LIVE UNITED Y’All!

By Judy Schroeder

Anybody play BINGO? I used to love Bingo on a Friday night, with my Grandmother in the church basement. Oh yes, the smoke-filled basement with gray-haired ladies who love a child who will fetch more cards for them! Easy tips. Especially from those lucky winners who heard the caller sing out that last number on their sheet, and it lined up so perfectly across the columns on the page: B-I-N-G-O.

Well, on some days I can still get that excitement – in much healthier, smoke-free church basements – when the right people come together for the right reasons, and discover ideas that are right for their families and friends.

Two weeks ago, I was at Greater Friendship Baptist Church, in the California neighborhood of West Louisville, with fifteen young mothers, their children and grandmothers, listening to their ideas and hopes for their children’s future. They are using a little tool called the Ages & Stages Questionnaire to learn more about how to help their children learn.

Ladies and gentlemen, we had a “B-I-N-G-O!”

Because trustworthy relationships take time, a few years ago when I had the pleasure of meeting Gwen Kelly from the California neighborhood I could only hope that our work together would begin to make a difference. At that time the neighborhood had one of the worst reputations in the City for youth violence. Could we expect to see more young adults owning their neighborhood in a positive way, as young moms, dads, and community workers just a few years later?

Never underestimate the power of people who care.

In this case those people were Gwen and her neighbors, Ms. Robbie Bell and Dreema Jackson with many others, with the help of a couple of great nonprofit organizations who had your support through Metro United Way. The Community Farm Alliance had just published the West Louisville Food Assessment (BridgingTheDivide.pdf) that revved up all of the community conversation you may be hearing about inner-city “food deserts” and healthy farm-to-community solutions. We started a Farmers Market that brought the community together around Victory Park, where many people had said no one even had enough money or interest for healthy food. The new California Collaborative hired Michael Dean, who also lives facing the park. Four years and many more people later, the California Farmers’ Market sells produce out of raised-bed gardens cultivated by neighborhood youth on land provided by New Directions Housing Corporation/Neighborhood Initiatives and sold at Victory Park every Saturday morning this summer.

Victory Park is being reclaimed for children and families. Community institutions like Greater Friendship Baptist Church and neighbors like Ms. Robbie, Michael Dean, and Gwen are going for a “cover-all” to turn their neighborhood around! Their children and grandchildren will have the benefit.

Ladies and gentlemen, that’s a B-I-N-G-O!

General, Giving, Health, Volunteering "California Neighborhood", "Community Conversations", "Farmers Markets", "Vital Neighborhoods", Ages & Stages Questionnaires, success

by Kelly Hutchinson, Donor Relationship Manager

At Metro United Way we spend a fair amount of time sharing stories with one another. I think one reason we do this is because stories make us all feel good about the work we do each day. Stories of lives changed and opportunities created help us feel successful in our role and contributions. Even more importantly, stories are important in helping us communicate with you just exactly how you make a difference and together in our community we are advancing the common good.

Our stories include the people and organizations who bring passion, expertise and resources together with Metro United Way to get things done in our community.

Here is one recent brief story that flew into my Outlook Inbox in March from Ron Jackson one of the talented leaders in the Community Impact department. Ron is the director of the Bridges to Tomorrow initiative –and he has a smile that will light up a room –yes, I do digress.

The enthusiastic email from Ron read in part “I am so excited about the progress made by Sandra and others involved in Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow. There is nothing more pleasing than to see one of the Family Leaders become inspired by what they learn in this project and then act on a dream they have had for years.”   

Ron’s email told the story of Sandra (a single mother in our community) who became involved in Metro United Way’s Gheens  Bridges to Tomorrow program in 2009. In the program, she had the opportunity to complete a Financial Stability workshop led by PNC Bank volunteer instructors in March of 2009.

I am sure you would agree the purchase of a home is a long term dream for most. It is easier for some than others, and not considered possible by still others. Sandra however did dream bigger. She shared a dream for herself and her family. Through the Bridges to Tomorrow, Sandra created what’s called a family success plan and in it she included her dream of purchasing a home. In the program she becomes identified as the “Family Leader”. Sandra identified and then focused on what she needed to do to reach the dream. She worked from her budget and created a savings plan. She had encouragement and a new-found support system with a “Family Coach” working with her to transform her life. After twelve months, in March of 2010 she purchased a home!

