LIVING UNITED
2011, ISSUE II
Neighborhood Partnership Grants Improve Neighborhoods
Almost $1.4 Million invested Since 2007 Building vibrant neighborhoods has long been a priority of United Way of Central Ohio’s work. Our two 10-year Bold Goals in the area of Home focus on creating safe neighborhoods where people live in safe and decent housing. And we believe that one of the best ways to accomplish these goals is to give engaged residents the tools they need to improve their neighborhoods. To this end, United Way launched a program in the mid-1990s that provided small grants to grassroots organizations that had the will to better their neighborhoods but lacked the funds to get things done. In 2007, this grant program merged with a similar effort by The Columbus Foundation to become the Neighborhood Partnership Grant program. The Columbus Foundation had partnered for many years with Bob Evans Farms and PNC, and these great corporate citizens have continued to sponsor the combined program. In 2008, the effort expanded again when Osteopathic Heritage Foundations joined as a sponsor. Over the years, 274 grassroots community organizations, civic associations, faith-based groups and area commissions have received grants that have helped them improve their neighborhoods by creating community gardens, organizing block watches, establishing public art projects and festivals, and promoting healthy living. In 2011, $219,000 in grants will be invested in 61 different projects. The grant amounts range from $400 to $10,000 and will help residents make the neighborhoods they call home safe and vibrant places to live. Over the last five years, the Neighborhood Partnership Grant program has supported more than 200 neighborhood improvement projects, investing almost $1.4 million in activities, programs and events that engage residents and advance the common good.
Neighborhood Partnership Grants in Action Plant Pride on Parsons is a great example of how much neighbors can accomplish with the help provided by a Neighborhood Partnership Grant. This is the second year in a row that this project has received a grant, and the results from last year were so impressive that they won a national Keep America Beautiful First Place Beautification Award. On May 15, 2010, the Plant Pride on Parsons Neighborhood Planning Committee, in partnership with Keep Columbus Beautiful and many co-sponsors, hosted a clean-up and beautification event that drew 239 volunteers who collected 3.5 tons of litter, removed graffiti from 12 locations and planted flowers in 31 large painted flower pots permanently placed along Parsons Avenue. This year, the third annual event was held on May 21, and was once again a great success. 133 volunteers came from all parts of the city to join volunteers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University, Chase, and participants from the eight neighborhoods along the Avenue.
CC Angels Double Dutch program began in 2007, when neighborhood residents on the Near East Side of Columbus realized that the local tradition of Double Dutch jump roping was being lost. This successful program has won three Neighborhood Partnership Grants since then. The program has dedicated volunteers who participate at every level: coaching, mentoring, transporting participants, preparing healthy snacks and organizing events. Its mission is to have a positive impact on the lives of young people by empowering them to realize their own unique value as individuals and as team members through the sport of competitive jump rope. United Way member agency, Central Community House supports the team by providing their facility for practice space and performances.
President’s Update I have a simple message for our generous central Ohio community: thank you! Last fall we set our 2010 campaign goal at 5% above last year’s campaign result — an ambitious amount in an economy that is still recovering from recession. We didn’t know if we could reach it, but with the strong leadership of our campaign chair Carl English we were determined to try. We were counting on the giving spirit of our more than 80,000 donors and you all came through in a spectacular way. The 2010 campaign far surpassed its ambitious goal, raising $47.9 million, or 9.3% above last year — almost double our goal. Once again I am impressed beyond words by how our community steps up to help others and advance the common good.
And we have a lot more to look forward to. The 2011 campaign is already underway under the leadership of Campaign Co-Chairs Bob and Mary Frances Restrepo and Labor Co-Chair Darrell Gammell. I am confident that they will deliver another impressive result. Thanks to Bob, Mary Frances, and Darrell for their enthusiastic service to our community. Sincerely,
Janet E. Jackson President and CEO United Way of Central Ohio
United Way’s Loaned Executive Program: Leading the Way in Philanthropy, Community Service and Professional Development For years, participation in United Way’s Loaned Executive Program has been a great way for professionals at all stages of their careers to develop professionally, connect to local companies and nonprofit organizations, and provide the community service that is crucial to the success of the United Way campaign. Loaned Executives support workplace campaign efforts each fall when the campaign is at its busiest. They act as liaisons between United Way and local corporate partners and are an integral part of our fundraising team. Through the program, participating professionals gain valuable experience and learning opportunities which prepare them with skills and knowledge that strengthen their leadership abilities in their workplace and in the community. As the 2011 campaign gets underway, United Way is looking for companies that want to be part of this community service tradition by sponsoring an employee from their own organizations, or investing in the program so that other professionals can participate. The return on investment for this effective program is impressive — for every $10,000 that goes to support Loaned Executives, United Way is able to raise $650,000!
