Flagstaff United Way 50th

UNITED WE WIN

GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. NAZUNITEDWAY.ORG

WELCOME TO UNITED WAY OF NORTHERN ARIZONA’S

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

F

or the past 50 years, we have been dedicated to improving community conditions for the residents of our region. It started in 1967 when a group of dedicated businessmen and community leaders held workplace campaigns to raise funds for a dozen charitable organizations in Flagstaff.

Over the past five decades, our mission and impact has grown exponentially.

Today, in addition to providing grants to 52 nonprofits in Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties, the United Way acts as a community convener, bringing together diverse groups to create solutions to challenges faced by our families, friends and neighbors. We also provide several programs and initiatives focused on our “three pillars” - education, financial stability and health – that are the building blocks of a good life.

None of the work of the past 50 years would have been possible without our donors, volunteers and amazing agency partners who have worked with us, and you’ll read a lot more about them in the following pages.

As we enter our second half century, the United Way of Northern Arizona is again asking: How we can be more impactful?

How can we evolve and deepen our commitment to communities throughout northern Arizona?

In recognition of our anniversary, we are calling this next stage United Way of Northern Arizona, Version 5.0 and are having conversations throughout the region about the best ways to expand our impact, with a focus on outputs and outcomes.

While it is very rewarding to hear the individual story about a person who received help because of our programs or the work of the agencies we support, UWNA 5.0 will be about looking at the bigger picture. What was the outcome of these

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50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

interventions? How do we need to adjust our model so that, collectively, we can really move the dial on poverty, on early childhood education, on homelessness and other important community issues?

It’s the next logical step so that the United Way of Northern Arizona can continue to improve community conditions and make the next 50 years as impactful as the past half century.

We look forward to sharing with you the highlights of our journey. Scattered throughout this publication are “My United Way” stories from various leaders, volunteers and others who have played an important role in our work.

I actually have two – a professional story and a personal one.

Way back in the late 1970s, when I was working in county government, I was “volun-told” by my then supervisor and mentor, Joe Montoya, to attend a United Way campaign meeting. It was when the county was starting to hold workplace campaigns for UWNA, and I was excited to be a part: as a case manager in the Community Services Division with the county, I saw firsthand the impact agencies funded by the United Way had and referred many clients to them.

As my position grew at the County, it also advanced at United Way. I joined the board of directors; my wife, Beth Otterstein, and I co-chaired an annual campaign; and my commitment continued to grow when I went to work in the private sector at W.L. Gore & Associates. (Coincidentally, Gore is another organization celebrating its 50th anniversary in Flagstaff this year). Two years ago, when the opportunity to lead the United Way of Northern Arizona as its president and CEO presented itself, it felt like a natural fit. I was honored to be hired as its president and CEO and to work with such a dedicated and professional staff.

MY STORY:

SEDRIC CADE “I look at United Way of Northern Arizona as the mutual fund of community based investing,” says current Board Chair Sedric Cade, a financial advisor with Edward Jones.

“I consider the local non-profits that United Way supports as short- and long-term investments in our local community.” Sedric has been invested for many years. Prior to becoming involved with UWNA in 2014, he was a board member and chair of the United Way of Santa Cruz County in California.

He added that the due diligence process at UWNA gives him the “confidence that my contributions and time will be used in a way that makes the biggest difference.”

That’s the professional side of my United Way story. The personal one can be summed up in a name: Matthew.

Matthew Peru, now 32, is our handsome, talented, amazing son. He and his sister, Analisa, are at the center of our family. Beth and I cannot image what our lives would have been like without them.

Matt was able to join our family because of a United Way-funded agency; at 3 weeks of birth he was adopted through a service provided by Catholic Social Services, now known as Catholic Charities.

I sincerely believe that every one of you reading this either has - or is connected to someone who has - a unique United Way of Northern Arizona story. Maybe you have a granddaughter who was a little more prepared for that first day of school

because she attended KinderCamp™. Maybe you received help on your 1040 form and got a bigger refund from the government because of one of the dedicated folks in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Maybe you were finally able to get into your own home with assistance from Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona, an organization with roots in the United Way. Or maybe an agency funded by the United Way helped you adopt a beautiful child.

I hope you enjoy reading this brief history of United Way of Northern Arizona and our plans to make even a bigger impact in the next 50 years.

Thank you, Steve Peru President & CEO

City of Flagstaff, protecting and enhancing the quality of life for all.

Congratulations to the United Way on their 50th Anniversary!

