United Way Of Western Connecticut Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF HARDWORKING, STRUGGLING HOUSEHOLDS BY MOBILIZING THE RESOURCES OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE. UNITED WAY OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT IS THE CHAMPION FOR FAMILIES LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK IN OUR 15-TOWN REGION ACROSS NORTHERN FAIRFIELD COUNTY, SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD COUNTY, AND THE CITY OF STAMFORD. WE FOCUS ON THREE KEY AREAS: EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND HEALTH. OUR VISION IS THAT EVERY FAMILY IS HEALHTY AND STRONG, EVERY HOUSEHOLD IS FINANCIALLY STABLE, AND EVERY CHILD ENTERS SCHOOL READY TO LEARN AND GRADUATES READY TO SUCCEED. WE ARE FOCUSED ON A POPULATION THAT UNITED WAY CALLS ALICE (ASSET LIMITED, INCOME CONSTRAINED, EMPLOYED). ALICE HOUSEHOLDS ARE EMPLOYED, OFTEN IN MORE THAN ONE JOB, YET OFTEN CANNOT AFFORD BASIC NECESSITIES LIKE FOOD, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, CHILD CARE, AND HEALTHCARE. A UNITED WAY REPORT PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2020 REVEALED THAT 38% OF HOUSEHOLDS THROUGHOUT CONNECTICUT ARE ALICE OR LIVE IN POVERTY.

COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS: UNITED WAY SUPPORTS PROGRAMS THAT MAKE A CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND HEALTH. BOTH DOLLARS AND VOLUNTEER EFFORTS ARE LEVERAGED, AND UNITED WAY INVESTS IN PROGRAMS THAT DEMONSTRATE STRONG OUTCOMES, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND FOCUS ON LONG-TERM CHANGE. BOARD MEMBERS, COMMUNITY COUNCILS, AND VOLUNTEERS MAKE FUNDING DECISIONS ON A LOCAL LEVEL IN THREE COMMUNITIES THAT REPRESENT THE WESTERN CONNECTICUT REGION. GRANTS ARE ALSO MADE TO NONPROFITS ACROSS OUR REGION TO HELP SUPPORT RESIDENTS WHO FALL AT OR BELOW THE ALICE INCOME THRESHOLD. IN ADDITION TO DIRECT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS FUNDED, NEARLY ONE HALF OF ALL INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE DESIGNATED TO SPECIFIC 501C3 ORGANIZATIONS.

