Annual Report
2020
412 W. Alder St. | Missoula | MissoulaUnitedWay.org |
LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY
2020
A year of hardship, help, hard work—and hope.
Wow. What a year. Reflecting on 2020 at United Way of Missoula County means acknowledging uncertainty, fear, loss, and pain—but also resilience, accomplishment, self-reflection, new partnerships, and innovative responses to community needs. Throughout the “new abnormal,” United Way donors continued to give generously to our work, whether through online gifts, workplace campaigns, checks mailed to our office, corporate and foundation grants from Missoula and around the country—or in the form of an overwhelmingly generous gift from the University of Montana’s eSports Team, which chose United Way as the beneficiary of a major digital-gaming fundraiser. This steady backing enabled us to develop and sustain a strong, effective response to COVID-19 (outlined in the attached report). The outpouring of support also made it possible for us to continue—and in some cases, increase— our United Way’s longstanding collaborative work on education, financial stability and health: addressing homelessness, improving the lives of children and families, preventing suicide, stemming the tide of substance use, strengthening the nonprofit sector, and providing a safety net for our most vulnerable neighbors. Both COVID-19 and widespread racial unrest in 2020 exposed deep fault lines of inequality in our country. In response, our United Way affirmed a commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion in all of our policies and programs. We oppose all forms of racism and are developing and executing a formal program of education, training, and outreach to live our values. Topping the list of those values is our commitment to Living United for a better, stronger, healthier, more equitable community. As we celebrate our United Way’s 90th year of service to Missoula, we thank you for joining us in this important work.
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Susan Hay Patrick
Melissa Matassa-Stone
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PRESIDENT
2020 ANNUAL REPORT | UNITED WAY OF MISSOULA COUNTY
A DIFFERENT LOOK FOR DAY OF ACTION AND OTHER EVENTS Providing greater flexibility, we hosted two, individually-focused volunteer Days of Action (one in June and one in September). More than 50 people were able to safely volunteer across our town, following health and safety guidelines while serving our community. We developed a list of do-it-yourself ways to help—available on our website: missoulaunitedway.org/day-of-action. In September, small groups were able to safely volunteer in-person for projects at Traveler’s Rest State Park, Mountain Home Montana, United Way, Bancroft Ponds, and The Parenting Place—working primarily outside. We gathered online—holding virtual campaign events, with attendee goody-bags delivered ahead of time, and maintaining critical connections among our volunteers and donors.
Thank You Healthcare Heroes!
More than
50
volunteers
Hope for the Holidays 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | UNITED WAY OF MISSOULA COUNTY
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PROJECT TOMORROW MONTANA: SPREADING MESSAGES OF HOPE During 2020, Project Tomorrow Montana continued to spread a light of hope on depression and suicide. Hiring a program coordinator in the spring allowed for new opportunities. As the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of good mental health, Project Tomorrow Montana continued its strong focus on education, training and positive messaging, including through innovative channels. 700 people received QPR training, learning to offer resources and help when needed. During Suicide Prevention Week in September, the inaugural “Projected Hope” digital art experience shone a literal light of hope in downtown Missoula. A digital quilt comprising photographs of loved ones lost to suicide, accompanied by messages of hope, was projected onto the wall of a downtown building, providing a positive and meaningful public art experience. More Projected Hope art experiences are planned for 2021. projecttomorrowmt.org
ZERO TO FIVE MISSOULA COUNTY While continuing work to make sure all Missoula County kids enter school ready to learn and thrive, our Zero to Five initiative played a leadership role during the pandemic in improving access to and support for child care. That work is described in the attached COVID-19 report. Zero to Five also conducted Missoula’s second Kindergarten Entry Assessment, and prepared for the 2021 launch of two innovative programs: • T he Parent Leadership Training Institute, a civic leadership course designed to increase the advocacy and organizing skills of parents, caregivers and others who care about the well-being of children, and empower and accelerate them into leadership roles across the community. • T he Early Learning Fellows program will create a cross-sector, cross-system network for professionals who work with young children and families. zerotofivemissoula.org, zerotofive.org/missoula
REACHING HOME: MISSOULA’S 10-YEAR PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS During the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness increased in our country and community, underscoring the importance of the effective, collaborative approach of Reaching Home: Missoula’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. United Way is the city-county plan’s principal private-sector champion, providing funding and other support to supplement Reaching Home’s public resources. In addition to creating a fund to assist households in keeping or securing housing during COVID-19, accomplishments in 2020 included strengthening the Missoula Coordinated Entry System. MCES connects local agencies to a shared comprehensive, responsive system to prevent people from entering the homeless system. This data-driven approach reduces duplication of services, streamlines access to housing and other resources, and leads to better outcomes for our entire community. Centered on the specific needs of each household, MCES addresses the unique circumstances of people experiencing homelessness. MCES also conducts trainings throughout the year to prepare new staff and volunteers who will be using the system. Since June 2020, Reaching Home led seven Coordinated Entry System trainings for 75 people from several partner agencies, strengthening their ability to effectively support and find housing solutions for our unhoused neighbors.
