The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions

2 To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities Mission of the United Way System

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 3 United Ways Traditional Approach to Improving Lives Mobilizing communities DIRECT IMPACT financial resources of businesses and employees of program clients to support services for individuals and families that improve lives

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 4 to Mobilizing communities that DIRECT IMPACT COMMUNITY IMPACT people, time, talent, relationships, expertise, technology, money, etc. of community populations support services for individuals and families create lasting community changes improve lives financial resources of businesses and employees of program clients New Model for Improving Lives Emphasizes a Community-level Approach

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 5 For more information on the community impact approach, see What Is Community Impact? on United Way Online (keyword: WhatIsCI)

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 6 The Road to Community Impact If you continue to think as you have always thought, you will continue to get what you have always gotten. - Marilyn Ferguson The Aquarian Conspiracy

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 7 Achieving community impact calls for new answers to questions about The Road to Community Impact Strategies Partners Ownership United Ways role Mobilizing resources Communicating the brand United Way operations

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 8 Question #1 How Do We Improve Lives? Not by funding an assortment of direct services

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 9 Program clients Direct impact approach Improving Lives

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 10 Question #1 How Do We Improve Lives? By creating lasting changes in community conditions and By investing in direct services that contribute to larger community-change strategies Not by funding an assortment of direct services

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 11 Systems Neighborhoods Personal networks Organizations Improving Lives Community population Improving Lives

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 12 Systems Community population Neighborhoods Personal networks Organizations Community impact approach Improving Lives

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 13 Improving Lives Systems Neighborhoods Personal networks Organizations Community population Community impact approach

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 14 community impact This Means Changing Our Filter F ROM... agencies foundations labor groups academia neighborhood associations volunteer organizations government community systems faith-based groups companies individuals United Way filter

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 15 community impact foundations neighborhood associations companies faith-based groups individuals community systems labor groups volunteer organizations government academia agencies This Means Changing Our Filter T O... filter United Way

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 16 Question #2 Who Are Partners in Improving Lives? Not only agencies

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 17 Systems A Range of Community Assets Neighborhoods Personal Networks Organizations Community populations

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 18 Question #2 Who Are Partners in Improving Lives? Not only agencies Whoever can play a role Companies Individuals Labor groups Government Foundations Media Academia Institutions Systems Formal organizations Informal networks Faith-based groups Neighborhood associations... Agencies

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 19 Improved lives Institutions Corporations AssociationsNeighborhoods Faith community United Way Government IndividualsAgenciesLabor groupsAcademiaetc.Foundations C o m m u n i t y a s s e t s / p a r t n e r s / i n v e s t o r s Working Together to Change the Community Community plan for action Targeted changes in community conditions

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 20 Not only United Way A community partnership The partners own it The partners are accountable for it The partners share responsibility and credit Question #3 Who Owns a Community Impact Effort?

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 21 Not only funder/fundraiser A variety of roles – potentially... Question #4 What Is United Ways Role? Policy advocate Resource mobilizer Fundraiser Investor/funder Philanthropic advisor Behind-the-scenes facilitator... Community engager Catalyst for voluntarism Convener Partner/collaborator Leader Data provider & analyst Issue educator Planning specialist Implementation manager

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 22 United Way Might Contribute to a Community Impact Effort by... Assembling and packaging data that a coalition needs to present its case to state and local decision makers Raising corporate CEOs understanding of the effects of homelessness on the community Helping the health department and school system work out more effective back-up for school nurses Mustering 2,000 letters in support of increased funding for housing rehabilitation Engaging a civic group to administer an endowed scholarship fund for children of recent immigrants Securing donations of 200 new computers with technical support for homebound seniors

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 23 Employee giving Corporate donations Government & foundation grants Major gifts Planned gifts/endowments Targeted sponsorships Not only an annual workplace campaign A diversified, multi-year plan to develop resources needed for community impact plans Question #5 How Do We Mobilize Resources? Leveraged funds Fees for service Gifts by web In-kind contributions...

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 24 What Resources Do We Need? Not only money Skills Expertise Advice Leadership Influence Volunteers Time Technology Financial assets...

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 25 Not only a general request Also targeted requests for resources tied to specific strategies from relevant donor and volunteer segments How Do We Target Our Efforts?

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 26 With year-round communications that depict United Way as a leader in community change and With some strategic communications tailored to the interests of selected market segments Question #6 How Do We Communicate Our Brand? Not with communications only about funding/ fundraising and only during the campaign

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 27 Question #7 How Does United Way Operate? As a community impact business: Not as two separate businesses: Resource Development Resource Distribution all organizational resources & activities aligned for community impact

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 28 Alignment Also volunteers Not only staff Not staff knowing only about their own function Staff understanding how their function integrates into the organizations overall plan Not all staff having the same skills Staff having specialized skills, yet working together

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 29 Not just about organizational charts or job descriptions More about mindset and culture Alignment In achieving community impact, all functions share responsibility In mobilizing resources, all functions share responsibility In creating the brand experience, all functions share responsibility

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 30 Improved lives Targeted changes in community conditions Community plan for action Aligning to Help Change the Community Resource development Volunteers Finance Agency relations Community research Public policy Investor relations Community investment Marketing & communications Governance Staff Human resources Technology

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 31 The Road to Community Impact: Changing Directions United Way owns the effort Ask donors for money once a year for the campaign From Improving lives by funding an assortment of services Partners are primarily agencies United Ways role is only funder/fundraiser Standardized funding/ fundraising message The partners own the effort Seek resources for specific purposes from diverse sources Messages – some tailored – about UW leadership in change Partners are whoever can play a role To Improving lives by creating community change United Way operates as two separate businesses All organizational resources align United Way plays various roles

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 32 This is a journey It will take time It will take many steps It will not be easy We have much to build on We have more to learn

The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 33 Related Resources on United Way Online Aligning for Impact (keyword: Alignment) Brand Management (keyword: Brand) Communication for the Community Impact United Way: A Planning Guide (keyword: Communications_Guide) Community Impact (keyword: CommunityImpact) Hometown Literacy Partnership Experience (keyword: Hometown) Resource Development (keyword: ResourceDevelopment) United Way Knowledge Café (keyword: Cafe) What Is Community Impact? (keyword: WhatIsCI)

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