50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

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GREAT THINGS HAPPEN

WHEN WE

LIVE UNITED

KCS congratulates and thanks

United Way of Northern Arizona for 50 years of dedicated service.

We deeply appreciate the tireless efforts of UWNA and its broad ranging partners in strengthening our great communities. KCS is honored to have served as a Pacesetter Company for 10 consecutive campaigns and wishes UWNA continued success.

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50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

UNITED WAY OF NORTHERN ARIZONA –

EARLY DAYS T

he United Way of Northern Arizona was essentially born during lunch.

On an unseasonably warm February afternoon in 1967, a group of 35 business and community leaders gathered for a luncheon at the Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff. Organized by Chamber of Commerce President J. E. Neihart, the meeting was to discuss the viability of creating a United Fund (UF) for the city.

The impetus was that businesses in town were regularly being approached by numerous charities each year for funding.

A centralized campaign, it was argued, would simplify the process for business owners, who would only have to deal with one fund drive instead of a dozen separate appeals.

It would be better for nonprofits as well, who could concentrate on their missions instead of fundraising.

Besides, Flagstaff was a little behind the times on the philanthropy front, according to an article in the Arizona Republic, which noted: “Flagstaff is one of the few communities of its size in the Southwest region that does not have a UF or Community Chest drive.”

That “Southwest region” reference was important, since what would ultimately become United Way Worldwide had been founded 80 years earlier in Denver, only 675 miles away. Here’s how the United Way website describes it: “In 1887, a Denver woman, a priest, two ministers and a rabbi got together... It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but they didn’t walk into a bar; what they did do was recognize the need to work together in new ways to make Denver a better place.”

For the meeting in Flagstaff, Neihart had invited Lyle Jeffries, executive director of the Phoenix UF, to speak to the group.

While we couldn’t find an account of exactly what Jeffries said at the Friday luncheon, it must have been persuasive, because that Sunday’s paper reported the attendees had agreed to form a United Fund of Flagstaff and elected James Garner, the editor of the Arizona Daily Sun, and Richard Hulse, an executive with Arizona Public Service, to be its “co-directors.”

By June the fledgling nonprofit had filed its organizational paperwork and three months later it was launching its first campaign with a very ambitious goal of raising $90,000 in six weeks. That’s $660,452 in 2017 dollars. It didn’t quite make it (the final total was closer to $60,000), but that didn’t discourage Jack Blanton of APS, the first ever campaign chairman in Flagstaff.

“We’ve learned a lot in the first attempt,” he said at the time.

That first fund benefited 11 Flagstaffbased non-profits, which included the American Red Cross, the Boys and Girl Scouts and the Northern Arizona Comprehensive Guidance Center (from which the Northern Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Authority was formed – another great organization celebrating 50 years in the community). Not surprisingly, given that this was during the Vietnam War era, the USO was another United Fund of Flagstaff beneficiary.

The United Fund quickly grew after that – setting its sights higher and adding innovations so it could raise more funds to benefit more organizations.

For example, the very next year, the campaign got off to an earlier start with the six-member Flagstaff Automobile Dealers Association holding its drive in the summer and presenting their combined funds to the United Fund in August. It was part of a trend

The Flagstaff Automobile Dealers Association, presenting their contribution during the 1969 United Fund community campaign.

to give summer workers, automobile dealers and tourism-related businesses a chance to donate during their busy seasons. That year was also the debut of the United Fund Parade, which kicked off the campaign with 20 floats and marching units representing the now 12 charitable and service organizations the United Way was benefiting.

By 1969, the United Fund went professional, hiring David Schick as its first full-time executive director. Schick was wellversed in the United Fund culture, having headed the organization in Tempe prior to coming north.

“An executive director has the responsibility of tying the whole thing together from year to year so that no potential contributors are missed and so that the valuable time and effort of the volunteers in the campaign are not wasted,” Schick told the Arizona Daily Sun at the time.

United Fund campaigns were always about employees getting together to raise funds in workplace campaigns. The United Fund routinely recognized their efforts and often spotlighted businesses not for the total amount of dollars they raised, but by

the level of “buy in” from their employees.

This led to the “Fair Share” Awards, based on the idea that if every full-time employee gave what they thought was a “fair share” of their paycheck each month, the United Fund would reach its annual goal easily.

In looking through our archives, our favorite “fair share” story comes from Sears Roebuck in 1969, when it received an award for getting 103 percent participation. That’s not a typo; the extra 3% were part-time workers who donated in addition to all the full-time employees.

By the time the United Way completed its first decade, it had grown to supporting 19 organizations, almost met a stated campaign goal for the first time in its history (it missed the $125,000 target by less than $600) and was undergoing some big changes.

