United
Way of the Greater Dayton Area
Report
to Stakeholders
May
2003
To
put a twist on a popular phrase, what we don’t want to
have here is a failure to communicate. Communication is often
the element that makes or breaks a situation. Good communications
fosters success. Poor communication portends trouble. That’s
why your local United Way is working hard to ensure that effective
two-way communication is rooted in all aspects of the transformation
to become a premier nonprofit mobilizing the community
on behalf of a core network of health and human services .
Listening
In
addition to the one-on-one and group discussions I’ve been holding
with you and other stakeholders to seek your input, we also conducted
an extensive public opinion poll at a nominal cost through United
Way of America and Delta Market Research. We learned that adults
in our three-county area feel that the Top
Community Issues Your United Way should address
are:
•
Children’s Issues including education, abuse, and
after-school programs.
•
Poverty-related Issues including homelessness
and unemployment.
These
findings are being shared with our volunteers developing a new public
policy platform and our initial community needs assessment snapshot.
Work
is well underway on the needs assessment. We’ve formed a working
group of community partners including the Greater
Dayton Area Hospital Association, Montgomery County Combined
Health District, Montgomery County Family and Children First Council,
University of
Dayton, and Wright State University
to share data and provide outside technical expertise. We’ve also
distributed nearly 1,000 Key Informant Surveys to business, education,
government healthcare, labor, and religious leaders and social workers
throughout Montgomery, Greene and Preble Counties. This tool seeks
their views on human service assets and needs in each of our three
counties and on what if any role your United Way should play in
each need area. The response rate to date has been excellent.
If you would like to share your opinion, please let us know.
Responding
The
Community Needs Assessment will provide the basis
for additional dialogue with the community to set priorities for
United Way funding beginning July 2004. It goes without saying
that needs are greater than available resources so clearly we must
mobilize more resources. But there never will be “enough”, so
a Priorities Plan is critical.
The
Allocations Task Force that began in January will complete its work
in June. The new Fund Distribution Model will
address the community’s stated desire for a process that is streamlined
for efficiency, stability, and impact, and understandable and fair
to all .
Respecting
A
truism of communication is that sometimes language influences how
we see things. That’s why I’ve been promoting the concept that
United Way can embrace community allocations through the
volunteer process and donor allocations . When
you give through the United Way you are supporting a community allocations
process driven by local volunteers. We also respect individual
donor allocations – and your United Way is doing all we can to communicate
the understanding that it’s not an “or” but an “and” proposition.
You can give to an agency that touches your life and
support the vital network of services. Our aim is to work within
a system that respects and values both, to operate with integrity,
and to achieve results.
Our
new direction is built on respect for donors, agencies, and all
stakeholders – you have our pledge that we will keep that always
in mind. Please help us get the word out about the many changes
at your United Way. We need increased involvement and support
of individuals and businesses now more than ever – especially in
these tough economic times. Thank you for all of your
support. Working together is the best
way to get to the heart of what matters in
our community.
Marc
R. Levy, President
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