Sandra’s success story and accomplishment of this dream allows also for a transformation in her life and that of her 3 year old son. There is a 3 year old boy now who will have a greater chance at being prepared and ready for kindergarten and to be successful in school. He now has an engaged and empowered parent who knows how to dream and achieve goals.

The story continues as does Sandra’s involvement in Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow, but the odds for further success have just tipped much greater in the favor of Sandra and her little boy!

What other things in life do you think are a part of the american dream?

Education, General, Giving, Income, Volunteering First time home owner, Gheens Bridges to Tomorrow, PNC

Do you remember your first day of school?  I still remember mine.  I was barely 5 years old and didn’t know anyone in my classroom.  I was nervous and confused. I couldn’t understand why I had to sit in my chair when there were so many toys throughout the room that I could be playing with.  Or why I had to have “nap time” when I would have rather been watching my favorite cartoons at home.  In short, it was a stressful day. 

The transition to kindergarten isn’t an easy one for kids.  But we can make it as smooth as possible by making sure the children in our community are prepared when they arrive.  It is our long-term goal that by 2018 all children in our community will be prepared to enter kindergarten.  How can you help?

I’m so glad you asked!  This year, 25 area schools in Jefferson and Floyd Counties will hold Camp Kindergartens.  During Camp Kindergarten children will be able to meet their teacher, take a tour of their school and learn bus safety – all to prepare them for their first day of school!  Soon-to-be kindergarteners will also receive backpacks and school supplies that they will use throughout the year. 

This is where you come in!  Your workplace or civic group can participate by adopting a Camp Kindergarten school or classroom and collecting the needed supplies for them.  You might even be able to volunteer on the day of your site’s Camp Kindergarten and see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they get their backpacks.

Just click here for a list of schools and instructions on how to get involved!

Education, General, Giving, Volunteering

Blake with a basket of goodies!

By Patty Belden

Imagine my delight when I read on Facebook that my 13-year-old niece, Blake, was planning a bake sale to benefit the animals affected by the April oil spill. Since a very young age, she has been interested in helping others so I wasn’t surprised, but I was very impressed. I couldn’t wait to learn more. After talking with her, I learned that she came up with the idea and planned everything all on her own! She knew she couldn’t travel down to the coast to help, so she planned to do something locally. She decided that raising money was the best thing she could do to help. She loves to bake (and makes GREAT treats!) so choosing to hold a bake sale was easy. She recruited the help of her friend Zach and they got to work.<

Blake researched organizations online and chose to raise money for the Audubon Nature Institute. She found contact information and sent an email. They responded and gave Blake all the information she needed to hold her fundraiser.

Next step, pick a date and location and start marketing. They chose to set up shop near a baseball field on a Saturday when games were being played all day (good thinking!). She and Zach made posters and hung them all around the area. They even used social media marketing and posted information on Facebook!

The day of the sale they were ready! But to their surprise they weren’t getting much business. They knew they needed a new plan. They loaded their baskets went through the stands. Business started picking up! It still wasn’t quite enough so their effort went one step further - they went into the neighborhood. They went door-to-door until all of the baked goods were sold out!

Overall, they made $132.00 to send to the Audubon Nature Institute. They had such a good time with the bake sale that they decided to make this a summer-long effort. Zach is working on creating a website where they can advertise all of their upcoming events.

I’m so proud of my niece and her friend. They found something they believed in and took action. When I asked Blake why she was doing this, she answered,

I saw one picture of the animals covered in oil. It made me really upset to think that hundreds of animals are being covered in oil. I decided that I didn’t want to be one of those people that just say ‘oh, that’s sad,’ and then move on with my life. I wanted to do something about it.

What a great example of LIVING UNITED. Do you know other young people who are Living United in our community? Share your stories in the comments!<

Way to go Blake! You are an inspiration to us all!

Events, General, Giving, Volunteering bake sale, baking, blake dykes, fund raising, fundraiser, oil spill, patty belden

By Kelly Hutchinson, Donor Relationship Manager

This post is all about the United Way campaign in Scranton that Dunder Mifflin hosts to benefit United Way. That would be the Lackawanna County United Way in case you were wondering.  When the folks give at The Office they are helping advance the common good and create opportunities for a better life for all.

And just why would I share a post with you about the Dunder Mifflin campaign you ask?  Well I will tell you.  It’s because they do such a great job with their campaign at The Office that they are even an award winning company!

I promise I don’t make this stuff up. Look on the wall next time you watch and perhaps by the copier and just maybe you will see it there too. It is the Dunder Mifflin Extraordinary Campaign award from United Way.  Yep, that’s right the good folks at The Office care about their community and their neighbors and they are all part of the change they want to see in their community. 

