Report to our Stakeholders

May 2005

I believe we are at a crossroads as a community. And I am sending this message with the greatest sense of urgency that I have felt since joining this community almost three years ago. The consequences of the decline in the 2004 Campaign are serious … and made more so by the state and federal government shifting a significant share of the burden for health and human services to the local level, particularly to the private and nonprofit sectors. A community's economic condition can only be as strong as its human condition. That's why we must reach out to those who do not yet participate in the single community-wide campaign and champion the value and benefits in 2005.

2005 – 2006 Allocations

The dedicated volunteers who studied the results of the Community Assessment and weighed the programs against the needs and Priorities Report to make the funding decisions had a challenging task these past few months. Nearly $3 million of requests for funding including 33 new program proposals – all backed by well-documented need – had to be turned down. Yet, we are proud to announce that 100 programs including 11 new ones were funded for the upcoming fiscal year. And, as part of our commitment to streamline the allocations process, many of these programs will receive continued funding using this level as the base through June of 2008. A complete listing of funded programs by Priority Area is included for your perusal.

New Partners

Local nonprofit organizations continue to recognize the value of being part of a coordinated network of services under the United Way umbrella. Since the first of the year, 15 new agencies have been admitted as Partners, bringing the network total to 83 organizations willing to work together to improve the health and human service sector.

Reaching New Donor Markets

Listening and responding has been my “modus operandi” since being selected as the staff leader of your United Way . One of the comments heard most often has been the need to broaden the base of support for the annual campaign. The volunteer and staff team has been committed to this since we launched the new direction. It is at the heart of our core business to mobilize the community's human and financial resources. Yet, in today's challenging economy and the changing philanthropic landscape, reaching out to new markets is a complex task.

This month your United Way 's Board of Directors approved a multi-year campaign plan designed to protect the current base of support, target best practices, and experiment and pilot new approaches to untapped markets. The same compelling points won't convince a 50-something engineer and a 20-something college student to buy the same car. So, too, must United Way segment its markets and messages.

Maximizing Dollars for Services

The multi-year campaign plan was just one action taken by the Board to increase dollars for services. Like many businesses in the community, United Way has had to sustain serious budget cuts. We are about helping people in need, and in tough economic times that comes at a cost to our internal operations. Your United Way cut its 2005-2006 operations budget by more than 14% and have realigned additional staff resources to do everything we can to reverse the downward trend in the annual campaign.

But we need your help. We need you to champion the United Way Campaign and the benefits of the network of services within your company and among your friends. To keep our vital infrastructure from crumbling, your increased support and your encouragement to others are urgently needed . Thank you for doing everything you can to help your United Way improve lives and our community.

Marc R. Levy

President