Among them was a new name. In May of 1976 the United Fund became the United Way of Northern Arizona. The change reflected the organization’s ever expanding geographic region to include Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties, and, ultimately, a much larger mission.

50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

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EVOLUTION OF THE UNITED WAY I

n the mid-1970s, the United Fund of Flagstaff changed its name to reflect that the programs and services it helped fund aided people and organizations far outside of the city’s limits. Not long after it had become the United Way of Northern Arizona, it received a major accolade by the region’s paper of record, the Arizona Daily Sun. In 1978, the Sun bestowed its “Organization of the Year” honor on the UWNA, making for an auspicious start to the institution’s second decade.

In the 11 years between its inception in 1967 and the time it received the award, UWNA had raised more than $1 million dollars, and had grown from assisting 12 area nonprofits to 19.

The award nomination for the United Way lauded the wide cross-section of the population UWNA represented both in its drives and its beneficiaries.

“It is and has been a true united effort of all of our people, agencies, schools and businesses that have helped make Flagstaff a great place to live for all of us,” the nomination said. “We are proud of our community and that pride is highly reflected in the work of United Way, its volunteer workers, and the many agencies it serves.”

That number of agencies continued to grow steadily, reaching about 35 groups in 1998.

And for many years, the tried and true model - raising funds in workplaces, then dispersing them to multiple agencies and nonprofits fulfilled UWNA’s mission of “building a healthier, more compassionate community.”

Changing Priorities

But as the 20th century drew to a close, there was paradigm shift in philanthropy, and that sea change was reflected at the local United Ways. In fact, the UWNA became something of a vanguard in the movement.

The main shift was that after years of giving money to alleviate challenges and suffering in the community, donors wanted their dollars to fuel lasting solutions to those problems – essentially treating the condition instead of its symptoms.

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50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

United Way began asking the tough questions – what causes some of our community’s biggest problems? Why are people in our community going hungry? Why do kids drop out of school? What causes families to lose their homes?

As a result, the United Way found itself thrust into new responsibilities as it expanded its role from agency fundraiser to community convener, bringing multiple groups together to answer those tough questions, dig beneath the surface, and mobilize citizens and groups to make the changes necessary for lasting positive change.

Often this involved seeking out grants that would allow the launching of new nonprofits targeting a specific issue.

In the 1990s, under then-Executive Director Kris Williams, the United Way sponsored the development of what are now Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona and Literacy Volunteers of Coconino County. In addition to bringing thought leaders together to tackle the issues of housing costs and illiteracy, the United Way acted as a fiscal agent for large grants from government entities, corporations and foundations. For example, a grant from the Arizona Department of Commerce allowed for low cost homes to be built for first-time buyers, while UWNA was one of only 10 organizations to be granted funds from the United Parcel Service Foundation to hire a director for Literacy Volunteers.

“We stretched our resources to do these projects, and the board [of directors] put themselves on the line, but they saw it as a service that needed to be done,” Williams recalled when she stepped down from her post in 1998.

The Summit Society Climbs the Fundraising Mountain

Not that the importance of fundraising had waned. In fact, it would begin to grow dramatically, as the UWNA introduced a new program to encourage and recognize exceptional generosity– the Summit Society.

Made up of individuals and couples who donated $500 or more annually to the United

Some of the 40 charter members of the Summit Society, representing the most generous donors to United Way of Northern Arizona.

Way of Northern Arizona, the Summit Society, chaired by Bob Millis of Lowell Observatory, had about 40 charter members in 1993. Several couples who were part of the original Summit Society are still members today such as: Bob and Julie Millis, Bill and Ginny Williams, Jean and David Hockman and Galina and Otto Franz.

The extraordinary generosity of these members was represented by the mountains that make up the mountain peaks in Flagstaff, with donation levels named after Humphreys, Agassiz, Fremont, Doyle and Kendrick. At the very top was the Alexis de Tocqueville Society with members who give $10,000 or more and are recognized not only locally, but by United Way Worldwide.

As of this year, the Summit Society of the United Way of Northern Arizona has more than 500 members.

A New Role for the United Way

The emerging role of UWNA as convener, partner and catalyst of change continued to grow when in 1997, the board of directors agreed to be transition the work of the organization to become a “community builder” which was the priority of then CEO Kris Williams’s successor, Kerry Blume, who joined the United Way in 1998.

