United Way Of Allen County Inc

TO BOLDLY IMPACT CRITICAL COMMUNITY ISSUES WITH A VISION OF EFFECTIVELY TRANSFORMING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH MEASURABLE IMPACT.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS: UNITED WAY OF ALLEN COUNTY PROVIDES FUNDING TO 30 ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES ADDRESSING THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUES AROUND CHILDHOOD SUCCESS, YOUTH SUCCESS, ADULT SUCCESS, AND SAFETY NET SERVICES THAT IMPACT ALICE HOUSEHOLDS. ADDITIONALLY, UNITED WAY INVESTS IN VARIOUS COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS (KINDERGARTEN COUNTDOWN, VITA, ON MY WAY PRE-K) THROUGHOUT ALLEN COUNTY.

IN MARCH 2020, WE LAUNCHED OUR EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND TO HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF ALLEN COUNTY RESIDENTS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY COVID ECONOMIC IMPACTS. WE ESTABLISHED AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MADE UP OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL FOUNDATIONS, UNITED WAY BOARD MEMBERS, AND NON-PROFIT LEADERS TO ASSIST IN MAKING GRANT AWARD DECISIONS. SINCE THE FUND LAUNCHED, WE HAVE PROVIDED OVER 82 AWARDS TO 40 DIFFERENT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. THESE AWARDS HAVE FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED EFFORTS IN FOOD/MEAL DISTRIBUTION, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, EMERGENCY SHELTER, MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION, MEDICAL TRANSLATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES RELATED TO COVID STRESSORS. IN ADDITION TO AWARDS TO INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES, FIVE INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN FUNDED. ONE INITIATIVE WAS A PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT PROVIDED A RECOVERY SITE FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS EITHER DIAGNOSED WITH OR EXPOSED TO COVID-19. THE OTHER INITIATIVE FUNDED A FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COLLABORATION TO HELP INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY JOB LOSS OR REDUCED HOURS RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC WITH RENT/MORTGAGE, UTILITIES, AND OTHER FINANCIAL NEEDS. A THIRD INITIATIVE FUNDED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TARGETED TOWARD MINORITIES THAT HAVE DISPROPORTIONATELY MORE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND HAVE BEEN MOST IMPACTED BY THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC. A FOURTH INITIATIVE WAS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT AND YOUTH SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELPS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OBTAIN NECESSARY HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS TO STAY ON TRACK TOWARD GRADUATION. THE STUDENTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED BY REMOTE LEARNING DUE TO LACK OF INTERNET ACCESS AND FELL BEHIND IN CREDIT COMPLETION. THE FIFTH INITIATIVE PROVIDED FUNDING TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY COVID-19 VACCINATION EFFORTS. DURING THE SPRING OF 2022, THE LAST OF THE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND DOLLARS WERE GRANTED TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS. ONE OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WAS FUNDED OUT OF THE LAST OF THE ERF DOLLARS WAS A MULTI-PARTNER COLLABORATION THAT ADDRESSED EVICTIONS FOR NON-PAYMENT AFTER THE FEDERAL EVICTION MORATORIUM WAS LIFTED IN AUGUST 2021. THIS IS A COMMUNITY INITIATIVE THAT CONTINUES TODAY.

