| 1,205 children under six years of age improved school readiness skills. |
| 21,693 seniors and people with disabilities received services that improved the quality of their lives. |
| 28,666 individuals and families in financial crisis received the education needed to increase their financial stability. |
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
-Mahatma Gandhi
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Thank You
It
is with sincere appreciation that I communicate with you through the
Stakeholder Report as the chief professional officer of your United Way
one last time. As you may know, I will be moving to Oregon in mid
October to become the president of the United Way of the
Columbia-Willamette in Portland. It is a homecoming of sorts as
I’m a University of Oregon grad and we have family in the area
and along the west coast.
Please know how much I have
enjoyed this community and working on behalf of it. We have
accomplished a great deal in my six-plus years here. The board of
directors, staff, and partner agencies are committed to continuing the
hard work to make a lasting difference. Your input and support are critical to these efforts and our success. I’d like to use this issue to remind you of the good you do and encourage your continued support and involvement.
Inspiring Hope ... Creating Opportunities
Our
work is focused on the building blocks of life – education,
income, and health – which translate into our three priority
areas:
- Positive Youth Development
- Financial Stability
- Health and Well-Being
United
Way is dedicated to creating opportunities for a better life for
all. We do this by supporting the local network of services
provided through the partner agencies and by working with many
additional partners including government and other nonprofits to carry
out special initiatives.
We’ve trained hundreds of
school and other youth-serving personnel in the 40 Developmental Assets
to help our local children succeed in school and life.
We’ve helped hundreds of children go back to school with needed
supplies in our outlying counties. We’ve helped hundreds of
low-income workers receive a much needed bonus through the Earned
Income Tax Credit outreach effort. We’ve linked hundreds of
people facing foreclosure with resources to help. And,
we’ve put food on the table for hundreds of dislocated workers
and their families who for the first time have moved from the helping
to the needing help side of the equation.
While the
initiatives are key to our ability to create lasting change, the
funding of agency services remains at the core of the community’s
ability to address priority needs.
Investing in Our Community
While
the current economic climate and resultant increased pledge loss remain
a challenge, we can feel good knowing that $8.9 million from the 2007
campaign will support local services this year. United Way
volunteers have allocated $5.6 million to 99 local health and human
service programs for funding as of July 1st. The volunteers
reviewed 128 proposals requesting $2.3 million more than was
available. With all proposals having documented the growing
demand for services in our community, decision-making was very
difficult. The volunteers based their decisions on our 2007
Community Needs Assessment and the resulting funding priorities as well
as program results, agency capacity, and available resources.
Twelve new programs meeting high priority needs were funded:
Dayton Christian Center, Infant and Toddler Child Care: $45,000
4C for Children, Early Childhood Development Outreach to Families: $30,000
Jewish Federation of Dayton, Kosher Congregate and Home Delivered Hot Meals: $24,000
AIDS Resource Center Ohio, Linkage to Care for Persons at Risk of AIDS: $20,000
East End Community Services, Family and Job Connections: $19,382
The Foodbank, Good to Go Weekend Backpack Food for Children: $16,765
Dayton Urban Ministries, After School Homework Hour: $15,000
Suicide Prevention Center, Project Lifesaver Middle School Suicide Prevention: $10,000
Womanline of Dayton, Counseling for Victims of Abuse: $10,000
Diabetes Association, Diabetic Supply Assistance: $6,000
Project READ, Literacy AmeriCorps: $5,000
Unified Health Solutions, Corps Solutions: $5,000
Twenty-eight
previously funded programs received an increase of $1,000 or
more. The remaining programs received a modest increase or were
funded at the same or a reduced level because the available funding was
flat. The majority of programs were funded for three years.
New programs and those with significant changes received a one-year
allocation.
Nearly $200,000 will support community
initiatives and emerging needs. Rounding out the total are
donor-directed gifts of $2.3 million to the Partner Agencies and
$748,000 to other nonprofits.
Supporting the Local Safety Net
Your
local United Way is doing everything we can to respond to the increased
demand for services in our community. Through our targeted
allocations, along with community initiatives and emerging needs
grants, we are addressing immediate needs while working to find
long-term solutions. Right now we are meeting with government,
business, labor, and nonprofit leaders to prepare for the next wave of
needs precipitated by the latest economic announcements.
That’s why your continued and increased support is essential.
LIVE UNITED
When
you reach out a hand to one, you improve the condition of all.
You’ve shown your understanding of that truth by being a United
Way stakeholder and by living united.
Please carry the message to others to more fully engage our community
and raise more money on behalf of our children, families, and community
at a time when the needs are so evident.
I am proud to have been a part of this community and will miss you greatly.
Best wishes,
Marc R. Levy
President
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