During her 15 years leading the organization, the group’s role was redefined. It would partner on (and in some cases, initiate) major community conversations on how to change conditions. The United Way was on the front lines of community assessments that looked at neighborhood stability, the effects of early childhood education, and the role health played in everything from school

attendance to financial stability. lasting improvements and greater impact in Blume had strong backing from the their communities.

UWNA board, including increased participation Ultimately the goal of all this work was from members of W.L. community building on a Gore & Associates. Gore, grand scale. which coincidentally “We learned it can’t also started in Flagstaff be done by just giving in 1967, was quickly money and providing becoming the largest services,” said Blume, private employer in now a consultant the region and was who advises leaders supporting UWNA both in and organizations on treasure and talent. strategic development.

These leaders “Change has to include came from a culture of grassroot efforts that innovation and discovery grow a community from and were eager to help the inside out. It has UWNA as it evolved to to include those being meet changing economic impacted by conditions Kerry Blume and Kim Ott and social conditions. on the ground. Their Risk taking, success and failure became fuel voices need to shape the effort. If it’s led by for learning as the organization developed the community, that’s where lasting change innovative, sustainable collaborative efforts to can take root.” address root causes.

Which also means that while the United The work flourished and numerous Way took a greater leadership role during this programs such as KinderCamp™, the Volunteer era, it certainly did not do it alone.

Income Tax Assistance Program, the Dolly Parton “We never succeed alone,” she said. “It Imagination Library and more were housed at was community, thought leaders, dedicated the United Way. (See story on page 8 for details donors, volunteers, and business support about UWNA initiatives.) that always made it happen. Collaboration Leadership at United Way Worldwide was and is the key. It’s what the United Way took notice and UWNA was recognized as one was founded on and continues to remain the of about a dozen of local affiliates that were strongest, most important part of creating studying how local United Ways could make lasting change in northern Arizona.”

MY STORY:

JOHN SININGER John Sininger, retired from W.L. Gore & Associates, credits former Gore colleague Jim Dykes for encouraging him to volunteer on the United Way of Northern Arizona board of directors. He worked closely with former UWNA Executive Director Kerry Blume starting in 2002, and was the board chair from 2005-2007. During his time on the board, UWNA shifted from being principally a funding source to a community convener. He credited Blume with his “social awakening” to the needs of the community that drew him and hundreds of other Gore associates into the meaningful work of UWNA. “Jim Dykes inspired me, Kerry Blume developed my capacity, and Gore associates honored us with their ever-growing support and dedication,” he said. “I support the UWNA because they are focused on changing the root cause of conditions and not just treating the symptoms.”

Get Ready For Winter Help us keep our homeless warm this winter.

Please donate… · Weather proof tents · Sleeping bags · Socks/long underwear · Coats and gloves You can drop off items at Catholic Charities, 2101 N. 4th St. in Flagstaff or donate online at

CatholicCharitiesAZ.org/Snow-Day

Congratulations on

50 Years

United Way provides the building blocks to a Better Life for local residents.

Together, we provide quality homes for Flagstaff families in need.

Donate - Shop -Volunteer

2016 North Fourth Steet 928-779-1314 50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

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UNITED WAY BRANCHES OUT INTO INITIATIVE WORK

A

s the mission of the United Way evolved, it began to work as a convener, bringing together multiple groups to coordinate their efforts to tackle specific issues in the community.

Many of these programs had deep roots in the United Way, but as they grew, they became their own nonprofit entities or moved to another agency. Examples of this are what is now Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona, Literacy Volunteers and, more recently, the Weekend Backpack program to fight chronic childhood hunger.

Several initiatives, however, continue to be housed at the United Way of Northern Arizona. While much of the administrative work for them is done by United Way staff, they are, without a doubt, partnership programs; they could not happen without amazing buy-in and support from numerous government partners, mission-based organizations and volunteers.

KINDERCAMP™ INITIATIVE: One of the first United Way-based initiatives, this program was launched in 2005 after a community needs survey conducted

by UWNA identified kindergarten readiness as

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50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

a priority. The survey indicated that nearly 50 percent of the children in our community were not prepared to enter school.

The United Way teamed up with ACES (a group of early childhood education advocates including the Flagstaff Unified School District, Head Start, Coconino County Public Health Department, Northern Arizona University and the Arizona Community Foundation) to create a summer “boot camp” to ensure that pre-school students were academically, emotionally and socially ready for their first day of kindergarten.

Children who graduate from the four-week camp are less likely to suffer separation anxiety from their parents in the first days of school, are comfortable with the demands of a school day schedule and demonstrate a new-found confidence in the classroom.