COMMUNITY IMPACT INITIATIVES: WHERE GAPS IN CRITICAL SERVICES EXIST, UNITED WAY DEVELOPS DIRECT PROGRAMS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALICE HOUSEHOLDS. THIS INCLUDES SEVERAL INITIATIVES THAT FOCUS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, YOUTH ENRICHMENT, ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD, AND FINANCIAL STABILITY. UNITED WAY IS THE LEAD FISCAL AGENT FOR STAMFORD CRADLE TO CAREER, A COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVE THAT STRIVES FOR EQUITY IN EDUCATION FOR EVERY STAMFORD CHILD, FROM CRADLE TO CAREER. IT IS A COMMUNITY-WIDE PARTNERSHIP WITH MORE THAN 60 ACTIVE MEMBERS, INCLUDING NONPROFITS, BUSINESSES, AND THE STAMFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.EDUCATION: UNITED WAY OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT PROVIDES FUNDING TO CHILD CARE CENTERS AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO MAKE QUALITY CARE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES. LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 7,300 CHILDREN BENEFITTED FROM THAT FUNDING. OUR ALICE ENRICHMENT FUND COVERS THE COST OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS MUSIC LESSONS, SWIM LESSONS, AND SPORTS, FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, PROVIDING UP TO $300 PER CHILD PER YEAR AND $900 PER FAMILY. NEARLY 1,500 CHILDREN HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2017. OUR CORA'S KIDS INITIATIVE SUPPORTS THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF HIGH QUALITY, AFFORABLE, ACCESSIBLE CHILD CARE SLOTS IN GREATER DANBURY AND GREATER NEW MILFORD. TO DATE, THE PROGRAM HAS EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF LICENSED FAMILY HOME CARE PROVIDERS TO MORE THAN 80, WHILE CREATING OVER 490 NEW QUALITY CHILD CARE SPACES.HEALTH: UNITED WAY TAKES A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO ASSIST ALICE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE FOOD INSECURE. THE HEALTHY SAVINGS PROGRAM ALLOWS ALICE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO RECEIVE $10 OF FREE, FRESH PRODUCE EACH WEEK, AS WELL AS SAVINGS OF $50 OR MORE ON OTHER HEALTHY FOOD DISCOUNTS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THAN 1,200 FAMILIES HAVE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM, RECEIVING MORE THAN $210,000 IN FREE, FRESH PRODUCE. UNITED WAY ALSO SERVES AS THE CONVENING ENTITY FOR BOTH THE STAMFORD FOOD COLLABORATIVE AND THE DANBURY FOOD COLLABORATIVE. EACH COLLABORATIVE HAS A MEMBERSHIP OF ROUGHLY TWO DOZEN REPRESENTATIVES INCLUDING FOOD PANTRIES, FOOD BANKS, SHELTERS, GROCERY STORES, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER AGENCIES THAT WORK TOGETHER WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO STRATEGICALLY ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY. THE COLLABORATIVES HAVE CREATED FOOD GUIDES FOR DANBURY AND STAMFORD, ORGANIZED FOOD RESCUE EFFORTS WITH LOCAL GROCERY RETAILERS AND THE US POSTAL CARRIERS, AND JOINTLY SOUGHT GRANTS THAT FUNDED THE PURCHASE OF REFRIGERATION UNITS THAT ALLOWED PANTRIES TO OFFER FRESH FOOD TO THEIR CLIENTS. IN ADDITION, WE PARTNERED WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, AND SCHOOLS TO DISTRIBUTE HOLIDAY MEALS TO NEEDY FAMILIES.FINANCIAL STABILITY: AS PART OF OUR FINANCIAL STABILITY EFFORTS, WE FUND AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE BUDGET COACHING SERVICES, HELPING MORE THAN 530 ALICE INDIVIDUALS TO DEVELOP HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS, IMPROVE THEIR CREDIT SCORES, AND SET SAVINGS GOALS.IN ADDITION, WE DEVELOP AND RUN THE ALICE SAVES PROGRAM, WHICH INCENTIVIZES ALICE INDIVIDUALS TO SAVE MONEY WHILE ALSO PROVIDING THEM WITH FREE ONLINE BUDGET COACHING THROUGH TRUSTPLUS. THE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA)PROGRAM THAT WE SUPPORT SERVED MORE THAN 900 TAX FILERS, RESULTING IN FEDERAL REFUNDS OF MORE THAN $7.2 MILLION AND $381,000 SAVED THROUGH THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT(EITC). VOLUNTEERISM: UNITED WAY WORKS WITH COMPANIES AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS TO COORDINATE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES ACROSS OUR REGION. IN DANBURY, UNITED WAY OPERATES THE SAVE PROGRAM (SENIORS ADD VALUABLE EXPERIENCE), WHICH PROVIDES INCOME-ELIGIBLE DANBURY RESIDENTS OVER THE AGE OF 65 OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER 100 HOURS PER YEAR IN LOCAL NONPROFITS AND CITY AGENCIES AND IN RETURN, RECEIVE A PROPERTY TAX CREDIT. IN 2021-22, 21 SENIORS VOLUNTEERED, PROVIDING 3,362 VOLUNTEER HOURS TO 15 DANBURY AGENCIES, RESULTING IN TAX SAVINGS OF $14,700 FOR DANBURY SENIORS. VOLUNTEER COMMITTEES IN STAMFORD, DANBURY, AND NEW MILFORD BRING TOGETHER CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ASSIST WITH PROJECTS AROUND EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND HEALTH. THIS INCLUDES PROJECTS LIKE BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVES, HOLIDAY MEAL DRIVES, GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEES, AND OUR ANNUAL DAY OF ACTION. IN 2021-2022, UNITED WAY HELD ITS DAY OF ACTION IN STAMFORD, GREATER DANBURY, AND GREATER NEW MILFORD. OVER 300 VOLUNTEERS FROM 12+ COMPANIES SERVED MORE THAN TWO DOZEN NONPROFITS WITH OUTDOOR BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS. ALL TOGETHER, UNITED WAY COORDINATED 3,793 VOLUNTEERS, WHO PERFORMED A TOTAL OF 8,930+ HOURS OF SERVICE IN 2021-2022.

PROSPERITY DIGITAL MARKETPLACE: UWWC FORMED A SINGLE MEMBER LLC IN 2019, PROSPERITY DIGITAL MARKETPLACE (PDM), THAT IS A SUBSIDIARY ORGANIZATION UNDER THE SAME TAX ID. THE PURPOSE OF THE LLC IS TO DEVELOP, OPERATE AND LICENSE A TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM THAT DELIVERS NEEDED SERVICES TO HOUSEHOLDS THAT STRUGGLE TO PAY FOR BASIC NECESSITIES, SUCH AS FOOD, HOUSING, CHILD CARE, HEALTH CARE AND TRANSPORTATION. THE LLC QUALIFIES AS A DISREGARDED ENTITY UNDER INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE REGULATIONS, AND ACCORDINGLY, THEIR FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE REPORTED WITHIN THE TAX RETURNS OF UNITED WAY.AN INDEPENDENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS GOVERNS PDM. THE MAJORITY BOARD MEMBERS ARE MEMBERS OF UWWC BOARD, BUT ALSO INCLUDE EXTERNAL DIRECTORS. PDM BUILT A TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM IN 2021 NAMED PROSPERI-KEY. THE PLATFORM QUALIFIES A MEMBER'S INCOME AND PROVIDES ACCESS TO RESOURCES FROM PARTNERS IN THE SECTORS OF BUSINESS, NONPROFIT, GOVERNMENT, AND PHILANTHROPY. PROSPERI-KEY PARTNERS WITH LOCAL UNITED WAYS TO RECRUIT MEMBERS AND PARTNERS AND PROVIDES A REVENUE SHARE MODEL FOR SPONSORS AND ADVERTISERS. PROSPERI-KEY IS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE US, WITH AN INITIAL FOCUS ON WESTERN CT, GREATER DAYTON OH, AND BUFFALO AND EERIE COUNTY NY.