projects, agency tours, Campaign Cabinet meetings, and speaking in front of varying audiences about the work of the United Way. Networking & Mentorship Emphasis: We will have Leadership Luncheons with key stakeholders in our community to educate and inspire Loaned Executives. Additionally, Loaned Executives will build relationships with individuals throughout the community during the program, which will enhance their professional networks. United Way requires a commitment to the program for a period of 15 weeks (mid-August to the end of November). In order to be flexible to company needs, we offer full-time (40 hours per week) and part-time (20 hours per week) options. The deadline for applications and monetary sponsorships is July 15. If you are interested in participating in the Loaned Executive Program, please contact Ciana Brown at 614.227.2768 or ciana.brown@uwcentralohio.org.
And we have been working hard to make the program even better than before. New elements include: Enhanced Training: Training includes a structured curriculum to cover the skills that will further participants’ professional development, including communication and presentation skills, project management skills, and interpersonal & management competencies. Community Engagement Component: Participants will learn more about the community and build relationships by participating in group volunteer
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Loaned Executives who served during the 2010 United Way campaign.
LIVING UNITED
United Way Honors Retiring Board Members and Welcomes New Members The United Way of Central Ohio Board of Trustees honored the service of retiring board members, Rhonda Johnson and Jon Dargusch, and welcomed new board members, Keith Bell, Kelvin Jones and Craig Marshall. The Board also re-appointed six current trustees for second three-year terms: Dr. Joseph Alutto, Brandon Dupler, William Ebbing, Tom Grote, Jordan Miller, and David Paragas. Martyn Redgrave was appointed to the Board’s Executive Committee for a term of one year, as was Darrell Gammell to represent labor organizations, and Denise Robinson to represent member agencies.
Retiring Board Members Jon Dargusch, Executive Vice President of Wealth Management, WesBanco,
served on the Board for nine years. He chaired the Finance Committee and also served as Secretary / Treasurer. His leadership helped United Way fulfill its commitment to transparency and accountability, and maintain the highest standards of financial responsibility to its partners and donors. Jon also served on the Executive, Governance, Nominating and Compensation Committees during his board tenure.
Rhonda Johnson, president, Columbus Education Association, served on the
Board for eight years. She was Vice-Chair of the Community Impact Cabinet and a member of the Executive Committee. With her extensive experience in the field of education and strong commitment to the work of United Way, she has provided invaluable expertise and leadership, helping to guide United Way as the organization developed and implemented its strategic framework and worked with the community to set its Bold Goals.
Jon Dargusch
Rhonda Johnson
Keith Bell
Kelvin Jones
New Board Members Keith Bell became Deputy Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer for the largest
school district in Ohio, Columbus City Schools, in August 2010. Prior to that he was the Director of Secondary Academic Affairs for Westerville City Schools. Keith was responsible for the academic direction of all secondary schools which included three high schools and four middle schools. For Columbus City Schools, Keith is now responsible for all 127 of the district’s elementary, middle and high schools.
Kelvin Jones represents organized labor on the Board. He is Environmental
Specialist II, Site Investigator, State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. He also serves as Chapter President for the Ohio EPA Chapter 2528 of AFSCME. Kelvin has received many honors for his service, including The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Community Service Award, and The Ohio Senate’s Proclamation for Laborers Community Service. He is also a United States Army veteran of Desert Shield / Storm.
Craig Marshall is Ernst & Young’s Columbus Office Managing Partner, a position
he has held since spring 2008. He has more than 20 years of experience serving the manufacturing and service industries. Much of his experience involves SEC reporting and multinational and multilocation manufacturers. Craig serves on the boards of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio. He is a commission member and Treasurer/Secretary of the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission and a member of The Women for Economic and Leadership Development Advisory Board, Fisher College of Business Accounting Department Advisory Board at The Ohio State University and The Accounting Advisory Board at the University of Dayton.
LIVEUNITEDCENTRALOHIO.ORG
Craig Marshall 3
Celebration of Excellence:
METTLER TOLEDO Wins Highest Honor Campaign Raises $47.9 Million, Far Surpassing Aggressive Goal United Way of Central Ohio recognized partner organizations that strengthen our community, and live united by conducting outstanding campaigns, at its Celebration of Excellence held at the Ohio Union at The Ohio State University on May 10. METTLER TOLEDO received the highest honor, the Corporate Award of Excellence, which recognizes overall achievement in corporate and volunteer philanthropic efforts. Award judges found that METTLER TOLEDO excels in all aspects of their campaign, including embracing best practices, educating employees year-round through group meetings, events and volunteer opportunities, and promoting leadership giving. This is the seventh year that the Award of Excellence has been presented. Previous winners are Grange Insurance, American Electric Power (AEP) / IBEW Local 1466, Nationwide, UPS, Deloitte & Touche and Bruner Corporation.