KinderCamp helps children gain the school readiness skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Over 13 summers, the KinderCamp initiative has expanded to include classes in Williams, Winslow, Page and Lakeside.

To mark its 50 anniversary, the United Way is holding a special “50 for 50 Drive” to raise $50,000 for the KinderCamp™ program.

This effort is being led by Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta.

VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE: For several years, UWNA has administrated a VITA program with dozens of volunteers throughout Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties. These volunteers help thousands of qualifying residents navigate their tax returns and help them secure the maximum refunds allowable.

VITA volunteers, who are specially certified by the Internal Revenue Service, also can help residents who have fallen behind in their tax payments and negotiate settlements with the IRS, often for pennies on the dollar.

This year, VITA helped file 2,866 returns which resulted in $4 million in refunds, money that is staying in our communities and helping these families sustain financial stability.

United Way leaders said they were particularly pleased with the numbers in Navajo and Apache counties where they saw a 35% increase in the number of families helped.

VITA originally began in the early 1970s on the campus of a California college as a way of

helping low- and moderate-income taxpayers navigate through the tax return process while giving accounting students a powerful handson learning experience. The program grew very quickly throughout the country.

This year 82 volunteers donated thousands of hours to assist families throughout Northern Arizona.

DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY: In 1995, the renowned singer and actress developed a program so that every preschool child in her home of Sevier County, TN would have their own library of books that would encourage in them a love of reading and learning. The initiative was so successful that she began offering the Imagination Library in any community that would support it.

UWNA became a partner with the DPIL to help families nurture a culture of literacy.

Research in 40 countries showed that children in homes with more than 100 children’s books performed much better in reading achievement than children with 10 or fewer books. In

LAUNCH FLAGSTAFF:

Coconino County, 20% of parent survey respondents reported having 10 or fewer children’s books in their home. Only 9% of parents reported having more than 100 books.

Under the program, DPIL provides a carefully selected children’s book to children aged 0-5 once a month free of charge, delivered straight to their door. Building this home library will encourage a lifelong love of reading that will strengthen and support these children throughout their academic careers. The first book every child receives is The Little Engine That Could and the last book, when the child turns 5 is Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is not a charity or a social service; it is a gift to all preschoolers in a community that is financially supported through the United Way campaign. Families who want to be enrolled in the program fill out a simple registration card and return it to United Way of Northern Arizona. Sponsoring a child in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library costs $30 per year, which includes the price of books and mailing.

This is the most recent initiative from UWNA and is designed to look at education as a continuum which begins from cradle through career. LAUNCH Flagstaff, a wide ranging and unique partnership of community stakeholders, is dedicated to creating and maintaining a world-class education for all Flagstaff students using a Collective Impact collaboration framework. In the collective impact framework, partners are convening around specific outcomes and committing to using local data on an ongoing basis to get better results toward those outcomes.

This collaboration, which began last year after several years of community input and study, is housed at the United Way and receives major funding from the Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff and The Wharton Foundation.

It is not a program or service, but a diverse group representing schools (pre-K through graduate school), businesses, government partners, service organizations, private education providers, non-profit groups, and concerned citizens who recognize that the issues facing our educational system are not just the responsibility of our schools.

“We are providing the infrastructure in which our partner organizations can share resources, share accountability, share successes and have a collective community impact on improving educational outcomes,” said Paul Kulpinski, a former FUSD Governing Board member who left his position to take the helm at LAUNCH Flagstaff.

This allows LAUNCH Flagstaff to serve as a clearinghouse for information, data and strategies that lead to continuous improvement of each member’s individual work, thus propelling the success of all members.

MY STORY:

SYBIL SMITH A volunteer since 2004, Sybil Smith developed the United Way of Northern Arizona’s “Crisis Preparedness Plan” as part of a grant from the Lilly Foundation.

Her exploration on disaster response, relief and recovery efforts led her to help during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath.

Fast forward to 2010, when much of what she learned and developed was put into place as Flagstaff dealt with the Schultz Fire and subsequent flooding events. UWNA set up the Volunteer Reception Center to organize volunteers for multiple tasks as directed by Coconino County and the Incident Management Team in charge of managing the crisis. “We processed over 1000 volunteers that summer alone,” she recalled. “I am so honored to be associated with an agency that stepped right up to help and did so with such professionalism.”

Rodeo-Chediski Fire

EXPANSION OF THE UNITED WAY Even as the United Way of Northern Arizona began to take on new roles and responsibilities as a community convener, it also expanded in another way – geographically.

