MISSION
To spark breakthrough community action that elevates every child and family toward a brighter future.
VISION
United Way envisions a vibrant community built on opportunity for everyone.
Kids start out with big dreams for when they grow up. Reading is crucial for children to reach their goals of becoming future astronauts, lawyers, veterinarians, doctors, firefighters, politicians, public servants, video game developers, and pilots. For many kids, those dreams slip away. Not just because they become more practical or “grow up”, but because of disparities in education and lack of family stability that hold them back.
Access to books and not reading at grade level are big reasons why dreams slip away for children. We know that kids who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 45% of San Diego County’s third graders were not reading at grade level — and that was before school closures and virtual learning exacerbated inequitable access to high-quality learning opportunities.
FY 2021–2022 brought a radical sense of purpose and commitment among the staff and board of United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) as we continued to focus on helping the community recover and rebuild from the pandemic. We doubled down on our strategic plan, “EDICT 2030: Mind the Gap”, to reimagine how we can ensure that children, young adults, and families have equitable resources and opportunities to thrive. In the midst of pervasive economic and social challenges across the nation, UWSD has been steadfast in uniting our community to bridge the racial and economic inequities that continue to persist and widen gaps across San Diego County.
This Annual Report highlights the innovative and impactful ways in which UWSD is bridging gaps to ensure that we meet our 2030 goal, such as piloting a Community Learning Model, promoting economic mobility by leading the San Diego County Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition, and launching The Gap Minders podcast. We hope you enjoy reading it.
We know that we cannot do this work alone. UNITED WE CAN ensure that all children, young adults, and families, especially those most impacted, have the opportunity to succeed and thrive.
Thank you for your ongoing support of United Way of San Diego County.
Regards,
Nancy L. Sasaki President & CEO
Tony R. Russell Board Chair
UNITED WE CAN ensure that all children, young adults, and families have the opportunity to succeed and thrive.
With economic disparities widening and more children falling behind in the aftermath of the pandemic, UWSD recognized the critical need to rebuild and reimagine a community that inspires individuals and partners to unite for a better, stronger, and more equitable San Diego County. To mind gaps in our community, UWSD joins forces with partners countywide — school districts, businesses, the public sector, nonprofits, philanthropy, and social service — to determine the best ways to support education for children and youth and economic mobility for families so all San Diegans can thrive. We firmly believe that all children, young adults, and families deserve the chance to succeed, regardless of their zip code or income.
41,855 Lives impacted throughout San Diego County
109 Partners
• 71 Partners Collaborating on shared goals from a variety of sectors: early and K-12 education, business, government, workforce, higher education, health, and nonprofit
• 38 Schools Working in partnership with United Way of San Diego County
308 Total hours of literacy mentorship
382 Volunteers lent their time, expertise, and resources to make an impact
70% Students who reported reading at home between sessions
44 Students enrolled in the Early Learners Literacy Pilot Program with Traveling Stories
• 100k Impressions to target populations as part of our Building Resilience initiative
• San Diego County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition
130 Local students interned with 95 local small businesses through the Advancing San Diego initiative
243 Coordinated home visits to families of at-risk youth as part of Every Student, Every Family: Escondido
$38 million+ in federal and state refunds were brought back to San Diego County
$10 million increase in refunds compared to the previous year
$2.7 million in tax preparation fees saved by EITC Coalition filers
41.4k federal and state returns completed
12k more federal and state returns completed than the previous year
65 San Diego Unified middle & high school students participated in a STEAM-to-Careers afterschool enrichment program at Jackie Robinson Family YMCA
“Madison enjoyed her sessions. The program motivated her to read more...she read much more once we started the program. The practice we spent reading has helped her improve.”
— Lynn (parent), Every Student, Every Family
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw these two areas more intertwined than ever. While children struggled to adapt to at-home learning, parents struggled to meet basic needs such as keeping food on the table and a roof over their heads. These stressful times have impacted parents and families immensely, and we are now seeing the effects on children as they return to school. Teachers are seeing new social and emotional challenges and delays in motor skills such as children not knowing how to stand in a line or use scissors. Unfortunately, the impacts virtual learning has had on our children spans elementary, middle, and high school, and has disproportionately impacted Black and Hispanic students.
A child’s ability to thrive in school often dictates their future educational pursuits and, in turn, economic success in life.