Corporate Award of Excellence – METTLER TOLEDO (from left) Tania Kasongo, Bob McNaughton, Susan Mayes, Stephanie Viehman, Beth Szabo Lee, Amy Okuley, Megan Bobel
This year a new high honor was presented – the Agency Award of Excellence – that recognizes overall campaign excellence among United Way’s member agencies. The award went to Godman Guild Association for their support of the campaign and their strong results. Janet E. Jackson, United Way of Central Ohio’s president and CEO, selected Lane Bryant to receive the first-ever President’s Award. The leadership team at Lane Bryant enthusiastically championed their campaign and inspired their associates to significant increases in both participation rates and overall results. The awards were presented by Michael Morris, chairman and CEO, AEP, who hosted the event, Carl English 2010 United Way of Central Ohio Campaign Chair, and Michael Gonsiorowski, United Way of Central Ohio Board Chair.
Celebration of Excellence AWARDS
“United Way would not be able to change lives and advance the common good without the efforts of the organizations honored here today,” said Janet E. Jackson. “The dedicated people in each of these organizations truly know what it means to live united by giving, advocating, and volunteering.”
Corporate Award of Excellence - METTLER TOLEDO
Carl English also announced that the 2010 annual campaign raised $47.9 million to fund United Way’s work of achieving our community’s Bold Goals in the areas of education, income, health and home.
Best New Corporate Campaign - Frost Brown Todd
This result represents a 9.3% increase over the 2009 campaign total, and far surpasses the aggressive goal of a 5% increase set for the 2010 campaign. Carl English thanked Labor Co-chair, Charles Tippie, president and business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1466, and Randy Sleeper, president and CEO of Bruner Corporation who served as Leading Edge Chair. Leading Edge is an effort focused on increasing the number of organizations that conduct workplace campaigns.
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Agency Award of Excellence – Godman Guild Association (from left) Terry Althouse, Randal Morrison
Agency Award of Excellence - Godman Guild Association President’s Award - Lane Bryant
Best New Agency Campaign - Franklinton Development Association Engaged Leadership Team - KPMG Innovative Campaign Committee - Bailey Cavalieri Leadership Giving - The Pizzuti Companies Employee Education - Alliance Data Employee Volunteerism - Community Shelter Board LIVING UNITED
President’s Award - Lane Bryant (from left) Michael Millonzi, Connie Schwepe, Jennifer Bass
Best New Corporate Campaign - Frost Brown Todd (from left) Russell Kutell, Nelda Harbour, William Harter, Jeffrey Rupert, Thomas Williams, Sally Kapcar, David Kauffman
Best New Agency Campaign - Franklinton Development Association (from left) Jeff Mohrman, Erin Moore, Jim Sweeney
Engaged Leadership Team - KPMG (from left) Alison Staloch, Bill Miller, David Armour, Paul Phillips, Jeremy Cervenec, Claire Lacey, Linda Elliott, Philip Bartlett, Brian Campbell
Innovative Campaign Committee - Bailey Cavalieri (from left) Nichole Herrera, Timothy Riedel, Nancy Manougian, Sherre Packard, Brenda Barnett, Jenna Hennen, Randy Headley Joan Parrish, Darius Kandawalla
Leadership Giving - The Pizzuti Companies (from left) Ron Schwind, Cigarette Parks, Jim Russell, Ron Pizzuti, Suzanne Davis, Susan Watkins, Shonna Moore, Bill Brennan, Rob Stockamp
Employee Education - Alliance Data (from left) Meredith Cacchiane, Sarah Booth, Noelle Sicuro, Bob Barnes, Mary Stotler, Chris Brewer, Mandy Streeter
Employee Volunteerism - Community Shelter Board (from left) Sara Loken, Jodi Mathews, Michelle Heritage, Melissa Kempf, Janet Bridges
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LEADERSHIP
GIVING
United Way of Central Ohio’s Leadership Giving groups offer the opportunity for donors to learn more about how their contributions are helping improve lives in central Ohio, develop meaningful service projects and network with fellow donors.
The Tocqueville Society Honors Members and Presents L’Esprit Award to Barb and Al Siemer Members of The Tocqueville Society gathered at the home of Cindy and Larry Hilsheimer on May 25 to celebrate the dedication and effort that resulted in another successful campaign. Janet Jackson thanked all of the members of The Tocqueville Society Committee who worked throughout the year to engage new and existing members in the work of United Way. Because of their efforts The Tocqueville Society gained 55 new members and secured more than $5 million in total gifts. The members of The Tocqueville Society Committee are: Lee and David Paragas, Kathleen and Buzz Trafford, John Gilligan, Cindy and Larry Hilsheimer, Cathy and Craig Marshall, Sharron and Jordan Miller, Ann and Ron Pizzuti, and Roberta and Rich Terapak.
