ALMetro360 July 2018

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter JULY 2018 75 appy 95th Anniversary, River Region United Way! Ninety-five years of continuous serv- ice to this community is quite an achievement! An achievement that is not possible without the tireless efforts of thousands of people across our communities who are commit- ted to making life better for everyone. Yet for me, the mood doesn’t exactly feel celebratory. While I may enjoy a slice of cake, I’m not planning any parties with music or dancing. Instead, our or- ganization and its leadership are having one of those reflective birthdays. You know, the kind where you thoughtfully consider whether you’re living up to your values and maximizing your potential. Like your grandfather, we believe everyone should be treated as a neighbor. That we should serve others with dignity and empower them to help themselves. We think everyone deserves opportunities to have a good life – a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through re- tirement, and good health. C HANGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY While the River Region United Way has been around since your grandfather was born, we’re no longer your grandfather’s United Way. We can’t be. The world around us is changing, as are the needs in our communities, and we, too, are changing. This year, Jason Goodson, the first millennial to lead the organization, succeeded Katherine J. Webb as RRUW Chair of the Board. Simple demographics are forcing all nonprofits to reconsider their work. Once the backbone of non- profit support, Baby Boomers are rapidly exiting the workforce. Individuals are giving differently – ranging from giving through crowd-sourced funding to increases in donations through pri- vate foundations. Private, for-profit businesses are now competing suc- cessfully for the delivery of serv- ices in areas that previously were almost exclusively the do- main of nonprofit organiza- tions. Changes in federal funding for programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutri- tion Assistance Program) would have a significant impact on nonprofits serving seniors or families with children. Philanthropy and human and social services are evolving, and those organiza- tions that fail to reflect, innovate and change will be first to fail in fulfilling their missions. Don’t count the River Region United Way among that bunch. M AXIMIZING OUR IMPACT Time-tested strategies like persistent fundraising, well-connected boards, and effective internal man- agement are essential, of course, but like a plywood campaign thermometer, they are hardly sufficient in today’s world. Successful organizations work with and through others to create a greater impact than they could ever achieve alone. They engage and mobilize hundreds of individuals locally, which is why River Region United Way’s work with community needs assess- ments is so crucial. If you’re going to address the most pressing problems facing a community, you’d better know what those problems are. So, we conduct annual needs assessments in our five-county service area to identify the challenges facing each county. We also engage networks, recruit volunteers, build corporate partnerships, inspire and connect with donors to support our work financially through our annual fundraising campaign. In short, we acquire the resources necessary to carry out our mission. What makes United Way unique is our ability to nurture larger networks of nonprofits and collabo- rate, rather than compete, with our peers. We focus not just on our work, but also on the relentless pur- suit of results through the 90+ programs we fund at more than 40 local nonprofits. We allocate funds to programs based on evidence, facts and results. Com- pelling stories may tug at the heartstrings but positive outcomes create changed lives and opportunities for everyone. Lastly, we hold ourselves accountable for your in- vestments in the community. Learning by using data to evaluate program progress and results, we chal- lenge our own assumptions, and improve our work as well as the work of our affiliate partners. If United Way is all about making social change, then we need to “walk the talk.” While your grandfather may have supported the United Way because “it was the right thing to do” or H T HE WORLD AROUND US IS CHANGING , AS ARE THE NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITIES , AND WE , TOO , ARE CHANGING .