Studies have shown that reading at 3rd grade reading level is a key indicator of a child’s future success, which is why UWSD has invested so much time and resources in addressing childhood literacy. In fact, if this pivotal literacy milestone is missed, a child is 76% more likely to drop out of high school. This literacy gap in San Diego County is pervasive, specifically along racial lines, with 35% of Black and Hispanic third-grade students meeting/exceeding English Language Arts/Literacy expectations, compared to 73% of Asian and 64% of White students. UWSD’s educational initiatives seek to address systemic racial disparities by creating programs that improve educational outcomes for students who are disproportionately affected.
“My son loved reading stories with his volunteer. At first, he was shy, and then he was waiting every day for the reading session.”
— Sarab (parent), Every Student, Every Family
In 2021, 61% of Asian students and 44% of White students in San Diego County met or exceeded eighth grade math expectations, while only 21% of their Black peers and 23% of their Hispanic peers met or exceeded eighth grade math expectations. Unfortunately, this gap only grew during the pandemic. With the shift back to the classroom for in-person learning, we sought to close this gap and ignite excitement for STEAM careers with programming centered around our Community Learning model.
To create long-lasting systemic change, UWSD has implemented a learning and family support model called Community Learning. Through this model, we work to promote economic mobility as a means of supporting the needs of a child. We know education and economic mobility are at the core of providing meaningful and holistic support to our communities. With the help of the community, we can continue inspiring the next generation of students by ensuring that they and their families have the tools and resources needed to thrive, which is at the core of our Every Student, Every Family: Level Up Program.
United Way of San Diego County is committed to improving the quality of life within all of San Diego’s communities by eliminating racial disparities and educational gaps. The Every Student, Every Family vision extends our work to facilitate more equitable systems, providing every student and every family access to education and opportunities to succeed. Through close-knit relationships with community partners, UWSD has identified and built educational programs in the San Diego County regions that need it most: Escondido, City Heights, Lemon Grove, and the Lincoln Cluster in Southeast San Diego.
Every Student, Every Family: Level Up was a free after-school extended learning program tailored to middle and high school students in Southeastern San Diego that served 65 San Diego Unified middle and high school students. The highly interactive, hands-on program, held Monday through Friday at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA Teen Center, gave students the perfect combination of self-discovery and exploration into various high-demand careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). The program fostered unique learning opportunities proven to accelerate youth development, career pathways, sports/fitness, and outdoor/nature experiences. Six different community organizations led sessions with students including podcasting, coding, and a book group. Drawing back to the UWSD Community Learning model, the program provided a community hub for family engagement. In total, Level Up organized three engagement nights, with food and entertainment provided. This program was made possible thanks to grant support from San Diego Foundation.
PARTNERS: Cloudcast Media, Fleet Science Center, Jackie Robinson Family YMCA, Knox Middle School, Lincoln High School, Millennial Tech Middle School, Traveling Stories, Words Alive, YMCA Childcare Resource Services
“I find this place as a big stress reliever and it provides me a place to go when I’m not ready to go home.”
— Level Up high school program participant
Every Student, Every Family seeks to identify key needs of families within the Escondido area and provide tools to help students graduate high school and prepare themselves for future career success. As a collaborative, we evaluate and address complicated issues affecting students’ ability to thrive, and work to provide coordinated, family-centered home visits. In a community input survey from June 2021, caregivers identified their top needs as:
• 69%: Support with their child’s engagement in learning
• 55%: Their child’s mental health and emotional wellbeing
• 44%: Access to basic needs, such as food and affordable housing
The purpose of home visits is to increase attendance and connect families to needed community resources. Through our partners’ college and career taskforce, we organized 243 total school/community-based organization coordinated home visits to families of at-risk youth. This allowed us to collect input from parents and students so that we were able to accurately address nuanced and pressing issues affecting students’ ability to thrive in school and beyond.
PARTNERS: Escondido Education COMPACT, Escondido Union High School District, Escondido High School, Escondido STEM Collaborative, Interfaith Community Services, Valley High School
UWSD’s Literacy Pilot Program with Traveling Stories was born out of our core focus on childhood literacy. In its first six months, 44 students across City Heights and Lemon Grove participated in weekly 45-minute sessions with a mentor, a total mentorship investment of 308 hours, focused on building a love for reading. Students also received new books to add to their at-home library. In addition, we hosted a family engagement event which included book giveaways and support to build family reading habits at home.
Traveling Stories fosters a passion for reading and makes it fun by allowing participants to earn prizes for reading and for setting and meeting goals. In measuring the impact, we found that the program had significantly sparked an interest in reading outside of a school setting. In fact, 70% of students reported reading at home between sessions. We look forward to seeing the continued growth of this program and its impact in the coming year!