When it began as the United Fund in 1967, it was strictly a Flagstaff-based organization. But by the time it changed its name to the United Way of Northern Arizona in the mid-70s, it was understood that agencies who received funding from

UWNA were well beyond the city limits and stretching out to greater Coconino County.

Then it began to fund organizations beyond Coconino, reaching into Navajo and Apache counties.

That presence in the northeast part of the state was solidified because of a fire.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire burned in east-central Arizona for almost a month during the summer of 2002. It was the worst wildfire in the state up to that time and held

that terrible record for 10 years (it would be surpassed in 2011 by the Wallow Fire, which started in the White Mountains and moved so far east that its plume could be seen in Albuquerque).

The Rodeo-Chediski blaze was actually two separate fires that converged and required the evacuation of Show

Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Heber-Overgaard, Claysprings and Pinedale.

While firefighters bravely battled at the front lines and contained the fire, organizations in the northeast portion of the state found themselves overwhelmed with the scope of the disaster relief work needed.

UWNA was asked to help and responded with 50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

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Purina is proud to support the United Way of Northern Arizona.

Congratulations on

50 y e a r s

of supporting our community in a big way.

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50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

numerous volunteers and organizational work to coordinate the efforts.

“It was a total boots-on-the-ground effort to do what we could to organize the relief efforts,” recalled Carol Dykes, vice president of the UWNA. After the fire was contained, UWNA helped rebuild some of the things that were lost to the fire, such as the region’s senior center.

It was the UWNA’s first deep dive into the world of disaster relief. The lessons learned in 2002 would mean that the United Way was prepared when the greater Flagstaff area had its own major emergency with the 2010 Schultz fire and subsequent floods.

“We didn’t skip a beat because of all we had learned in those northeast communities,” Dykes remembered. “We gathered volunteers, organized outreach and support, set up a 24-hour hotline and developed a system to connect with every person in the affected area to determine what was needed and how to get it to them.”

Again, these efforts like so many

with the United Way were the product of many community organizations coming together to offer relief during a time of emergency. Government agencies, churches, nonprofits and many more proved once again that great things happen when we live united.

One of the outcomes of both the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski blaze and the Schultz fire and floods of 2010 was that all the organizational tools and data from these relief efforts have been compiled and are on hand at the United Way offices – in case they are ever needed again.

Another outcome was understanding that if the UWNA was going to have a bigger presence in the northeast corner of the state, it needed local leadership.

For many years, the organization has had a Northeast Leadership Team to direct efforts there. One of its most notable members is Jeanne Swarthout, president of Northland Pioneer College. This year, she and Colleen Smith, president of Coconino Community College, are cochairs of the 2017-2018 United Way Community Campaign.

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LOCAL PARTNERS –

MY STORY:

LIZ ARCHULETA County Supervisor Liz Archuleta has been involved with the United Way of Northern Arizona since 1997. She has held almost every volunteer leadership post possible at the organization: board chair, 2001 campaign chair, Summit Society chair, capital campaign chair and, this year, the chair of a special drive to raise $50,000 for KinderCamp™.

In her capacity as County Supervisor, she partnered with UWNA to secure a $2 million ‘Weed and Seed’ federal grant to establish programs building on the assets of neighborhoods within her district, and the establishment of the Sunnyside, Southside and Plaza Vieja Neighborhood Associations. Two initiatives of particular importance to her are KinderCamp and the Weekend Backpack program for hungry children. “UWNA makes a difference in the lives of our community,” she said, “and I’m honored to live in Flagstaff – a community where we care for one another and have a responsibility for one another.

UNITED WE WIN!”

PROVING THAT #UNITEDWEWIN

At the heart of the United Way of Northern Arizona’s efforts is the amazing work done by our partners in the region. Here’s a list of the partners we assist who serve residents of Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties.

Northeast Partners

Coconino County Public Health Services

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Community Information & Referral (Arizona 2-1-1)

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Alice’s Place

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American Red Cross of Northern Arizona

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DNA Peoples Legal Services

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Feeding Northern Arizona’s Future

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Arizona Cactus Pine Girl Scouts

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Bread of Life Mission

Flagstaff Family Food Center Food Bank and Kitchen

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ChangePoint Integrated Health

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Flagstaff Family YMCA

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Civic Service Institute at NAU

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Flagstaff Shelter Services, Inc.

New Hope Ranch, Inc.

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Friends of Camp Colton

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Parenting Arizona

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Girl Scouts –Arizona Cactus- Pine

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Round Valley Senior Center

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Grand Canyon Youth, Inc.

