A Message from the CEO

FRANKLYN D. BAKER

President & CEO

Knowing you had our back during the pandemic has meant the world to us and the people we serve. We’re very grateful to you.

We are humbled by the trust our community, our funders, and our partners give to us, especially our Tocqueville Society members. For 35 years, you have been our strongest ambassadors, and like us, you believe addressing root causes of poverty and dismantling structural barriers for low-income communities—is a priority. By creating a new culture of empowerment supported by philanthropy, we can help people in our region to live their best lives.

Throughout our almost 100-year history, we have fought against inequity and injustice while working day and night to drive change and ensure everyone has access to basic needs. More recently, we have focused our efforts in a way that enables people to navigate their dreams and master their destinies.

The direction we are taking in the new fiscal year to support educational, racial, and earning equity for young men of color; reimagine the childcare field for both childcare providers and parents; and build talent pipelines for meaningful employment is exactly where we need to go.

I invite you to flip through this year’s Tocqueville Society book to celebrate the successes we’ve accomplished together and to learn about the new initiatives that will further demonstrate our commitment to equity and innovation. We are excited to share our innovative programmatic work with you as we move toward our 100th anniversary and into our second century of providing what’s needed where it’s needed. Thank you so very much for your continued support of United Way.