PARTNERS: City Heights/Weingart Library, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, Feeding San Diego, Interfaith Community Services, Lemon Grove County Library, Lemon Grove School District, San Diego Food Bank, San Diego Hunger Coalition, San Diego Unified School District, Traveling Stories
Advancing San Diego (ASD) is a collaborative effort comprised of industry and education partners that works to better prepare San Diegans for well-paying, high-quality jobs at San Diego companies. Technological advancements are rapidly transforming work as we know it, and in order to remain competitive, companies will require a qualified, local talent pool. ASD has built a network of locally-serving education programs and connects companies to students of those programs, including fully-subsidized internships for small companies. To date, ASD has placed 130 interns with 95 businesses across Software, Engineering, Business, Manufacturing, Health Care, and Life Science industries. Of the total number of interns, 82% were first generation community college students or high school students in low-income areas. Ultimately, ASD has proven to make local students and companies more competitive within a wide range of business sectors while also supporting small businesses. United, we are redefining who gets access to training, internship experience, and connections to local companies which result in quality job opportunities.
PARTNERS: San Diego Economic Development Corporation, San Diego Workforce Partnership, City of San Diego, San DiegoImperial County Community College Association
“ASD’s Internship Program aided us in finding local talent in the areas of software engineering and business research. From the company perspective, we believe in giving back to the community and in providing those first training and work opportunities to local students, and we couldn’t be happier with the human and technical capabilities of our current and past interns. Our interns have made us a better company by bringing new voices and experiences to solve our technical challenges.”
— Carlos Gaitan, CEO and Co-Founder at Benchmark Labs“Now a single mom of three daughters, the tax prep assistance program truly supported me as a first-time filer. The program representative I worked with gave me the one-on-one assistance I needed, which made me feel secure, reassured, and understood. It was comforting to know that the person sitting across from me knew what she was doing and had my best interest in mind. The funds I got back will not only help me get my girls a bunk bed, but also will go toward gas and entertainment to make more memories with my daughters.”
— Azucena Wells, Just in Time for Foster Youth participant and EITC recipient
UWSD consistently strives to move the needle on the pervasive economic disparities within San Diego County. Through advanced data and proven methodologies, we know that providing avenues for economic mobility is the best way to transform the lives of low income and at-risk individuals. With the help of the Building Resilience partnership and the EITC Coalition, UWSD and its collaborators are helping to move the needle on racial and economic inequity in San Diego County.
Through multi-sectional partnerships, Building Resilience (BR) works to measure and strengthen social services such as access to the Earn Income Tax Credit (EITC) The aim of the program is to buffer against the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including traumatic childhood events like abuse, neglect, and divorce. High ACEs scores have been shown to dramatically impact a child’s successful educational and economic outcomes, and BR partners remain committed to fostering healthy child development through family stability. UWSD coordinated six Building Resilience trainings alongside five community partners regarding EITC outreach and education material. The trainings resulted in 100k impressions to target populations including homeless, underemployed, refugees, immigrants, and/or limited English proficient small business owners.
PARTNERS: Harder + Company, 211 San Diego, Dreams for Change, International Rescue Committee, YMCA Childcare Resource Service
UWSD continues to lead the San Diego County EITC Coalition, offering free tax preparation assistance to low-to-moderate-income local families. With the lingering economic effects of the pandemic, many San Diego residents had difficulty meeting their basic needs, such as food, rent and mortgage, utilities, transportation, and other unexpected costs. UWSD is founded on the notion that we can make the largest impact within our community by aligning with local partners on a common goal. We are proud to say that the San Diego County EITC Coalition operated a total of 33 tax sites resulting in total of 41,373 federal and state returns – almost 12,000 more than the 2021 tax season!
Over $38 million in federal and state refunds were brought back to San Diego County – an increase of over $10 million compared to the year prior – and clients saved over $2.7 million in tax preparation fees with an average of $188 per return. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, EITC is responsible for putting money back in the pockets of those who needed the financial assistance most. The extra funds from tax credits can be life-altering as it allows families to ease the burden of basic essentials and unexpected expenses.
PARTNERS: The EITC Coalition is comprised of over 30 community partner organizations dedicated to providing a clear pathway to tax assistance for families in San Diego County. The Coalition is anchored by a partnership among the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, the IRS, Dreams for Change, 211 San Diego, and UWSD.
“Through PCL’s partnership with United Way of San Diego County, our employees have a way to give back to the causes they care about and to get more involved in their community on a professional and personal level. Together, we can help more children and families in San Diego thrive.”
