LIVING UNITED
2010, ISSUE I
The Women’s Leadership Council Builds Support and Momentum
The Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) is off to a fast start. Less than four months after its launch, the group has grown to 100 members, each with the passion and commitment to make a real difference in the community. Prominent local women have joined to lead the effort. Karen Days, president of The Coalition Against Family Violence and interim president of The Center for Child and Family Advocacy, Liza Kessler, partner-in-charge of Jones Day, and Beth Pritchard, consultant and former president and CEO of Bath & Body Works will serve as co-chairs of the steering committee. “The enthusiasm and energy from the women at our meetings has been tremendous,” said Tanny Crane, WLC chair. “Our members know the work of the WLC will change lives and they are willing to volunteer their diverse talents to make it a success.” On December 3, 2009 at the second meeting of the WLC, Julie Graber of the Institute on Women spoke about the income and educational inequalities women in Ohio face. The statistics paint a grim picture: • Ohio ranks 39th out of the fifty states and Washington D.C. in women’s educational attainment. Only 23% of the state’s women hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. • On average, women who work full-time over a 12-month period are paid only 74% of men’s wages. The women gathered that evening considered her points, then turned to small group discussions at their own tables. At their previous meeting, they decided the WLC could make the most difference by developing an
initiative that helps women achieve a level of financial stability that enables them to provide for themselves and their families. Educational opportunities emerged as a clear strategy for achieving that goal. Continuing on that theme, the members discussed the resources and opportunities women need to become successful, and the most effective ways the WLC could help. “This is one of the most hands-on giving groups I have ever worked with,” said Janet E. Jackson, president and CEO of United Way of Central Ohio. “WLC members don’t just want to give, they want to deeply understand the needs of women and create ways to make the greatest impact in their lives. Every WLC meeting I attend is a new inspiration for me.” To become a member of the Council, each woman pledged to contribute $1,000 over and above her current gift to United Way of Central Ohio. Any woman who makes her pledge before March 31, 2010 will be a founding member. To encourage younger women to become involved with the WLC, Alexis Jacobs, president of Columbus Fair Auto Auction, Inc., has provided a generous matching gift that will fund a step-up membership program, allowing 34 women 35 years old and under to join the WLC with a reduced commitment in the first two years. For more information on the Women’s Leadership Council, contact Dianne Biggs at dianne.biggs@uwcentralohio.org or 614.227.2734. To sign up for updates on the WLC’s work, see photos from past events, and more, visit liveunitedcentralohio.org/wlc.
President’s Update For years, United Way of Central Ohio has been spreading the message that we are not just a fundraiser. We are not a pass-through organization that just takes money from donors and writes checks to agencies. We are an organization – the only organization – that brings hundreds of volunteer experts together to determine the most pressing needs of our community and make a concrete, effective plan to address them. We fund programs and initiatives that help us achieve that plan, and we hold each of those programs responsible for results. That is a great value-added service that United Way provides, and as we struggle through the current economic downturn it is crucially important that every dollar we allocate is used effectively. Though United Way is not just a fundraiser, we are an experienced and effective fundraising organization. We educate donors on the many needs in our community and connect them with meaningful ways to help. Sometimes that means providing volunteer opportunities. Sometimes it means helping them become advocates. But most often it means giving donors a trusted and accountable way to transform their charitable dollars into action that changes lives. United Way-funded programs put donors’ investments to their best use. However, there is a direct connection between the amount of funds we raise and the amount of change we can create. Unfortunately, our fundraising efforts are currently on a downward path. After years of record campaigns, last year our campaign was down over 7%. This year the trend is even worse.
