LIVE UNITED
United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties 215 S. Walnut Street, Wooster, OH 44691 Phone: 330-264-5576 uwwh.org
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MOVING FORWARD
THE BOLD GOAL STRATEGY
United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties
VISION
We envision a community where all individuals and families realize their full potential.
MISSION
Mobilizing community resources to help people measurably improve their lives.
BOLD GOAL
Move 10,000 people out of poverty by 2025.
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WHAT WE DO Our local United Way moves people out of poverty: •
Convene stakeholders to address complex issues by strengthening the systems that concern poverty.
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Support and build on the network of community organizations that help people living in or near poverty.
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Mobilize and combine resources to achieve strategic and impactful investments.
Four unique differentiators of United Way: •
We develop integrated solutions that improve lives and communities.
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We focus on what is most needed and what works locally.
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We unite leaders, organizations, and community volunteers from all sectors to work on solutions together.
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We invite thousands of people to be part of and amplify the impact of moving people out of poverty.
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CORE OBJECTIVES ENGAGE. Inspire engagement to GIVE, ADVOCATE, and VOLUNTEER by intensifying our presence in our community.
IMPACT. Move people out of poverty by making measurable community change through convening, collaborating, and/or investing resources.
DEVELOP. Grow, diversify, and sustain stakeholders and partners.
STRENGTHEN. Ensure a strong organization through financial accountability and systemic alignment.
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COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS & RESEARCH United Way began the process of developing its strategic plan by reaching out to the those who know our work best. More than 70 people from community nonprofits, schools, government, businesses and others told us what role they wanted United Way to play in building a better community. We conducted research on local poverty and analyzed trends impacting our schools, organizations, and the human service sector. We listened to the voices of our neighbors throughout Wayne and Holmes Counties.
What we learned about our work: Poverty is a complex, persistent issue with numerous driving forces. Even with the Bold Goal of moving people out of poverty, United Way must narrow its focus to include the driving forces that most contribute to local poverty and affect local communities. Poverty is more than just a lack of income. It is a lack of resources defined by the local context. Not only must we expand our understanding of the causes of poverty, but we must also measure our effectiveness in addressing poverty. We must evolve our investment approach that includes analysis around donors’ return on investment. We must respond with the ability to measure and communicate that impact to our donors.
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POVERTY IS NOT JUST ABOUT INCOME •
Income alone is not the only driving force of poverty. Poverty is a lack of resources, including: access to transportation, educational attainment, and mental health care, and many others.
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Having a job no longer equates to financial stability. The working poor face numerous barriers to self-sufficiency.
MISUNDERSTANDING POVERTY INHIBITS PROGRESS •
Our perceptions of poverty, what we think we know, often limit our abilities to address the complexities of poverty.
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Seeing poverty through a different lens helps us focus on root causes of poverty as well as vital support systems.
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Rural poverty looks different than urban poverty. Rural poverty is often hidden.
DONOR EXPECTATIONS ARE CHANGING •
Donors demand more specific, measureable results of the dollars they give.
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A growing interest exists among donors for special projects and strategic initiatives.
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Donors desire to give back through volunteerism and active participation in the solution.
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COMMUNITY IMPACT PRIORITIES United Way addresses complex problems—like poverty—that no single organization can solve alone. A cross-section of community leaders, volunteers, and subject experts inform United Way’s high level impact strategies and determine the focus areas within poverty. This committee promotes collective action and shared impact.
BOLD PLAY #1 Inspire engagement through volunteerism and making the Bold Goal a unifying call to action for all citizens in our area.
Connecting people of all ages to volunteer in meaningful, purposedriven activities that aligns with a volunteer’s skills and interests.
BOLD PLAY #2 Broaden our community’s understanding of poverty.
United Way leads hundreds of people each year in broadening their perspectives on poverty and how they see themselves in the solution.
BOLD PLAY #3 Address the driving forces of poverty by using a Collective Impact framework. Play a convening role to strengthen systems that address poverty.
Collective impact occurs when organizations from different sectors agree to solve a specific social problem using a common agenda, aligning efforts, and utilizing common measures of success. 11
A COMMUNITY FRAMEWORK FOR MOVING PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY BASIC NEEDS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
MOVING PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY
MENTAL HEALTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE
HEALTH CARE
FOCUS AREA COUNCILS United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties will serve as a catalyst to coordinate services and collaborative efforts to maximize the work of moving people out of poverty. We are starting with Youth Development and Workforce Development and will be adding more focus area councils.
STRATEGIC GOALS
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Develop an organizational process that uses consistent, high-quality data as the basis for prioritizing community needs.
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Maximize efficiency and effectiveness by developing focus area councils around selected community impact areas to track outcomes related to moving people out of poverty.
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Serve as a resource center for nonprofit organizations needing assistance with organizational and management development.
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Act as a centralized link between community requests for assistance and available resources.