Barb Siemer – recipient of the L’Esprit Award, Don and Teckie Shackelford, Janet Jackson
Lee Paragas, Linda Kass, Jane Thompson
Ruth and Ross Uchimura, Cindy Hilsheimer Sharron and Jordan Miller
Janet Jackson also presented the first-ever L’Esprit Award to Barb and Al Siemer to recognize their extraordinary generosity. This award recognizes Tocqueville Society members who embody the spirit of generosity and dedication to improving the lives of others that are the hallmarks of the giving group.
Bob Restrepo, John and Nancy McEwan
Larry Hilsheimer, Buzz and Kathleen Trafford, David and Lee Paragas
Key Club Holds Healthy Heart Forum
Keynote speaker Joyce Beatty
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On May 24, Key Club members and their guests came together to learn about how to maintain a heart healthy lifestyle from the expert staff of The Ohio State University Medical Center. Dr. Quinn Capers IV once again hosted what has become an important annual learning and networking event for Key Club. Joyce Beatty of The Ohio State University gave the keynote address, and Daphne Bell served as emcee. Janet Jackson spoke about United Way’s work in the area of nutrition and fitness and thanked Key Club co-chairs Carla and Aaron Granger, Marie Davis and Ervan Rodgers.
LIVING UNITED
United Way News Fresh Foods Here Brings Healthy Food to Corner Stores An important part of United Way’s work in the area of Health is helping people get the proper nutrition they need to maintain healthy lifestyles. But there are many neighborhoods in central Ohio where nutritious food is not available. So, with the support of funding from the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Franklin County Community Development Block Grants, we have worked with many partners to launch the Fresh Foods Here Initiative. This effort will work to bring nutritious fruits and vegetables to corner stores in neighborhoods where residents do not
have a supermarket nearby. To date, three Franklinton-area and West Side stores have signed on to the project and are working to design the space needed to sell fresh foods. The initiative is also helping stores develop relationships with wholesalers that can deliver an array of healthy foods, and working to provide nutrition education classes for neighborhood residents. Giving people greater access to nutritious foods will help them develop healthier eating habits and prevent the many health problems that come with obesity. And Fresh Foods Here is one innovative way to make that happen.
Jacob McKay Lives United! Jacob McKay is an extraordinary nine-year-old. While most kids his age would want the latest toys for their birthdays, Jacob chose to collect donations for United Way instead. He raised at least $235 from friends and family (some people chose to give directly, so the amount raised could be much higher). To thank Jacob for his generosity, Janet Jackson invited him and his mother Heather for a visit where he presented her with a check and she gave him a LIVE UNITED t-shirt to mark the beginning of a lifetime of philanthropy.
Join United Way at This Summer’s Festivals It’s summer festival season and United Way will be front and center at local events. As part of our efforts to listen to the opinions of more people in central Ohio and learn about their concerns and aspirations for our community, United Way volunteers will be out and about at summer festivals. We had a great time at the Asian Festival at Franklin Park and received lots of insightful feedback from festival attendees. Look for us at the following festivals – we’ll be the ones in the LIVE UNITED t-shirts. If you want to join us and volunteer, please contact Jeanne Heald at 614.241.3078 or jeanne.heald@uwcentralohio.org.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Pride Festival - June 17 and 18 Juneteenth - June 17, 18 and 19 Festival Latino - August 13 and 14 LIVEUNITEDCENTRALOHIO.ORG
The United Way booth was the place to be at the Asian Festival held on Memorial Day weekend. (from left) Judge Laurel Beatty; Dr. Yung-Chen Lu, Founder of the Asian Festival; Dominique R. Jones, Vice President of Community Engagement, United Way; Janelle N. Simmons, Director of Community Relations and Philanthropy, Limited Brands; and City of Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman.
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LIVING UNITED Bob and Mary Frances Restrepo Lead 2011 Campaign Bob Restrepo, Chairman, President and CEO of State Auto Insurance Companies and his wife Mary Frances are the 2011 Campaign Co-Chairs. Bob is a member of the United Way of Central Ohio Board of Trustees, and both are very active with local charitable organizations. Darrell Gammell, Business Agent, Plumbers and Pipefitters LU 189, is Labor Co-Chair. Darrell is a member of the United Way Board, and serves on the Executive Committee. He was also a member of the 2010 Campaign Cabinet. Mary Frances and Bob Restrepo
Darrell Gammell
2011 Campaign Co-Chairs
2011 Labor Co-Chair