To respond to this situation we have strengthened our efforts to attract and retain more donors. As you will read in this newsletter, we have launched two new giving groups – The Women’s Leadership Council and PRIDE Council. Both groups hold great promise for getting more people involved with our work. We have also stepped up our efforts to encourage more smalland mid-sized companies to introduce United Way workplace campaigns. Through our Leading Edge initiative, we have added 16 new companies to the United Way family. But there is so much more opportunity. Only a very small percentage of companies in Franklin County conduct United Way campaigns, and I believe there is tremendous potential for growth if we can reach more people and tell them about the power of the work we do together. To do that we need your help. You know United Way of Central Ohio is an effective catalyst for change. We need you to take that message to your friends and colleagues and encourage them to get involved with United Way, by giving individually or by starting a workplace campaign. Our ultimate aim is to build more long-term relationships with donors, but we also need contributions right now. Our current campaign ends on March 31st. If you are able to make an additional gift, please go to liveunitedcentralohio.org and contribute. At this time when needs have increased and giving is down, your gift will make a big difference. Sincerely,
Janet E. Jackson President and CEO United Way of Central Ohio
It’s not too late
to GIVE!
DONATE NOW
The United Way of Central Ohio’s annual campaign doesn’t end until March 31, 2010, so there is still plenty of time to make your gift. Just go to liveunitedcentralohio.org and click on “Donate Now.” Thank you!
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LIVING UNITED
United Way Leads Groundbreaking Work in Kindergarten Readiness Led by United Way of Central Ohio, Columbus Kids is funded by the Columbus City Schools, Columbus City Schools Education Foundation, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, The Limited Foundation and individual donors. An advisory committee chaired by United Way board member Bill Ebbing has been formed for the initiative.
Ensuring more children are ready to succeed in kindergarten has long been an important part of United Way of Central Ohio’s work. In fact, one of our 10-year Bold Goals is to increase the number of preschoolers who are ready for kindergarten. That’s no small task as today nearly 40% of the students entering kindergarten in the Columbus City School District need intervention. A big part of achieving our Bold Goal will be a new partnership United Way is leading with Columbus City Schools called Columbus Kids: Ready, Set, Learn. This partnership of more than 30 community organizations is coming together to make real progress in improving kindergarten readiness.
Recently launched in the central city and Weinland Park communities, Columbus Kids is reaching out to parents and families through early learning professionals, health and human services organizations, government, neighborhood associations, libraries, area businesses and faith-based groups, and offering free Learning Checkups. Over time, the program will expand to cover the entire Columbus City Schools district. A Learning Checkup is a short series of questions that helps determine a child’s current skills and abilities, and checks for speech, hearing and vision problems. It takes about ten to 15 minutes to complete. Columbus Kids’ staff will review each checkup and help connect the child to any needed intervention services. Every six months each child will receive an additional Learning Checkup to monitor progress toward kindergarten readiness.
Research overwhelmingly shows preschoolers have a tremendous capacity for learning, if their skills are nurtured and developed by families and caregivers. However, children lacking these skills can fall behind and never catch up with their classmates. Columbus Kids identifies these children and provides resources to help them grow and become successful students.
“This is a far-reaching, ambitious program,” said Janet E. Jackson, president and CEO, United Way of Central Ohio. “No one else in the country is attempting anything this comprehensive and extraordinary. Columbus Kids will make central Ohio a national leader in the area of kindergarten readiness. More importantly, it will help create the most successful generation of students our schools have ever produced.”
Columbus Kids is designed to increase the early detection of developmental delays and speech, hearing or vision problems among preschoolers, ages two and a half to four years old, within the Columbus City Schools district and to help them get the intervention services they need to be ready to learn.
If you have a preschool child between two-anda-half and four years old in the Columbus City Schools district, you can call the Columbus Kids hotline at 614-241-3089 to find out more about arranging a Learning Checkup. Or visit our Web site at www.columbuskids.org.
Learning Checkup Sample Question for a four-year-old yes
no
m
m
If you place 5 objects in front of your child, can he or she count them, saying 1-2-3-4-5 in order without any help?