My guess is that Dwight Schrutte used to organize the campaign. I think that this year Pam Beesly will be appointed by Michael Scott the CEO to serve as the campaign coordinator for The Office.  Michael sees great leadership potential in Pam and knows that she could do a great job making plans and working with the United Way staff.  Pam will love her new role and enjoyed making friends and meeting other coordinators in the community who run campaigns for their workplace.  

Pam will do her part each fall to organize an efficient and fun campaign that offers all her co-workers the chance to give, advocate and volunteer. They all feel proud of the award on the wall and the fact that when they each do their part that they can make a big difference in Scranton.

Some of the associates at The Office will help Pam with the campaign by planning fun events to celebrate their campaign and thank their donors. Dwight said that Meredith  likes supporting the campaign because it helps so many organizations. They all find that having their United Way campaign at The Office provides for a team-building experience.

So now I want to know just a couple things. Seriously for a moment please….The Office hosts a United Way campaign –does your company?  If your answer is ‘no’ then I don’t want it to be because you were never asked. If you don’t have a campaign and you want your company to be in good company alongside community corporate leaders at companies of all sizes like UPS, GE, Humana, Kroger, Atlas Machine or Deco Paper then let us help you get on board. It’s easy, fun and efficient. We would welcome the chance to start a relationship with you where together we can accomplish more than any one organization can alone.

Please join us this year. We all win in our local community when children succeed in school, families are financially stable and people enjoy good health. We want YOU and your company to join us this year and be part of the community campaign.

If you do have a campaign for Metro United Way, then I of course want to say ‘thank you’ for caring and sharing. You make it all happen here. You make our home town a stronger, better place to live and work. Even in the face of challenging economic times you and your company have made it a priority to help people in crisis now with basic needs support while taking on issues that are going to make our community stronger in the future. A heartfelt thanks to you and your office!

General, Giving, Volunteering Giving, Metro United Way, Start a United Way campaign, The Office, Workplace Campaign

by Gil Betz

“… I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep…” Robert Frost, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Promises are very important statements. A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. Promises come in many forms-  affirmations, vows, oaths and the all too familiar “election promises.”

Reflect in your own life about promises. My kids would “promise” to clean their rooms, or get their homework done or wash their hair. And I have promised many times to take out the garbage. Some promises I made years ago, I have kept. Some promises I have not kept. There is great satisfaction when I know I have kept my promise.

I subscribe to the Agitator. The Agitator is a daily blog discussing funding strategies and trends for nonprofit organizations. What follows is an article from the May 12^th 2010 edition of the Agitator. The article is about the importance and value nonprofits can accrue by making “promises” and keeping them.

Go ahead, make a commitment!

That’s the advice of David Kravinchuk at the FLA Group, a Canadian fundraising consultancy.

David argues that few donors these days give out of a sense of duty or obligation or blind trust, as older generations did.

Today’s donors want to see results. If you want their contributions, your nonprofit must promise — then deliver — some kind of results.

And so that leads to David’s advice:

1. When you solicit a gift, promise a specific return on the donor’s investment.
2. When you thank the donor for the gift, re-commit to delivering on the promise.
3. Finally, show the ROI being delivered in as many ways as you can. In your newsletters. On your web site. With email messages. In your next appeal (before you ask again).

He adds: “Promises that are kept build trust, just as they do in your own friend and family relationships. Trust is the first step to loyalty. And in today’s charitable economy, loyalty is the key to your charity’s financial ROI.”

That’s pretty sound advice.

Sure, you can’t promise to cure cancer or end global warming in 90 days. But what can you promise that would represent progress? That you can deliver upon. That signals your willingness to be held accountable for how effectively you will use your donor’s contribution.

What promise is your nonprofit able and willing to make?

So what promise is Metro United Way able and willing to make and keep?

Here are some promises that one of our staff members provided when asked that question:

• We promise to use your donation effectively and efficiently.
• We promise to make your investment go further than any other non-profit can by bringing in over $50 million in resources to our community, investing in 50 programs and services that touch 300,000 people in our community, connecting 60,000 individuals to find the help they need through 2-1-1, feeding 150,000 hungry people, engaging 10,000 volunteers, and advocating for public policies that have a positive impact in providing a better life for all.
• We promise, by 2018, to make sure that all the children in our community arrive in kindergarten ready to succeed AND to improve our community’s high school graduation rate from 73% to 87%.

