The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction

The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction
United Way of America, 2004

New Mission of the United Way System
The Road to Community Impact Changing Direction New Mission of the United Way System Improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities Achieving the new mission calls for a new business model – a community impact business model Note to presenter: If you are using the animated version of the presentation, comments marked with the  symbol correspond with animated text. The new mission of the United Way System is: Improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities Achieving the new mission calls for a new business model – a community impact business model The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

The Road to Community Impact
Changing Direction Topics What is “community impact”? How is where we’re going different from where we’ve been? This presentation provides an explanation of what “community impact” is. It then explores some important ways that United Ways’ community impact business model differs from the model that we have been pursuing. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Topics What is “community impact?” How is where we’re going different from where we’ve been? First: What is “community impact”? The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Community Impact is . . . Improving lives by mobilizing communities to create lasting changes in community conditions United Way of America’s working definition of “community impact” is: Improving lives by mobilizing communities to create lasting changes in community conditions. The first two parts of the definition come directly from the United Way Mission: To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities. The third part of the definition – creating lasting changes in community conditions – points out the fundamental shift in strategy that is involved in the move to community impact. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Community Impact is . . . Mobilizing communities create lasting changes in community conditions to  that  improve lives The definition of community impact can be illustrated in a graphic that shows how the three parts of the definition relate to each other. “Community impact” is: Mobilizing communities, for the purpose of creating lasting changes in community conditions, that will improve lives. Parts of “community impact” are very familiar to United Ways. United Way always has been about improving lives. This has been and continues to be the bottom-line purpose of our efforts. United Way always has mobilized people and businesses who could help generate financial resources. In the new work, we mobilize many resources in addition to money, and we mobilize communities far beyond those with which we traditionally have worked. The fundamental change in our strategy is that middle box. As community impact organizations, we strive to improve lives by improving the quality of the community as an environment for individuals and families. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Mobilizing communities For example: Meeting with neighborhood residents to identify their concerns and assets Working with advocates for homeless families on setting priorities for action Partnering with residents and experts to pinpoint root causes of and promising responses to family violence Convening strategic partners to develop a plan to provide transportation for disabled persons Collaborating with opinion leaders to raise awareness of isolated seniors Engaging the service to enlist interested people and organizations in advocating for quality child care Linking investors concerned about health care access with efforts to address the issue Some examples of each part of the definition will help make the idea of “community impact” even clearer. Here are some examples of what “mobilizing communities” might mean. Give audience a moment to read examples. United Ways pursue many of these activities already. What’s different in the new business model is: 1. The diversity of the people and groups the UW may work with, and 2. The purpose of these activities, which is to . . . The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Mobilizing communities create lasting changes in community conditions to  For example: Banks change lending practices to increase the supply of quality affordable housing Businesses provide regular and varied internship and apprenticeship opportunities for youth Civic groups (Junior League, Kiwanis, etc.) provide volunteers and other resources to early literacy efforts Neighborhood associations in high-crime areas influence the city council to provide funds for improved street lighting State and local governments enact new policies and allocate added funds for quality early childhood education Public attitudes toward child abuse become less tolerant . . . create lasting changes in community conditions. In other words, we are aiming to change the character of the community as a place for people to live, work, participate, raise families, and grow old. We do this by influencing community attitudes; neighborhood environments; public, private, and nonprofit organizations; community systems; and other community characteristics that affect individuals and families. Here are some examples of what “changing community conditions” might mean. Give audience a moment to read examples. Notice that the examples cover many aspects of the community – not just big systems, but also smaller elements such as businesses, civic groups, neighborhoods, public policies, and public attitudes. This focus on community change is a fundamental difference in United Ways’ shift to the community impact model. However, these community changes are not ends in themselves. They are of value to the extent that they . . . The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Mobilizing communities that  improve lives create lasting changes in community conditions to  For example: Low-income children in pilot school districts reach targeted developmental benchmarks Families of workers without health insurance have preventive health care High school juniors and seniors demonstrate commitment to