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Columbus Kids Funders: Columbus City Schools Columbus City Schools Education Foundation Franklin County Board of Commissioners JP Morgan Chase The Limited Foundation United Way of Central Ohio
Columbus Kids Partners: Action for Children Central Community House Champion of Children Child Development Council of Franklin County Head Start Children’s Hunger Alliance Columbus City Schools Clintonville/Beechwold Community Resource Center Columbus Early Learning Centers Columbus Foundation Columbus Metropolitan Library Columbus Public Health Columbus Speech & Hearing Columbus Urban League Head Start Community Properties of Ohio Management Services Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities Franklin County Job & Family Services Franklin County Family & Children First Council Gladden House Godman Guild Nationwide Children’s Hospital Neighborhood House South Side Learning & Development Centers South Side Settlement House St. Vincent Family Centers Start Smart The Ohio Business Roundtable The Ohio State University, Office of Outreach & Engagement YMCA of Central Ohio
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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.
Dr. Gene Harris honored with the Community Leadership Award at the Annual Key Club Recognition Event For the tenth year, Les and Abigail Wexner generously hosted Key Club members at the annual Key Club recognition event on January 26. More than 200 Key Club members and guests attended the reception.
The highlight of the event is always the announcement of the recipient of the Community Leadership Award. This award is given to an individual who demonstrates tremendous leadership in our community,
through volunteerism, initiative, and creativity, and inspires others to get involved and make a difference.
Columbus Kids: Ready, Set, Learn. (Read more about Columbus Kids on page 3 of LIVING UNITED.)
This year’s honoree is Dr. Gene Harris, Superintendent of the Columbus City Schools. Dr. Harris has led the state’s largest school district since 2001. Her leadership has put the district on a successful path, and she continues to set and achieve demanding goals. Dr. Harris also has a deep relationship with UWCO. She served as a UWCO board member from 2002 to 2009, and she and her husband Stan Harris are founding members of Key Club, and led the 2006, 2007, 2008 campaigns as Key Club co-chairs.
The event concluded with remarks and poetry by Elizabeth Alexander, poet, essayist and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Yale University who described poetry as a rich part of the African American culture and our national culture.
UWCO President and CEO Janet E. Jackson welcomed 80 new Key Club members and thanked 2009 campaign co-chairs Peggy Simmons and Bill Darby for their hard work and dedication. Janet also outlined an important new initiative being led by UWCO:
(from left) Les Wexner, Community Leadership Award honoree Dr. Gene Harris, Janet E. Jackson, Abigail Wexner and Elizabeth Alexander.
Pride Council: the Nation’s first United Way LGBT Giving Group In January, United Way of Central Ohio launched the first United Way LGBT giving group in the country: PRIDE Council. The effort is led by co-chairs Tom Grote, a United Way of Central Ohio board member, and Michelle Ward, president and CEO of St. Vincent Family Centers. PRIDE Council continues and strengthens the long relationship between United Way and the LGBT community in central Ohio. On January 21st, United Way board chair Ann Pizzuti
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and her husband Ron hosted a reception for PRIDE Council founding members and their guests. The group is off to a fast start with 50 founding member households already signed up. Any individual or household joining PRIDE Council by the end of 2010 will be considered a founding member of this groundbreaking group. For more information on PRIDE Council contact Stephanie Campolo at stephanie.campolo@uwcentralohio.org or 614-241-3080.
PRIDE Council co-chairs, Michelle Ward and Tom Grote
LIVING UNITED
Directions for Youth and Families: Short Stop Youth Center: Just Say Art After school programs are important in keeping youth engaged in learning in a supportive environment. Directions for Youth and Families’ Short Stop Youth Center and its program Just Say Art is one of the best examples of how the after school hours can be used to help youth grow and learn. The program focuses on increasing self-esteem by providing artistic alternatives to substance abuse, violence, and other delinquent behaviors. Activities include educational groups, drum and dance, music, theater, art, and a design studio where young artists produce original paintings, greeting cards, t-shirts, and decorative bowls. This is all done in the safe environment of the youth center which serves youth ages 7 to 19 years old.