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Salvation Army-White Mountain Post

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White Mountain Meals on Wheels

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona

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White Mountain S.A.F.E. House

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Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona

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Winslow Council on Aging

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Hozhoni Foundation, Inc.

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La Plaza Vieja Neighborhood Association

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The Literacy Center

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Native Americans for Community Action (NACA)

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North Country HealthCare

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Northland Family Help Center

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Parenting Arizona

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Quality Connections, Inc.

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Sustainable Economic Development Initiative of Northern Arizona (SEDI)

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Southside Community Association

American Red Cross of Northern Arizona

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Sun Sounds of Arizona

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Sunnyside Neighborhood Association

Association for Supportive Child Care

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The Guidance Center, Inc.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff

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The Salvation Army – Flagstaff Corps

Family Medicine • Women’s Health • Pediatric Care Behavioral Health • Pharmacy & Laboratory Services

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Boys & Girls Club of Flagstaff

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Catholic Charities

Victim Witness Services for Coconino County

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Civic Service Institute at NAU

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northcountryhealthcare.org

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Coconino County Community Services

Vista Hospice (Formerly Northland Hospice)

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Page Partners

is proud to partner with United Way of Northern Arizona.

Congratulations on 50 years!

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American Red Cross of Northern Arizona

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Arizona Cactus Pine Girl Scouts

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C.U.D.D.L.E. Outreach

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Encompass Health Services

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Page Regional Domestic Violence Services

Flagstaff Partners • •

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50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

MY STORY:

DON ROWLEY Don Rowley, publisher of the Arizona Daily Sun, has been affiliated with the United Way of Northern Arizona since 1990, when he was asked to serve on its marketing committee. At one point, he chaired its long-range planning committee, and eventually joined the board of directors. But, as Paul Harvey might say, here’s the rest of the story: “I was the campaign chair a decade ago and somehow got talked into dressing like Elvis for the kickoff. That lead to a couple of encore performances at Coconino County and Flagstaff Medical Center. I was just emerging from the restroom at FMC after changing into my Elvis costume and passed someone in the hall who did an obvious double-take. ‘Don’t even ask,’ I said. The things we do for our United Way!” Rowley said his support is based on his conviction that charitable giving through the United Way is efficient and effective.

“For years I have seen how carefully the United Way deals with the allocation process, matching community needs with organizations that best address those needs,” he said.

just an everyday, life changing moment It might look like a casual conversation. But moments like this one can lead to a lifetime of achievements. It’s what happens when you bring intellectually curious people together with expert faculty mentors.

And it happens at Northern Arizona University every day.

nau.edu 50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

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MY STORY:

GENE & MOLLY MUNGER

HOW TO HOLD A

WORKPLACE CAMPAIGN

W It’s hard to imagine a charity or nonprofit in Flagstaff that hasn’t benefited from this powerful husband and wife team, and the United Way of Northern Arizona is no exception.

Gene and Molly were co-chairs of the 2008 community campaign and 2014 Summit Society. Additionally, Molly was actively involved in UWNA campaigns at Northern Arizona University for many years before her retirement and Gene has volunteered with reading programs sponsored by UWNA. “With its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and reading program for children, my support - financial and as a volunteer to the United Way - is assured for the long-term future,” said Gene.

ant to hold a great workplace campaign for the United Way of Northern Arizona? Start a friendly rivalry, advises UWNA President & CEO Steve Peru.

He would know; prior to joining the United Way in 2015, Peru had been the Coconino County Manager and an employee of W.L. Gore & Associates, both homes of some of the legendary fundraising battles in UWNA history. At the county, the rival was the City of Flagstaff; at Gore, different plants would compete against each other.

“The best fundraisers out there were the friendly competitions between the city and county,” Peru said. “I don’t know quite how it started, but I think one of our former chairmen at United Way challenged the mayor about who would raise more money.”

The result of these contests – the “losing” side would have to do something a little embarrassing. Peru has had a pie thrown in his face and his head shaved to pony up on these side bets.

“There was a county elected official who had to dress up as a cheerleader and lead a cheer at of City Hall one year,” Peru recalled.

“It wasn’t pretty.”

But the folks who participated didn’t mind since the rivalries drummed up extra support for the United Way. Leading a successful workplace campaign doesn’t mean you have to get a pie in the face or dress up in drag. Here’s a few

Northland Family Help Center Congratulates Northern Arizona United Way for its support of the Flagstaff Community for the past 50 years.

Northland Family Help Center Where Violence Ends and Healing Begins

Thank you!