community involvement Homeless families are in quality transitional housing Workers laid off in company closings develop needed technical and educational skills Residents of high-crime neighborhoods experience increased safety Home-bound seniors in central-city high-rises have nutritional, social, and medical support . . . improve lives. Improving lives is what matters. If people are not better off, all of the mobilizing and community change activities have not achieved their final purpose. Here are some examples of how lives might be improved as a result of mobilizing people and organizations to change community conditions. Give audience a moment to read examples. Some of these examples may look like outcomes of human service programs. The difference is that these community populations have benefited from changes in community attitudes, neighborhoods, organizations, and systems – many without receiving any assistance from human service programs. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction United Way of Chittenden County, Burlington, VT The Burlington Truancy Project Mobilizing the caring power of the community...  A Truancy Task Force -- non-profit service providers, school district, police department, school administrators, juvenile court judges, attorneys, child protection agencies, and the United Way -- convened to address the school district’s high dropout rates.  Task Force partners developed a coordinated package of services for truant students. Here is an example of what “community impact” looks like. In Burlington, Vermont, a group of community leaders, including the United Way executive, learned that the community had the highest high school drop-out rate in the state. They mobilized the caring power of the community, . . . creating a multi-partner task force that researched the problem . . . and targeted the primary predictor of dropping out: school truancy. The United Way was one of the partners contributing resources to the effort.  United Way provided financial and other resources and leveraged funds from community stakeholders to support community dropout-reduction strategies. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction United Way of Chittenden County, Burlington, VT The Burlington Truancy Project … to create lasting changes in community conditions ...  The Burlington School District instituted new truancy policies and procedures. It now tracks student absences closely and follows up with every student who drops out to offer alternative educational opportunities.  The Juvenile Court, cooperating with the State’s Attorney, now reserves monthly court time to hear truancy cases. The efforts of the Burlington task force created lasting changes in how various parts of the community deals with the problem of truancy. This includes changes in practices of . . . the school district, . . . the juvenile court, and . . . various state agencies.  Vermont state agencies, such as the Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services, now provide all truant students with services that remove barriers to school attendance. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction United Way of Chittenden County, Burlington, VT The Burlington Truancy Project …and improve lives.  The Burlington School District dropout rate has fallen by two thirds, falling from 10% in 1999 to 3.5% in 2004. The results for the youth of Burlington have been spectacular! In 5 years, Burlington has cut its drop-out rate from 10% to 3.5 percent . . . a measurable example of improving lives by mobilizing communities to create lasting changes in community conditions. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Community impact is . . . Mobilizing communities create lasting changes in community conditions to  that improve lives We have defined “community impact” in words and in a graphic, and given examples of the three parts of the definition. The meaning of that middle box often continues to be unclear. Here is an allegory to help illustrate what we mean by “creating lasting changes in community conditions.” A villager is walking by the river early one morning. The villager looks out into the water and sees a baby floating down the river. Horrified, the villager races into the water, grabs the baby, and brings the baby to shore. The baby is fine. Relieved, the villager looks back into the water and sees another baby floating down the water. The villager again dives into the water and rescues this baby as well. Once more, the villager looks into the water and sees dozens of babies floating down the river. The villager calls out an alarm, and the entire village comes running to the river to rescue as many babies as they can before the water carries them away. This is a village that is mobilized. Every villager is at the river, trying to save the babies from the water. This is a village that is improving lives. Many of the babies are being saved. But the babies keep on coming because no one is going upstream to put a stop to the ogre that is throwing the babies into the water in the first place. United Way needs to gather a contingent of villagers to go upstream and stop the ogre. Pulling babies out of the water is essential. How can we live with ourselves if we don’t try? But it is by going upstream — to re-direct the ogre and put its energies to better use — that we create a lasting change in the conditions that are causing this nightmare to begin with. United Way needs to partner with others to deal with those ogres upstream. Otherwise, we will be pulling babies out of the water forever. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Topics What is “community impact”? How is where we’re going different from where we’ve been? Now that we have a clearer understanding of what community impact is, the next question is “How is this different from what we’ve been doing?” The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction On the Road to Community Impact Where we’re going is different from where we’ve been Strategies Partners Ownership Resources United Way’s role Investor relationships United Way operations The new mission puts United Way on a new road – the road to community impact. This new road brings changes in Strategies, partners, ownership, resources, United Way’s role, investor relationships, and United Way operations We’re going to explore each of these new directions. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #1 What Strategies Do We Pursue? Not only funding direct services Creating lasting changes in community conditions Mobilizing communities create lasting changes in community conditions to  improve lives that The first change in direction is about the strategies we pursue. Our strategy is not to focus solely on funding direct services. It is to help create lasting changes in community conditions. You probably recognize this as (move quickly to next slide) The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #1 What Strategies Do We Pursue? Not only funding direct services Creating lasting changes in community conditions Mobilizing communities create lasting changes in community conditions to  improve lives that . . . that middle box in our definition of community impact. Let’s look more closely at the difference between a direct-service strategy and a community-change strategy. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Direct-service strategy Individual/Family In all of our work, the focus is on improving the lives of individuals and families. A direct-service strategy improves lives by delivering assistance directly to specific individuals and families. This strategy benefits the clients of those programs. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Individual/Family But individuals and families don’t live in a vacuum. They are embedded in a series of community environments – neighborhoods, personal networks, organizations, and systems that touch their lives directly or indirectly. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Community Individual/Family A community . . . Note to presenter: Move quickly to next slide. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Community Individual/Family change . . . change . . . Move quickly to next slide. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Community Individual/Family change . . . strategy focuses on changing those environments around individuals and families: increasing coordination, opening opportunities, empowering friends and family, influencing policies and resources. A community change strategy improves lives by “going upstream” to create lasting changes in community conditions that surround and affect individuals and families. This strategy aims to encourage networks, neighborhoods, organizations, and systems not only to reach out to individuals and families in trouble, but also to create conditions that help keep others from getting into trouble in the first place. By creating these community changes, we help not just clients of direct-service programs, but also individuals and families that never receive a service from the human service programs that we typically have funded. Why is a community change strategy necessary? strategy The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Many Factors Influence Pressing Community Issues Community Issue Personal choices Family characteristics System relationships Educational system practices Health care system practices Media messages Historical trends Economic conditions Public attitudes Public sector practices Private sector practices Neighborhood conditions A community change strategy is necessary because many factors influence pressing community issues. The issues that our communities need to address have developed because of economic conditions; historical trends; public and private sector practices; disconnections among community systems; and a host of other factors. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Most Direct-service Programs Address Only One or Two Influences Community Issue However, direct-service programs, such as the ones United Ways typically have funded, generally try to influence only . . . personal choices, and . . . family characteristics. They are not designed to, resourced, or able to create changes in the host of other factors that are causing our communities’ pressing issues. Personal choices Family characteristics The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Creating Community Change Will Require New Approaches and Additional Partners Economic conditions Public attitudes Historical trends Media messages Public sector practices Private sector practices Neighborhood conditions System relationships Family characteristics Personal choices Health care system practices Educational system practices Community Issue To address these issues, we will need to deal with the many influences that created them and are causing them to get worse and worse. In other words, we have to go upstream. And to do that – to change those community conditions -- will require new approaches and additional partners. Central to those new approaches is a community change strategy. And what about the additional partners? This leads to our second new direction. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #2 Who Helps Create Community Change? Not only agencies Who will help us create lasting changes in community conditions? As we have just seen, direct-service agencies and programs are necessary, but not sufficient, to deal with our communities’ pressing problems. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Changing Filters: OLD resource development public policy research marketing & communications investor relations government community systems neighborhood associations businesses agencies United Way community impact This new work requires United Ways to change the lens through which they view their business. In the past, United Ways . . . looked at community impact . . . through the filter of funded agencies, often to the point of describing their own community impact in terms of the outcomes that funded programs achieved for their clients. But that is a very narrow filter . . . that excludes all the other work United Ways do, as well as all the other resources in the community that can help create community change. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Changing Filters: NEW neighborhood associations community systems businesses government public policy resource development marketing & communications investor relations research community impact United Way agencies In the new work, United Ways will look at agencies . . . through the filter of community impact. This is a very broad filter . . . that brings to bear all parts of United Way’s work, as well as a host of other community resources. This change in filters is one of the fundamental changes of United Way’s new business model. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Potential Partners: Whoever Can Play a Role Agencies Individuals Corporations Labor groups Government Foundations Media Academia Institutions Systems Formal organizations Informal associations Neighborhood networks Faith-based groups . . . This new filter lets us see that the answer to the question of “Who will help create community change?” is: Whoever can help, depending on the particular issues and the specific strategies that we pursue to deal with them. Agencies often will have a role to play, but In this new work, our potential partners include every individual and organization in the community. Again depending on the specific issue and strategy, we are likely to be engaged with a variety of individuals and organizations – some familiar to us, some quite new to our experience. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Partnering to Achieve Community Impact Targeted community outcomes Needed changes in community conditions Coordinated community change strategy Institutions Corporations Associations Neighborhoods Faith community United Way Agencies Networks Individuals Labor groups Academia etc. 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 In partnering to achieve community impact on a specific community issue . . . United Way and whoever else can help . . . will work through a coordinated community impact strategy . . . to create those lasting changes in community conditions . . . that will result in meaningful improvements in the lives of specific community populations. The community change approach and the need for additional partners that comes with it raise another issue – that of ownership. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #3 Who Owns a Community Change Effort? Not United Way A community Given the large number of partners that may be involved in a community change effort, who will own the effort? In the new business model, the effort is owned not by the United Way but . . . by a community. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction What Is a “Community?” People united by common interests and a shared commitment to act People who live or work in the United Way’s geographic service area e.g., People who live or work in an even larger area where multiple United Ways are collaborating Residents of a neighborhood or school district What do we mean by a “community”? A community is people who are united by common interests and a shared commitment to act. When we think about a “community,” we immediately think about the area served by our United Way, whether this is one town in a single county, or a metropolitan area spanning many counties, or even an entire state. But we need to realize that a “community” – people united by their interests and actions – isn’t necessarily defined by our organization’s service area. Community issues do not pay attention to those boundaries. A community may extend beyond a United Way service area when multiple United Ways and their partners share a commitment to act on an issue that crosses organizational boundaries. It may be people who feel connected to a place within our service area, such as an urban neighborhood or rural district. It may be a community of people focused on a specific issue, such as the community of advocates for homeless families. It may be the community of seniors, or of single parents, or of other individuals who share important characteristics. We need to be more flexible in how we think about “community,” and to recognize that we actually are not involved with “THE” community, but with many communities that take many forms. People concerned with a specific issue—e.g., child development, independence for seniors People associated by a common characteristic—e.g., physical disability, English as a second language The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction A United Way may be involved with multiple communities in multiple community change efforts A United Way is likely to be involved with multiple communities, defined in different ways, working on issues that are important to each of those communities. And, those efforts will not always be initiated by the United Way. One community change effort may be initiated by a broad partnership of community stakeholders and target the entire United Way service area. Another may start through a United Way partnership with neighborhood associations and involve the United Way with the community of recent immigrants who live in those neighborhoods. In yet another, a coalition of advocates for homeless children may solicit the United Way’s participation in a health care and education initiative. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Pursuing a Community’s Change Effort The community owns it The community is accountable for it The community partners share responsibility and credit Regardless of how a community is defined for a particular effort, or who initiates the effort, or how the United Way comes to be involved, it is the community’s initiative. The people and organizations who are involved see this as their effort. Those people and organizations feel that they all have accountability for making the effort successful. And they share responsibility and credit for the effort’s results. Community partnerships will require resources to create lasting community change. The issue of resources is another way in which our direction is changing. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #4 What Resources Will We Need? Not only money People Relationships Time Talent Wisdom Expertise Leadership Influence Technology Financial assets . . . When we say “resources,” the first thought is “money.” Money, of course, will continue to be vital to our work. However, mobilizing resources needed for creating community change is not only about raising money. We will be mobilizing a range of resources: people, relationships, expertise, influence, technology . . . Depending on the issue being addressed, the community change strategy being pursued, and the community that is pursuing it, the kinds of resources we need may vary widely. It will be essential to think of resources broadly to be sure we do not overlook the need and opportunity to mobilize the range of non-financial assets that are available in our communities. The importance of thinking about resources broadly is tied to another change in our thinking – about the United Way’s role in community work. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #5 What Is United Way’s Role? Not only funder/fundraiser A variety of roles, depending on: specific issue community change strategy resources needed (relationships, expertise, etc.) partners’ strengths and responsibilities United Way strengths, priorities, relationships, commitments . . . If the new business model is about creating community change, with a variety of partners sharing ownership, and a variety of resources being mobilized, what is United Way’s role? United Way is typically seen as a fundraised and funder – a provider of money for worthy agencies and programs. In the new work, however, United Way will play a variety of roles, depending on the issue being addressed, the strategy developed to deal with that issue, the types of resources needed, the assets other partners offer, the United Way’s strengths, and whatever other factors are relevant. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Potential Roles for United Way Partner/collaborator Community engager Convener Leader Data provider & analyst Issue educator Planning specialist Resource mobilizer Philanthropic advisor Investor Policy advocate Implementation manager Behind-the-scenes facilitator . . . Potential roles for United Way . . . are all of these, and others, depending on the specific circumstance. Give audience a moment to read examples. Many of these roles are not new for most United Ways. The difference is that in the past, we have seen these roles as secondary. In the community impact business model, we value all of these roles for the contribution they can make to the community. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction United Way’s Role in a Community Change Strategy Might Be . . . Partnering to develop a website that helps people find ways to participate in the community 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 20,000 letters supporting 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 Here are a few examples of roles that United Way might play in helping create community change. Give audience a moment to read examples. In all of these examples, United Way builds on its relationships and expertise to fulfill an important role in a community’s strategy for change. Again, roles like these are not new for United Way. What is new is understanding how central they are in helping communities mobilize a broad range of resources to improve lives. The topic of mobilizing resources has come up several times in this presentation. To increase our ability to engage the diverse community assets required for community change, we need to create three important changes in our thinking related to resource development. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #6 What Is Our Connection With Investors? Not just an annual transaction A long-term relationship The first change in our resource development efforts focuses on the connection we create with investors. Our long tradition is to approach people once a year for a standard transaction: They give us money, we tell them which agencies we’ll fund with it. Under our new mission, however, we want the United Way brand to stand for something different. We want people people to have a very different experience when they interact with us. Our focus now is on establishing long-term relationships with investors, rather than on having once-a-year transactions. We want investors to see us as their long-term partner in creating community change. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #6 How Do We Describe Contributions? Not as donations to United Way As investments in ! Issues !! Strategies !!! Solutions !!!! THE COMMUNITY The second change in our resource development efforts relates to how we describe investors’ contributions. The focus is not on giving money to United Way. The focus is on investing . . . in issues, strategies, solutions, the community. United Way will be asking for investments of more than just money. It also will ask for investments of time, talent, leadership, relationships, influence, technology, and other resources. Further, United Way will mobilize some resources that are invested directly in community change efforts and do not flow through UW’s own books. The new measure of United Way’s effectiveness is not dollars raised, but lives improved. This is first about the community, not the United Way. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #6 Where Do We Go for Investments? Not just an annual workplace campaign Diverse sources for targeted purposes Major gifts Planned gifts/endowments Government & foundation grants Corporate donations Targeted sponsorships Gifts by web Leveraged funds In-kind contributions Fees for service . . . The third fundamental change in our resource development efforts is where we go for investments. In order to mobilize the resources needed for community change . . . We will diversify our efforts far beyond the annual workplace campaign. United Way will pursue a range of sources for financial and other resources – major gifts, planned gifts, government and foundations grants, targeted sponsorships, etc. These will be targeted “asks” that match the priorities of potential sources with specific purposes defined by the community’s strategies for change. All of the changes in direction that we have looked at – changes in strategy, partners, ownership of efforts, definition of resources, United Way role, and relationship with investors – have implications for a final change: how United Way itself operates. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction New Direction #7 How Does United Way Operate? Not as two separate businesses: Resource Development Resource Distribution How does United Way operate in this new model? Not, as it has for so many years, as two separate businesses: one that takes resources in, a separate one that hands resources out. Under its new mission, United Way functions as one business – a community impact business – with all of its resources and activities aligned around that business. As a community impact business: all organizational resources & activities aligned for community impact The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Alignment Not staff knowing only about their own function Staff understanding how their function integrates into the new business model Not all staff having the same skills Staff having specialized skills, yet working together What does “aligning all resources and activities” mean for a United Way? For one thing, it means that it is not enough for staff members to know only about their own function and know nothing about the goals and strategies of the other parts of the organization. In an aligned United Way, all staff understand how their particular function fits within and contributes to the shared goals of the organization and the activities of other functions. We are not talking about all staff having the same skills – about everyone becoming an expert generalist or an expert in everything. Staff will continue to have functional expertise, but will work together across functions toward mutual goals with skills that complement each other. And note that “alignment” is not just about staff. Volunteers also need to understand how their activities and expertise integrate with and contribute to the broader goals of the organization. Not just staff Also volunteers The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Alignment Not just about organizational charts or job descriptions More about mindset and culture Everyone has responsibilities for achieving community impact Everyone has responsibilities for mobilizing resources Here is another important note about alignment. Organizational charts and job descriptions do not create alignment. You can change both of these without seeing any meaningful change in how people interact. Creating alignment is about changing mindset and culture – how people think about the work we do, the business we are in, what each of us is responsible for. A hallmark of an aligned United Way is that everyone knows that they have responsibilities for achieving community impact. Everyone understands that they have responsibilities for mobilizing resources. Everyone knows that they have responsibilities for creating the brand experience for investors, partners, and the community as a whole. Everyone has responsibilities for creating the brand experience The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Aligning to Achieve Community Impact Targeted community outcomes United Way’s roles in community change efforts Aligned organizational resources Volunteers Finance Agency relations Community research Public policy Governance Resource development Marketing & communications Investor relations Community investment Staff Human resources In an aligned United Way . . . all of the organization’s functions and resources are aligned . . . to fulfill the United Way’s varying roles in community change efforts . . . so that lives are improved. When all of our experience, skills, and commitments work together toward shared goals, we are a powerful force for creating lasting changes in the communities we serve. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction From To Strategy is to fund direct services Strategy is to change community conditions Partners are primarily agencies Partners are whoever can play a role A community owns the effort United Way owns the effort Resources = money Resources include people, relationships, expertise, etc. United Way’s role is funder/ fundraiser United Way plays various roles These, then, are seven important changes in direction for United Ways that are on the road to community impact. If you are using the animated version, one “click” unrolls all 7 pairs. No United Way makes all of these changes at the same time. No United Way makes any of these changes in one step. However, these new directions can serve as guide stars along the way. Any time that a United Way needs to make a choice or decision about its work, it can use these as principles to make sure that the decision takes it in the right direction. Ask donors for money for United Way once a year Create long-term relationships with diverse community investors United Way operates as two separate businesses All organizational resources align The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction This is a journey It will take time It will take many steps It will not be easy We know a lot already We have a lot more to learn Here are some final thoughts about the road to community impact. This is a journey. It will take time. It will take many steps. It will not be easy. We know a lot already. We have a lot more to learn. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction Community Impact is . . . Improving lives by mobilizing communities to create lasting changes in community conditions On the road, we need to remain focused on the business of community impact: Improving lives by mobilizing communities to create lasting changes in community conditions. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Related Resources on United Way Online
The Road to Community Impact Changing Direction Related Resources on United Way Online Aligning for Impact (keyword: Alignment) Brand Management page ( Brand strategy presentations from UWA and local United Ways (keyword: BrandForum) Community Impact Practices Survey, Part I -- Results (keyword: Research; click “Community Impact Practices”) Essential Attributes of a Community Impact United Way (keyword: Essential Attributes) Ogre Story (keyword: Ogre) Six That Got Results and How They Did It (keyword: SixThatGotResults) Related resources are available on United Way Online. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

Changing Direction These and other resources are tools for helping United Way focus on what matters. The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction United Way of America, 2004

The Road to Community Impact: Changing Direction

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