Children’s Hunger Alliance: Healthy and Fit at Home Keeping children healthy and active is a key priority for United Way. One effective way to do that is through the Healthy and Fit at Home program. This program will provide training, educational materials, and technical assistance to family child care providers about proper nutrition and physical activity. The family child care providers will then pass on these lessons to the children in their care, and their parents and other caregivers. The program is administered by Children’s Hunger Alliance and Action for Children and is serving several priority low-income neighborhoods where the need is the greatest. The program will measure results through a follow-up survey, and has a goal of changing the home environments of 90% of the families reached to better support healthy nutrition and physical activity.
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Columbus Urban League: Take FLIGHTT Helping hardworking people find good jobs and become financially stable is one of the most important parts of United Way’s work. Columbus Urban League’s Future Leaders Infiltrating Greater Heights Through Training (FLIGHTT) is a great example of that work in action. FLIGHTT is a four-week job training program that assists unemployed individuals, and those with employment barriers, who are transitioning from public assistance to make a successful move to employment. FLIGHTT helps participants enroll in GED classes, short-term occupational training, and / or postsecondary education. The program also offers participants job search and placement assistance and follow-up services for six months after completion of the program.
Rebuilding Together Central Ohio: Tool Library
HOME
HEALTH
EDUCATION
Program Spotlight
INCOME
United Way
United Way of Central Ohio funds 166 programs at 78 member agencies. Each of these programs has gone through a rigorous review process by experienced and diverse groups of volunteers to ensure that only the most effective ones are funded. Each program meets a community need as part of our interconnected work in the areas of Education, Income, Health and Home.
Residents of central Ohio’s many neighborhoods want to make the places they live safe and vibrant. Sometimes all they need are the right tools. That’s why United Way supports Rebuilding Together Central Ohio’s Tool Library. The Tool Library is a lending service with a collection of over 4,500 hand and power tools that are made available free of charge for homeowners to help them maintain and repair their properties. The Tool Library owns a variety of tools for carpentry, landscaping, electrical work, plumbing, painting, and masonry. Rebuilding Together Central Ohio is an agency that is working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities.
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Volunteer Profile: MartYn Redgrave When Martyn Redgrave joined United Way of Central Ohio’s Board of Trustees in 2006, the organization gained a skilled and enthusiastic leader with a long history of support for the work of United Way.
He has also led a thorough study of United Way’s fundraising efforts as chair of the Resource Development Committee. Under his direction the committee is developing a comprehensive long-term fundraising plan that will provide the investments United Way needs to achieve the ten-year Bold Goals for change announced in 2009.
Martyn has served on local United Way boards, campaigns and committees across the country for the past 30 years. From Westchester, New York, to Orange County, California, and from Louisville, Kentucky, to the Twin Cities in Minnesota, he has put in countless hours of support for the work of United Way. In addition to his role as a board member, Martyn has served on executive, finance, audit, allocations, and marketing committees. A dedicated ambassador and fundraiser, Martyn has been campaign chair for major firms, and shares, “I have made so many CEO calls and visits over the years that I have lost count.”
In addition to these leadership roles, Martyn is also a hands-on volunteer who has participated in projects like GenNext’s work to renovate and transform an 1890s home into a Center for Art and Community for Central Community House.
Martyn has brought his many years of experience as a corporate leader and chief financial officer to bear as chair of United Way of Central Ohio’s Audit Committee, which provides strategic direction and oversight for the annual audit that is one of the key measures of United Way’s transparency and accountability.
“Martyn is one of the most talented and dedicated volunteers I’ve ever worked with,” said United Way chief financial officer Cheryl Nelson. “He wants United Way to be the most successful catalyst for change possible and works hard to make that a reality.” Martyn Redgrave is executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Limited Brands and a member of the Limited Brands executive committee. He joined Limited Brands in March 2005 and is responsible for overseeing the enterprise’s governance, administrative and financial functions, including global procurement, logistics, and technology services. From February 2006 to April 2007, he also served as chief financial officer for the enterprise.