— Lucas Mallory, San Diego Area Manager, PCL Construction
UWSD has long partnered with hundreds of local companies on workplace giving campaigns, employee volunteerism, and other social purpose activities. From workplace campaigns to volunteerism, UWSD aligns with corporate partners and leverages the time and talents of their workforce to transform lives in San Diego County. UWSD provides corporate partners ways to engage their employees and enhance company culture through an array of opportunities to get involved, such as volunteerism, virtual campaigns, and the Nonprofit Board Certification & Matching Program. UWSD’s Corporate Social Responsibility team provides businesses the chance for employees to discover how rewarding it is to give back to important social issues within our community.
As companies transitioned back to the office, many partners opted to get involved in community efforts through in-person Day of Service events. UWSD offers a wide range of traditional volunteerism events including group projects and team building exercises. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, we are proud to say that 382 volunteers donated their time and talents to support seven local nonprofits throughout the year. Projects included filling and distributing backpacks with school supplies for students, and packing food for military families experiencing food insecurity.
UWSD partners with the Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego to train local leaders on nonprofit governance and how to give and derive the most value from nonprofit board service. Twenty-two aspiring and current board members participated in the program during the year.
This year, UWSD hosted three major campaigns to address needs in San Diego County. UWSD’s 20212022 campaigns included Read Across America, an inaugural Crockpot Drive, and Back to School Drive, through which we were able to impact thousands of local San Diegans. As a result of the generous contributions of individual donors and corporate sponsors, we made a significant impact on local families by addressing food insecurity as well as providing childhood education and literacy support. UWSD acknowledges that the entire family’s needs must be assessed and met holistically for a child to thrive. Together, we are reimagining our future and rebuilding our community to ensure a more equitable society for every child, young adult, and family across the county.
books donated to local children
$13k+ donated to purchase books and support our work in the community
Our Read Across America Book Drive aims to increase children’s access to books at home and foster a nation of confident and engaged readers. Studies show that enhancing a child’s access to books at home significantly impacts their long-term learning and overall academic success. Unfortunately, many students, particularly in low-income communities, do not have high-quality, ageappropriate books in their homes. Over 2,000 books were donated to local families to support childhood literacy development. The donations allowed students to build their own libraries and continue to foster a love for reading outside of school.
PARTNERS & SPONSORS: Warwick’s, Libélula Books & Co., Navy Federal Credit Union, Holman Enterprises, GEICO
This year, UWSD launched its first annual Holiday Crockpot Drive for local military families experiencing food insecurity. Here at UWSD, we recognize that a crockpot is more than just that – it gives busy families the ability to cook at home, become more sustainable, stretch a dollar, and most importantly, brings families together over dinner. Over 220 crockpots were collected and distributed to Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) to help local active-duty military, veterans, and their families during the holidays, helping us to serve those who serve our country.
SPONSORS: Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, Higgs Fletcher & Mack, Rick Engineering
500 backpacks distributed to children at Joyner Elementary School
$8.4k in school supplies given to local children
There are many families in San Diego County who can’t afford to meet their basic needs, and scarcity can cripple a child’s ability to learn and thrive. Buying new school supplies can place a huge financial burden on families. Our goal through this drive is to provide some relief to those households in need of support and give students an equal opportunity to start the school year. UWSD donated over 500 backpacks and hundreds of new school supplies to Joyner Elementary School in support of Every Student, Every Family in City Heights. The drive is part of UWSD’s ongoing efforts to address inequities in our community and close the gaps in learning and economic mobility so that all San Diegans can thrive.
SPONSORS: Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, Takeda
“The biggest gap that I see is the gap of access and standing. If you look at the typical measures of community success, graduation rates, medical outcomes, income, criminal justice involvement, you’ll see a very familiar pattern. And what that pattern is telling us is that there is a bias built into our institutions and our culture that advantages some people and disadvantages others. And the great challenge for people in all fields, is to be able to see that in a way, and take ownership of it, and do something about it.”
— Jeff Light, Publisher and Editor in Chief, The San Diego Union-Tribune
United Way of San Diego County and the San Diego Council on Literacy have joined forces to create The Gap Minders podcast, a platform where we engage listeners in thinking critically about some of our world’s most pressing issues and be compelled to take action. Our weekly episodes address institutional gaps in education, race, wealth, health, and literacy through insightful and constructive conversations with some of the most renowned thought leaders.
We bring together education experts, political figures dedicated to improving our region, and influential changemakers passionate about equity for all children and families.
This year, we were proud to host notable guests such as:
• Dr. Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State
• Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary of United States Department of Education
• Richard Lederer, Co-Founding Host of “A Way with Words”
Through The Gap Minders, we hope to inform, educate, and inspire action within listeners and the greater community, one conversation at a time.