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FOCUS AREA COUNCIL: YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Priority Issue: Develop Youth Social/Emotional Assets and Increase Academic Performance Challenge we face: Poverty is a strong barrier to academic achievement. With nearly one out of five children in Wayne County living in poverty, we will help close the achievement gap to assist more children and families succeed in school. Data show that most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in math skills and reading achievement over the summer months, with low-income students losing even more. By the end of fifth grade, disadvantaged children are nearly three grade equivalents behind their more affluent peers in reading. Hypothesis: By increasing youth developmental assets and academic performance, our youth will be better prepared to break the cycle of poverty. Target Population: Children living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line in K-12 grades in Wayne and Holmes Counties. Increasing Youth Developmental Assets: Supporting Strategies
Increasing Academic Performance: Supporting Strategies
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Create role models and mentoring opportunities.
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Support evidence-based out-of-school reading intervention programs to ensure grade level reading.
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Support innovative learning models that build leadership.
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Provide quality out-of-school opportunities for students and their their families that deepen engagement in learning for early and middle grade learners.
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Provide access to enrichment activities (i.e., outdoor activities, playing an instrument).
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Engage parents in education and advancement opportunities.
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Provide quality, age-appropriate books to children.
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Build values through community service learning.
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Focus on reducing summer slide learning loss and building a culture of literacy.
Targeted Initiatives •
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K-4 after school reading and academic programs at elementary schools and nonprofits.
Issue Partners
• • • • Provide middle grade after-school homework • help, mentoring, and life skill development. • • Coordinate literacy initiative to increase • literacy and access to books. • • Reduce at-risk behavior and summer learning • loss through summer camp scholarships.
Boys and Girls Club of Wooster City of Wooster Police Department Learn ‘N Play O’Huddle Rittman Elementary School The Salvation Army Wooster Corps Wayne Center for the Arts Wayne County Public Library Wee Care Childcare Center Wooster City Schools YMCA of Wooster
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FOCUS AREA COUNCIL: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Priority Issue: Acquire, upgrade, and retain employment for individuals in Wayne and Holmes Counties Challenge we face: Despite robust economic conditions and low unemployment, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain employees. In addition, many job seekers face significant barriers preventing them from moving into full-time employment. Our intent is to help employers fill their talent pipelines. Hypothesis: By addressing the barriers to full-time employment for the underemployed, we can meet growing labor needs of in-demand occupations and create movement in the workforce pipeline. Target Population: At-risk employees; ready, willing, and able; underemployed.
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Upgrade Employment of the Underemployed: Supporting Strategies
Decrease Preventable Job Loss: Supporting Strategies
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Coach employers to attract and retain quality employees.
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Develop soft skills.
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Reduce barriers to engage target population (i.e., physical health, behavioral health, transportation assistance, crisis assistance, job readiness).
Utilize a life-mentor. They work by: • Developing strength-based relationships • Connecting program participants to community resources. • Guiding program participants through the processof success planning.
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Increase enrollment in education and skill-building cources.
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Reduce barriers, such as child care, education, transportation.
Targeted Initiatives
Issue Partners
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Tuition for fast-track courses based on income.
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Case management with a Life Mentor to address barriers to employment.
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Expand hours and improve tutoring for adult education participants.
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Getting Ahead courses help low-income individuals craft their own pathways out of poverty.
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Adult Basic Literacy and Education (ABLE) Anazao Community Partners Community Action Wayne/Medina Goodwill Industries of Wayne and Holmes Counties Job and Family Services Ohio Means Jobs Wayne County Career Center Wayne Economic Development Council
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ONGOING ACTIVITIES Bridges Out of Poverty Workshops
Issue Dialogues (Education, Movies, Panels, Conversations)
Long-Term Goals: Long-Term Goals: • •
Create an improved framework to better understand poverty.
Long-Term Goal:
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Engage more community members in thinking broadly about social economic issues.
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Understand poverty.
Reshape how people in our communities view poverty.
Progress Updates (Score Cards)
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Update the community on an ongoing basis about United Way’s progress in moving people out of poverty.
Engagement (Get Connected, Lunch & Learns, Days of Action, Community Meals, Pathways to Participation, Volunteer Management 101) Long-Term Goals: •
Increase awareness of United Way, the Bold Goal, and its unique role in moving people out of poverty.
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Maximize the volunteer power of our communities to move people out of poverty.
KEY INITIATIVE SPOTLIGHT
UNITED WAY 211 OHIO COVERAGE MAP
UW of Greater Cleveland 211 Center All other colors indicate other 211 Centers.
United Way 2-1-1 is operated by UW of Greater Cleveland, supported by United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties and Orrville Area United Way.
CALL 211
United Way 2-1-1 provides free and confidential information on health and human services for people in Wayne and Holmes Counties, and throughout most of Ohio. 2-1-1 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days each year, and connects callers to a trained specialist who quickly assesses needs and refers callers to the local help that they seek. United Ways across Ohio provide over 50% of the costs to operate the system’s call centers, which 19 handled over 1.3 million calls and nearly 600,000 web visits in 2015.