AEP Ohio and United Way of Central Ohio Partner To Deliver $198,000 in Immediate Housing Assistance The Assistance is part of AEP Ohio’s $15 million “Partnership with Ohio” Program Focused on Hunger, Health and Housing In January, United Way of Central Ohio made over $198,000 in immediate assistance available to help people stay in their homes. The assistance was provided to AEP customers in Franklin County and is being administered by United Way partners Columbus Housing Partnership, FIRSTLINK, Lutheran Social Services and The Salvation Army. This special gift from AEP Ohio is helping hundreds of low- and middle-income local families who are at risk of losing their homes because of late mortgage or rent payments, or who need to make rental deposits. It is
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part of AEP Ohio’s “Partnership with Ohio” fund which is enabling 49 United Ways and eleven foodbanks across Ohio help people in need of food, healthcare and housing. AEP Ohio turned to United Way of Central Ohio because of the organization’s expertise and experience in identifying and funding effective health and human service programs. United Way selected programs to receive the funding that will quickly and efficiently utilize the much-needed gift. AEP Ohio’s Mary Flint presents a check for over $198,000 to UWCO Board Chair Ann Pizzuti and Janet E. Jackson
LIVING UNITED
United Way Strengthens Relationships with Member Agencies
On December 9, 2009, United Way of Central Ohio welcomed new members of the United Way family and strengthened ties with existing members at a special reception. Janet Jackson spoke about the fact that all of the gathered member agency representatives had successfully completed the rigorous program funding process. “I want to thank you for all of the hard work you put into designing the effective programs our donors fund through United Way,” she told the gathering. “I am confident that we have the right programs and the right partners in place to achieve our Bold Goals and transform our community. The work you do is critical to our success.”
She continued, “Many of your organizations have been United Way members for years, some of you are new to the United Way family, but all of you share a dedication to moving the needle on the persistent issues that face us. I also share that dedication.”
Dominique Jones Joins United Way to Lead Community Impact
Janet introduced Dominique Jones, the new vice president of Community Impact, who stressed the strength of the partnership that exists between United Way and its member agencies, and the need to continue to have open lines of communication. “I feel particularly fortunate to have started in my position at a time of new beginnings, she said. “I am impressed by the thoughtfulness that has gone into developing our strategic framework and our Bold Goals. I know you had a strong voice in their development, and I want you to know you will continue to have a strong voice as we engage our entire community around achieving the Bold Goals.”
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Last fall Dominique Jones was serving as Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Youth Development in the New York City Children’s Services Department. Today she is the vice president of Community Impact at United Way of Central Ohio. The move to Columbus is a homecoming for Dominique who grew up in Dayton. Dominique brings an extensive background in child welfare to her new position, as well as experience in community development. She is a graduate of Spelman College and earned a Masters of Science degree in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy In New York City.
Dominique joined United Way in October, 2009 and immediately got to work on helping to implement the strategies that will achieve the organization’s ten-year Bold Goals. Her vision, passion and leadership will be an important part of United Way’s efforts to engage our community in achieving the Bold Goals.
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LIVING UNITED Be Counted United Way encourages everyone to be counted in the 2010 Census. Every year the federal government allocates more than $400 million to states and communities based in part on census data. Getting an accurate count of central Ohio residents is the best way to ensure that we get the money we deserve. Please fill out the brief questionnaire you will receive in March from the Census Bureau and be counted!
Study Finds EITC Coalition has “Incredible” Impact
eitc
A study of the work of The Franklin County EITC Coalition describes the work of the Coalition to bring millions of dollar in much-needed Franklin County EITC Coalition tax refunds to low- and moderateincome households in central Ohio as “incredible results in a short time frame.” Policy Matters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy institute that conducts economic research released the study, “Who Takes Credit: The Earned Income Tax Credit in Franklin County 2009.” The full study can be viewed at policymattersohio.org. earn it. keep it. save it.