Now it is your turn. Please respond to this post by suggesting promises you believe Metro United Way should make and keep.

Education, General, Giving Agencies, Children, Community, making a difference, promises

By Angela Champion

As I write this blog, I realize I have a hard time finding my voice. As a fundraiser, I like seeing results and love to cross things off a list. As our team of staff and volunteers are gearing up this time of year to run the 2010 Campaign for the community, the slate is clean. We are working every angle now to realize growth in giving for the fall and the coming year. We are hopeful and single-minded.  However, I don’t day to day always see the thousands of ways people are improving their lives through the work that is done with those funds. But I know the need is real.

As I have been watching the History Channel’s new series, America: The Story of Us, I have been inspired as to what the American people accomplish - sometimes a few do great things but many times it’s hundreds of people contributing to an ultimate goal.

The most inspiring example for me is of how the Statue of Liberty was funded and erected to be where and what it is today: a symbol of hope and freedom. When France gave the United States the statue in 1885, it was in 350 pieces and there was no pedestal or funding for completing this massive engineering and architectural project of enormous meaning.

Joseph Pulitzer, owner of The New York World, stepped up and issued a call to action for people to give what they could to fund the effort.  Pulitzer found his voice and urged others to take part however they could - many sent in pennies, nickels and dimes.  The final sum amounted to $101,091 ($2,380,980 in today’s dollars), and over 120,000 people had donated. These figures are a testament to the masses of people who gave what they could, and to the persistence of Joseph Pulitzer.

A poem by Emma Lazarus won a contest in the newspaper and has adorned the pedestal ever since.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your
teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed,
to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

— Emma Lazarus, 1883, written to help raise funds for construction of the pedestal.

During this fall’s campaign, I hope you will find your voice through giving, advocating and volunteering. If you don’t know where to start, please ask someone at Metro United Way. If you have a poem that you think would inspire us to give and give some ideas to why helping others is important, please share!

Giving campaign, Community, finding your voice, making a difference

By John Nevitt

We’ve all faced difficult circumstances in our lives at one time or another for ourselves or our loved ones – perhaps it was the loss of a close friend or family member, facing a severe financial hardship, dealing with chemical dependency, living with an illness or disability, or countless other types of circumstances. Though the details are as different as each one of us, there are many common thoughts and emotions that frequently surface such as – what am I going to do, who can I turn to for help, how will I keep everything together? In difficult times, we all need someone we can count on.

I always know who my true friends are when such situations arise because they are the ones who stand beside me and offer support. Good friends transcend the circumstances of everyday life. However, when experts are needed, it’s good to know that there are caring professionals just a phone call away – Metro United Way’s network of health and human service organizations.

Though I had been a donor to Metro United Way for many years, I hadn’t thought I would be a part of the two-in-three people in our regional community who access Metro United Way supported services in my lifetime.

However, in recent years, I have been the beneficiary of these compassionate agencies and programs on several occasions, with each interaction bringing home their value in no uncertain terms.

Several years ago, when my mom began showing signs of progressive dementia, I turned to GuardiaCare Services for guidance. Not only did I get a list of personal care and housing options to consider, I also had the support of an empathetic professional who, through her exceptional listening skills, understood what I was thinking, how I was feeling, and what I needed, in addition to the pertinent and timely information that was given to me. In short, I felt like I was treated as a whole person, not just as someone who had a specific need to be fulfilled.

Each year, MUW funds over 80 organizations and 150 programs, like Guardia Care Services, which provides a variety of services for fragile seniors and others. When times get tough, it’s good to know that we have a vital network of Metro United Way participating agencies that give us the guidance we need while tending to us as whole persons. I salute the staff of our participating agencies and programs who so capably represent the caring power of our community.<

Giving, Health Agencies, donor, human needs, making a difference

By: Angie Ditsler

This week, my husband and I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Omaha, Nebraska to meet Warren Buffett. We were guests at a special event hosted by one of Mr. Buffett’s companies. Prior to leaving on the trip we were given a copy of one of Mr. Buffett’s books and told to come prepared to ask him any questions we had. I assumed there would be hundreds of people at this event, and at most, we could maybe get a good seat in an auditorium during one of his talks. I couldn’t have been more wrong! In fact, it was a very intimate setting at a local country club. Mr. Buffett arrived early and mingled with the guests before dinner, signed some autographs, and snapped pictures with the attendees. During dinner, he traveled from table to table and discussed every topic under the sun from politics and current events to investments, family, and even fashion! I was blown away by his wit, off-the-cuff remarks, and incredible sense of humor. At one point, he even got down on one knee and pretended to propose to one of our travel companions!