DONOR DESIGNATIONS: UNITED WAY OF ALLEN COUNTY (UWAC) DIRECTS DESIGNATED CONTRIBUTIONS (50 OR MORE) TO FUNDED PARTNERS OR TO LOCAL UNITED WAYS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. WHEN A DONOR DESIGNATES A GIFT, THOSE DOLLARS ARE PROVIDED TO THE AGENCY AS A PART OF THE FUNDING THAT EACH ORGANIZATION RECEIVES FROM UNITED WAY OF ALLEN COUNTY. DESIGNATED GIFTS IN EXCESS OF THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FROM UWAC (AS DETERMINED BY COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS) ARE USED AT THE AGENCY'S DISCRETION AND ARE NOT MONITORED BY UNITED WAY OF ALLEN COUNTY TO ENSURE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE ACHIEVING MEASURABLE RESULTS. UNITED WAY OF ALLEN COUNTY HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE OUTCOMES GENERATED BY THESE DESIGNATED DONATIONS. IF THE AMOUNT OF THE DESIGNATION IS IN EXCESS OF THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT, UWAC RETAINS 15.1% OF THE ACTUAL AMOUNT COLLECTED ON DESIGNATED PLEDGES TO PARTNER AGENCIES IN ORDER TO RECOVER THE FUNDRAISING AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. UWAC RETAINS 15% OF DESIGNATED GIFTS TO UNITED WAYS/FUNDS THAT ARE PART OF THE NORTHEAST INDIANA CONSORTIUM AND 15.1% ON GIFTS TO OTHER UNITED WAYS. NO OTHER FEES OR PERCENTAGES ARE CHARGED AGAINST THESE GIFTS.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS: UNITED WAY OF ALLEN COUNTY INVESTS IN NUMEROUS COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT CONVENE MULTIPLE PARTNERS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS IN THE COMMUNITY IN A TWO-GENERATIONAL APPROACH THROUGH OUR IMPACT AREAS OF CHILDHOOD SUCCESS, YOUTH SUCCESS, ADULT SUCCESS AND SAFETY NET SERVICES THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED SOLUTIONS. --DAY OF CARING: OUR 29TH ANNUAL UNITED WAY DAY OF CARING WAS STILL SMALLER DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE DID SEE AN INCREASE OVER 2020 VOLUNTEER NUMBERS. IN 2021, OVER 1,100 VOLUNTEERS, CONTRIBUTING OVER 6,450 VOLUNTEER HOURS COMPLETED 52 PROJECTS. UNITED WAY WORKS TOGETHER WITH AGENCIES AND VOLUNTEERS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, MAKING ALLEN COUNTY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK. PROJECTS SUBMITTED FOR DAY OF CARING ARE COMPLETED IN ONE DAY AND TYPICALLY CONSIST OF CLEANING, LANDSCAPING, PAINTING AND OTHER GENERAL MAINTENANCE. PROJECTS TAKE PLACE AT NON-PROFIT AGENCIES, SCHOOLS OR PRIVATE RESIDENCES COORDINATED BY NEIGHBORLINK. --KINDERGARTEN COUNTDOWN: KINDERGARTEN COUNTDOWN COMPLETED ITS EIGHTH YEAR WHERE 113 CHILDREN ATTENDED CLASSES IN THE SCHOOLS THEY WILL BE ATTENDING IN THE FALL. THE PROGRAM OPERATES IN TWO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND EMPHASIZES CLASSROOM SKILLS LIKE RAISING HANDS AND LINING UP QUIETLY AS WELL AS STRENGTHENING THE LITERACY SKILLS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO LEARN TO READ. THIS YEAR'S STUDENTS SHOWED AN 18 PERCENT INCREASE IN BASIC LITERACY SKILLS AND A 25 PERCENT INCREASE IN SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SCORES FROM THE ASSESSMENTS COMPLETED AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE FOUR-WEEK PROGRAM. THERE WAS A 48 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ABLE TO WRITE THEIR NAME. --ON MY WAY PRE-K PILOT: ON MY WAY PRE-K IS THE NAME OF INDIANA'S FIRST STATE-FUNDED PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM, WHICH WAS APPROVED AS A FIVE-COUNTY PILOT BY THE INDIANA GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN 2014. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE ON MY WAY PRE-K PILOT PROGRAM IS TO PROMOTE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) PROGRAMS FOR LOW-INCOME CHILDREN. ALLEN COUNTY WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF FIVE COUNTIES FOR THE PROGRAM AFTER DEMONSTRATING THE ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT. STATE FUNDING IS SECURED THROUGH A MATCH. UNITED WAY IS THE LEAD FOR THE ALLEN COUNTY PROGRAM AND IS THE PRIMARY FUNDRAISER FOR THE MATCH. THIS PAST YEAR 191 FOUR-YEAR-OLDS PARTICIPATED IN THE PRE-K PROGRAM IN ALLEN COUNTY. ALL PROVIDERS ARE AT A LEVEL 3 OR 4 ON THE PATHS TO QUALITY SYSTEM, INDIANA'S CHILD CARE QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM. --VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA): DURING THE 2022 VITA SEASON, TAX PREPARATION WAS OFFERED AT ONE SITE IN ALLEN COUNTY AND FOUR SITES IN DEKALB, NOBLE AND STEUBEN COUNTIES. THIS YEAR, OVER 40 VOLUNTEERS DONATED OVER 2,500 HOURS TO THIS EFFORT. OVER 3.1 MILLION WERE RETURNED TO OVER 2,600 RESIDENTS.