Northland Family Help Center CelebrAtiNg 40 yeArs oF serviCe 1978-2018 14

50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

suggestions for putting the “fun” into your fundraiser. For contests, you can charge an amount to enter the contest or to participate.

• “Guess Who” Baby Picture Contest • Chili Cookoff Competition • Company Garage Sale • Popcorn Sale • Reserve Parking Space • Day of Vacation Donation • Ugly Sweater Contest • Pumpkin Carving Contest

A successful campaign for the United Way isn’t very hard – it involves getting support from management, recruit a team, planning your campaign, promoting it, holding a short kickoff meeting and reporting the results.

The United Way is ready to help and can provide you with a step-by-step training guide, lots of cool ideas to drive donations and general support. For more information, give UWNA a call at (928) 773-9813.

Congratulations to United Way of Northern Arizona On 50 Years of Supporting Local Nonprofits And improving lives throughout the region!

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE –

UNITED WAY 5.0

T

hroughout the past 50 years, the volunteer leaders of the United Way of Northern Arizona have always asked how UWNA can continue its impact in the community in the face of changing community conditions.

Originally it was about raising funds for established charitable organizations in Flagstaff.

As the number of partners benefiting from dollars raised by the United Way expanded, accountability became incredibly important.

The United Way confirmed that the work of the partners being supported was having an effect through its Community Investment Committee.

These volunteers conduct onsite visits to all partners receiving UWNA grants.

Then the United Way augmented its role by becoming a convener and concentrating the work of several disparate organizations on specific problems or goals.

What’s the next step? UWNA President & CEO Steve Peru refers to it as “United Way Version 5.0” - the latest incarnation of an organization looking ahead to the next 50 years.

“Creating impact has a number of different dimensions to it,” Peru said. “This next step is where we start focusing on identifying what the major community challenges and issues are, and, are we, through the community investment process, having an impact? We have a grasp of the number of people we are helping, but what is the ultimate outcome of that intervention or solution? Have we moved the dial on poverty, on childhood issues, on homelessness?”

Part of that is making sure that efforts aren’t duplicated. For example, LAUNCH Flagstaff is trying to make sure that those behind the city’s rich offerings in education programs are working together to limit overlap and ultimately be more effective.

Another part is supporting the development of a systematic approach to service delivery that is easy for those needing help to navigate. Peru, citing an example outside of the United Way, pointed to local nonprofits in Flagstaff who recently collaborated to create Front Door, essentially a one-stop for homeless services in the area.

Over the next few months, the United Way of Northern Arizona will be discussing with its board, volunteers, community leaders, partner

partners and their clients how – together – we can make the next 50 years even better for all the citizens of northern Arizona.

Through these discussions, focus groups, surveys, reports and more, the United Way will lead the drive to improve community conditions and demonstrate – as it has since 1967 – that great things DO happen when we live united.

MY STORY:

JIM & CAROL DYKES

It’s almost inevitable that an organization filled with ardent supporters would have a love story somewhere in its 50-year history.

That story belongs to Jim and Carol Dykes.

In early 1993, Jim was trying to get Aspen Hill Hospital to conduct a workplace campaign to benefit the United Way. He had made the request several times before, but to no avail, so he sent a “somewhat testy letter” to the CEO to get an answer. The CEO turned the matter over to Carol, who agreed to meet Jim and then-Executive Director Kris Williams. Not only did Carol sign the hospital up, she became its campaign coordinator. “Jim seemed to be very helpful in getting whatever I needed to help run the campaign,” she recalled. “I think he had an ulterior motive!” The two married in 1994.

But the story doesn’t end there. A few years later, Jim Dykes became UWNA board chair, leading the search team that ultimately hired Kerry Blume as the new Executive Director.

Kerry in turn hired Carol in 1999. “I’ve been here ever since,” Carol noted. “I love the people and the work we do here!” Jim is still involved in UWNA and Carol celebrated her 18th work anniversary in September 2017.

Partnering for Better Health Thank you to United Way for 50 years of commitment to our community’s most vulnerable citizens.

The Guidance Center delivers behavioral healthcare solutions by offering a full range of behavioral health services to Flagstaff, Williams and surrounding areas. General mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, psychiatric services, and crisis services are available for adults, children and families. Groups and individual sessions available.

www.tgcaz.org 928-527-1899 2187 N. Vickey St, Flagstaff, AZ 928-635-4272 220 W. Grant Ave, Williams, AZ 86046 50th Anniversary United Way of Northern Arizona

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THANK YOU NORTHERN ARIZONA FOR OVER 50 YEARS OF SUPPORT