United Way of the Greater Dayton Area

Report to Stakeholders

July 2003

Just over a year has passed since I joined the greater Dayton community and your United Way.   If a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, the good news is that we’ve made many steps this past year.   The sluggishness of the economy in making an upturn remains a challenge to this journey of mobilizing the community on behalf of a core network of health and human services .   Yet, we can look back and see progress and look forward and see opportunity.

Accomplishments

Hopefully it is apparent by now why we’ve set a new course – to ensure that everything your United Way does is accountable, understandable, and reflects the best in our community.   Based on your input, the first order of business was to reduce and realign our internal organization.   Then we set out to simplify the allocations process and really look at needs in our community and set some priorities to address them.

The Allocations Task Force completed its work in June.   The new Fund Distribution Model will be launched with a one-year rollout beginning this fall.   The funding cycle has been moved “post campaign”, so both the volunteers and agencies will know exactly how many dollars are available to fund programs based on identified priorities.   The current programs will be funded at the same level through June of 2004.   The next funding decisions will then run July 2004 to 2005.   After the initial “test” year, core services will be funded on a three-year basis.   The new streamlined process will take less time and allow more resources to be directed to other community impact efforts.

United Way of the Greater Dayton Area’s first Community Needs Assessment and Priorities Report will be presented to the Board at the end of August then shared with the agencies and other stakeholders in September.   This first cut will provide just a snapshot of demographic data, trends related to health and human service needs, and input from the Key Informant Survey conducted earlier this year.   Volunteers have reviewed the data and will make recommendations for funding priorities for the 2004-2005 cycle at the August Board meeting as well.

We don’t anticipate dramatic changes in program funding in the first year, but it will provide a framework to test the new model and begin to focus our funding for greater impact.   It also will serve as a compass to areas in need of further study as we continue to refine our assessment of local health and human service needs, begin to identify related assets, and expand our working partnerships to maximize resources at a time when needs are greater than ever.   This initial study lays the foundation for the essential discussion to define core services.   Especially in tight times, what services must be sustained?

Opportunities

We are now positioned to accomplish even more on behalf of our community’s safety net of services.   But we need your continued and increased support.   Please share your energy and enthusiasm not only with United Way but also with our partner organizations.   Soon we will have a new membership agreement that reflects a new spirit of mutual respect between United Way and the partner agencies.

The annual campaign officially kicks off on September 9 th with a Community Care Day , when hundreds of volunteers will work at United Way partner agencies throughout Montgomery, Greene and Preble Counties.   It gives people a chance to see firsthand how the United Way network of services makes a difference in the community…and to lend a hand to help out our resource-stretched agencies and the clients they serve in very tangible ways.   Community Care Day is a visible demonstration of how working together we can do so much more than we can alone – we welcome you to join us.

While we gear up for this exciting event, the campaign is already underway with corporate calls being made daily and more than 35 organizations signed on to run Pacesetter Campaigns by the end of August – committing to shoot for increased results that will “set the pace” for the community.

Knowing that we must tap new sources, your United Way is seeking challenge grants to encourage new and increased leadership giving and new business development.   Thanks to National City Mortgage for being the first to provide challenge match dollars.

Our market research tells us that we are reaching about half the community with our messages.   Only advertising will allow us to reach the remaining half, so we are also seeking cooperative advertising sponsorships to expand our advertising efforts year-round.

That same study showed that literally thousands of our neighbors are willing to give through the United Way if only they are asked .   Others indicated they simply require assurance that United Way is well managed and directs the maximum dollar to meet local needs – which by now I hope you realize is central to our new direction.

Please help us reach new individuals and companies.   As stakeholders in United Way, you can help us reach these potential donors by serving as visible and vocal advocates of working in a united way and giving through the United Way.

Thank you for joining together to get to the heart of what matters in our community.

Marc R. Levy, President