experts in each area as well as more than 80 volunteers who are driving this work. We also rely strongly on our network of partners to deliver the necessary services and to advocate with us. And finally, we are incredibly lucky to have an annual campaign that generates roughly $13 million. Those gifts are essential to our program investments.
Measuring Progress
Every program United Way funds is evaluated annually on program outcomes. This gives us a sense of the achievements of each individual program. We also evaluate and compare community indicators to establish a collective look at what's being accomplished collaboratively as a community. While United Way has identified community indicators, it is too early to accurately measure progress.
Read about all the work we're doing each month in our Monthly Progress Report.
To learn more about the difference your gift is making, please view our Annual Report and Recognition Book.