SPONSORS: Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, San Diego Foundation, Cloudcast
“I have benefited from networking with women in many ways over the years. I have met valuable contacts, been able to share ideas, and have built lasting friendships. We have come together (United) with a common purpose to transform lives in a positive way. These forums also provide the opportunity to build authentic relationships where we inspire and support each other personally and professionally.”
— Leslie Oliver, Women United ChairEmerging Leaders is a diverse network of young professionals who are committed to creating stronger, healthier, and more compassionate communities. Join this group of passionate leaders to make an impact by volunteering in the San Diego region, building your professional network, and developing your leadership skills alongside dynamic local community leaders.
Any individual who donates $500 annually to UWSD will qualify to be part of Emerging Leaders.
Women United is a diverse network of professional, community-minded women who share an interest in giving back, and supporting the well-being of women and children throughout the San Diego region. Members participate in quarterly engagement opportunities that connect them to the community and cultivate a personal and professional network of incredible female leaders. Each funding cycle, members designate
This past year, Emerging Leaders hosted the following events:
• The Rady Shell Tour at Jacobs Park
• Crockpots & Cocktails Networking Happy Hour
• Read Across America Day
• Books & Brews Networking Event
• Workplace Tour of an Amazon Fulfillment Center
• Annual Member Celebration & Panel Discussion
grants to internal UWSD initiatives, nonprofit partners helping to improve the lives of women and children in San Diego County, and scholarships to our local graduating high school seniors.
Last year, Women United members invested $150,000 in the following project areas to support the advancement of women and children in our region:
• 10 Scholarships to local high school students pursuing university, community college, or trades
• Armed Services YMCA – Camp Pendleton’s Operation Little Learners Initiative promoting early childhood learning
• Seed funding for UWSD’s STEAM- to-Careers initiative supporting exposure to STEAM-related careers for middle and high school aged students
Any individual who donates $1,000 annually to UWSD will qualify to be part of Women United.
The generous support from corporate partners, foundations, and local philanthropists ensures that every child, young adult, and family has the opportunity to thrive as a result of the impact from UWSD’s education and economic mobility work. UWSD recognizes these donors for their strong commitment to our community and building an equitable San Diego County.
• The JEM Project
• U.S. Bank Foundation
• MUFG Union Bank Foundation
• Nellie Thatcher Perkins Foundation
• Samuel I. & John Henry Fox Foundation
• Wells Fargo Foundation
• The County of San Diego – Neighborhood Reinvestment Program
• The County of San Diego – Community Enhancement Program
CHAIR, BOARD of DIRECTORS
Tony R. Russell, CRM, MMC Director | Board Services/ Authority Clerk
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR, FINANCE COMMITTEE
Jacob M. Richards
Senior Vice-President
California Bank & Trust
Megan Blair
Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives
Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation
Ryan Blalack
Sales Operations Manager West Zone | UPS
Mark Corley
Senior Vice President, Analytics Marchex Inc.
BOARD SECRETARY (July 2021)
Allie Matthews Commercial & Finance Director
GKN Aerospace
Javier Iglesias
Senior Vice President
Business Banking Market Leader U.S. Bank
Amber Kramer Chief Financial Officer Guild Mortgage
Keith Maddox
Founder & CEO Union Biz Solutions, LLC
Leslie Oliver
Director of Global Supply Chain Solar Turbines, Incorporated
Paul Rash
BOARD SECRETARY (Aug 2021 – June 2022)
Eli Rinn Senior Manager Deloitte & Touche LLP.
CHAIR, GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Dr. David Andrews, Ph.D. President (ret) National University
CHAIR, GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Derek Danziger President Katz & Associates
Vice President & Head of Distribution Finance Wells Fargo, Community Banking
Kian Saneii
Founder/CEO/ Chairman of the Board Independa, Inc.
Michael Woitkoski
Managing Partner, Personal CFO
The Wealth Consulting Group
Kisha Borden President
San Diego Education Association
Carol Kim
CHAIR, MARKETING COMMITTEE
Ka’eo Griffin
Senior Healthcare
Logistics Manager UPS
CHAIR, POLICY
Dr. Constance Carroll
President & CEO California Community College Baccalaureate Association
San Diego Mesa College
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Alexis S. Gutierrez, Esq. Partner
Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP
Director of Community Engagement; Political Director San Diego Buliding & Construction Trades Council
Align with like-minded community partners to address deep-rooted inequities in our region. Leverage thoughtful strategy and collective resources to create long-lasting impact. Transform the lives of children and families in historically underserved communities.
Aligning Partners. Leveraging Resources. Transforming Lives.
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