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2020 ANNUAL REPORT | UNITED WAY OF MISSOULA COUNTY
NEW IN 2020 MISSOULA SUD CONNECT: ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE USE THROUGH PREVENTION, TREATMENT, RECOVERY In late 2020, The Office of National Drug Control Policy awarded initial funding of $248,000 to the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area to launch Missoula Substance Use Disorder Connect, a collaboration led by United Way and charged with developing a comprehensive community plan to reduce substance abuse, especially methamphetamine. Missoula SUD Connect is a coalition of more than 40 nonprofit, business and government organizations working to address substance use disorder through prevention, treatment and recovery. Organized with the leadership of United Way, Missoula SUD Connect is a complement to Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce drug-related violent crime through law enforcement.
65+
participants have signed on to support MSUDC
During 2021, Missoula SUD Connect leaders are recruiting a leadership roundtable and working group from among the coalition’s public and private member organizations.
THE MISSOULA NONPROFIT CENTER: STRENGTHENING LOCAL NONPROFITS In its second year, the Missoula Nonprofit Center kept the nonprofit community connected throughout the pandemic by offering multiple free virtual trainings and networking opportunities to its 105 nonprofit members. MNC hosted its first annual Philanthropy Day celebration in November, conferring several awards on local philanthropic leaders, and led webinars throughout 2020 on topics such as donor retention, board governance, legislative advocacy, and more. Additionally, Volunteer Missoula served as the official Missoula County COVID-19 volunteer response site, recruiting more than 350 volunteers to support urgent community needs.
105
nonprofit members
350
volunteers
2020 ANNUAL REPORT | UNITED WAY OF MISSOULA COUNTY
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OTHER COMMUNITY-STRENGTHENING WORK
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BACKPACKS ADAPTED FOR COVID-19
850
More than 850 fully stuffed new backpacks – including face masks and hand sanitizer―were distributed to kids in need through Family Resource Centers at Missoula schools and through the Salvation Army.
new, fully-stuffed backpacks
DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY APPROACHES 4,000 GRADUATES Over the last six years, nearly 4,000 young children in Missoula and Mineral counties have “graduated” from Imagination Library and entered kindergarten better prepared, after receiving a new, high-quality, age-appropriate book each month, from birth to age 5, at no cost to their families. Imagination Library has now distributed more than 200,000 books. In 2020, with support from our United Way, the program expanded to Ravalli County.
nearly
3,000
over
200,000
children receive books in Missoula and Mineral counties
books delivered
In 2020, Imagination Library expanded to Ravalli County
WILDFIRE ADAPTED MISSOULA WORKS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC Operating on a reduced schedule due to the pandemic, our innovative home ignition zone project worked with 12 area homeowners over 10 days to reduce wildfire risk on their properties. Now called Wildfire Ready Missoula, the project expects to redouble its efforts in 2021. New in 2021 is “Fireline,” an acclaimed podcast sponsored in part by United Way that explores the implications and impact of wildfire on the west.
5-2-1-0/LET’S MOVE! MISSOULA 2020 was a year of transition for this partnership between United Way and Missoula City-County Health Department to encourage healthy eating and activity. The COVID-19 pandemic required health department staff to pivot to pandemic-related work, while the initiative’s school-based activities were suspended when schools closed and then reopened with socialdistancing requirements. Look for a revamped website and revitalized programming in 2021 as 5-2-1-0 Let’s Move! Missoula continues working to develop healthy kids and families!
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2020 ANNUAL REPORT | UNITED WAY OF MISSOULA COUNTY
United Way also supported the following programs and projects this year, through fundraising events and other opportunities: All Nations Health Center
Missoula Writing Collaborative
Big Brothers Big Sisters of NW Montana
Mountain Home Montana
Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County
North Missoula Community Development Corporation
Boy Scouts, Montana Council
Open Aid Alliance
CASA of Missoula
The Parenting Place
The Center-Western Montana LGBTQ Center
Partnership Health Center
Child Care Resources
Poverello Center
EmpowerMT
Raise Montana
Garden City Harvest
Seeds of Change
Homeword
Soft Landing Missoula
Human Resource Council
Tamarack Grief Resource Center
Jeanette Rankin Peace Center
Youth Homes
Lowell School Neighborhood Center
YWCA of Missoula
Missoula Aging Services
Zootown Arts Community Center
Missoula Family YMCA Missoula Food Bank
412 W. Alder St. | Missoula MissoulaUnitedWay.org |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2020 – 2021 Melissa Matassa-Stone WGM Group PRESIDENT
Mike Nugent Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
Dwight Schulte Schulte Law Firm
Randy Riley Wells Fargo
PAST PRESIDENT
TREASURER
VICE PRESIDENT
MEMBERS Beth Burman Frazee MCT Inc.
Karen Myers Providence Saint Patrick Hospital
Rebekah DuBois
Todd Rahr Grizzly Sports Properties
Yvette Heintz, MSW Yvette Heintz Psychotherapy Gwen Landquist Clearwater Credit Union
Martin Rogers Worden Thane PC Jim Strauss Missoulian
Mark Thane Missoula County Public Schools (Retired) Holly Truitt Holly Truitt Consulting Jason Williams Blackfoot Communications
2020 ANNUAL REPORT | UNITED WAY OF MISSOULA COUNTY
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Together, there’s a way. 412 W. Alder Street Missoula, MT 59802
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