Perhaps what blew me away most about this man was his brilliant intellect and wealth of knowledge on so many topics. I can’t even fathom the amount and depth of information that passes through his head each day. While my husband was busy asking Mr. Buffett his reasoning behind his most recent acquisition of Burlington Northern railroad, I was trying to muster up the nerve to ask him about his philosophy on philanthropy. I’ve known for some time that Warren Buffett has a reputation for living a relatively frugal lifestyle and gives much of his wealth away to charity. For somebody with hundreds of billions of dollars, it may come as a surprise to most that he lives in a $150,000 home and drives himself places. (Rumor has it that when his children were babies, he thought spending money on cribs was a waste of money so his children slept in drawers!) When Mr. Buffett finally discussed the topic of philanthropy, what he said really struck a chord with me. His response was (paraphrased):

I have a tremendous amount of respect for individuals and organizations out there involved in philanthropy- even more so that your average businessmen and women. The main difference between business and philanthropy is that in business problems are more clear-cut and problem-solving typically happens more quickly and frequently given the right amount of the inputs: money and intellect. Philanthropy, on the other hand, attempts to solve complex problems that have eluded both intellect and money for centuries. We must be patient in philanthropy. Successes will come much more seldom, but when they do, they will be worth celebrating much more than any business success.

I think these words are important to remember for any worker, donor, or volunteer engaged in philanthropic work.

Giving opportunity, philanthropy, Warren Buffett

By Jan Sherrell

So what happens after I make a gift to Metro United Way’s Community Action Fund?

I like to think of the Community Action Fund as an “investment in our community.” For example: the money that comes out of my paycheck for retirement gets invested by experts, people that know the market and do that work for a living. Donations to the Community Action Fund are the same - those dollars are invested by staff and volunteers who study community needs, agencies that provide help for people and the work that those agencies do.

A minimal amount of these dollars help fund special initiatives in the counties we serve (the majority of funding for these projects comes from other sources). Every county has a committee of local volunteers who help determine the right focus for their community. Some examples are dental screenings, developmental asset surveys, or financial stability education.

The great majority of Community Action Fund dollars go to agencies to help meet a broad range of needs in our regional community. Before dollars are routed to agencies, their performance and general health are reviewed.

A group of volunteers called the Program Review Team makes funding recommendations. The Program Review Team is recruited for their skills and knowledge about a range of community issues such as education, mental health, measuring outcomes and passion for the community. They review written reports that agencies submit, called Investment Proposals. These 10-40 page documents (!!!) detail an agency’s challenges, successes, learnings and the work they do. Volunteers learn even more by visiting the agencies, meeting clients and board members.

Here is a sampling of the information collected in agency Investment Proposals:

• Financial stability
• Efforts to identify, maximize and leverage resources
• Collaborations
• Results - changes in the clients’ lives
• Clients served and client conditions
• What an agency has learned from the past year
• Diversity and Inclusion

It is wonderful when something volunteers learned from one agency can be shared with another agency. There have been many such occasions. Agency A had luck garnering a grant so we made the connection for them to share their experience with agency B, or data that agency C collected proved valuable to agency D doing similar work.

Metro United Way funds outcomes – which is the change in a person’s life. Funding may go to increase a youth’s school attendance through a mentoring program, or to better inform a father on how to deal with his son’s addiction. These changes are tracked and reported for our review.

These comments from Jefferson Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center director, Diane Hague, really explain outcomes best.

When we first started attending Metro United Way  trainings about outcomes, my first reaction was “More hoops to jump through for Metro United Way.” After looking at what we would need to do in order to conform to the new requirements about outcomes, the light bulb came on. I understood. Why would anyone want to pay for something if they didn’t know what the outcomes were? We began looking at what we wanted for outcomes and what the best way was to gather that info. Then another light bulb- why not do this for all of our programs? So we have Metro United Way to thank for jump starting us into thinking about what it was we were looking for in terms of outcomes in all of our programs.

How do we know we are truly making a change in the clients’ lives?  We continue to make needed changes as a result of the survey responses.”

Keep an eye out for future blog posts where we’ll talk more about how we fund Metro United Way’s own initiatives such as Success By 6 and 2-1-1!

What other funding questions to you have?

Giving, Volunteering Agencies, agency funding, Community Action Fund, investments, Program Review Team