The Road to Community Impact:New Answers to Old Questions
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 2
To improve lives by mobilizing
the caring power of communities
Mission of the United Way System
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 3
United Way’s Traditional Approach to Improving Lives
Mobilizing communities
DIRECT IMPACT
financial resources of businesses and
employees
of program clients
to
support services for individuals and families
that
improve lives
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 4
to
Mobilizing communities
that
DIRECT IMPACT
COMMUNITY IMPACTpeople, time, talent,
relationships, expertise, technology, money, etc.
of community populations
support services for individuals and families
create lasting community changes
improve lives
financial resources of businesses and
employees
of program clients
New Model for Improving Lives Emphasizes a Community-level Approach
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 5
For more information on the
community impact approach, see
What Is “Community Impact”?
on United Way Online (keyword: WhatIsCI)
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 6
The Road to Community Impact
If you continue to think
as you have always thought,
you will continue to get
what you have always gotten.
- Marilyn Ferguson The Aquarian Conspiracy
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 7
Achieving community impact calls for new answers to questions about
The Road to Community Impact
• Strategies
• Partners
• Ownership
• United Way’s role
• Mobilizing resources
• Communicating the brand
• United Way operations
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Question #1
How Do We Improve Lives?
Not by funding an assortment of direct services
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 9
Program clients
Direct impact approachImproving Lives
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 10
Question #1
How Do We Improve Lives?
By creating lasting changes in community conditions and
By investing in direct services that contribute to larger community-change strategies
Not by funding an assortment of direct services
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 11
Systems
Neighborhoods
Personal networks
Organizatio
ns
Improving Lives
Community population
Improving Lives
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 12
Systems
Community population
Neighborhoods
Personal networks
Organizatio
ns
Community
impact
approach
Improving Lives
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 13
Improving LivesSystems
Neighborhoods
Personal networks
Organizatio
ns
Community population
Community
impact
approach
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 14
communityimpact
This Means Changing Our FilterFROM . . .
agen
cies
foundations
labor groupsacademia
neighborhoodassociations
volunteerorganizations
governmentcommunity systems
faith-based
groups
companiesindividuals
United
Way
filter
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 15
com
mun
ity im
pact
foundationsneighborhood associationscompaniesfaith-based groups
individualscommunity systemslabor groupsvolunteer organizationsgovernmentacademia
agencies
This Means Changing Our FilterTO . . .
filter
United
Way
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 16
Question #2
Who Are Partners in Improving Lives?
Not only agencies
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 17
Systems
A Range of Community Assets
Neighborhoods
Personal Networks
Organizations
Community populations
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 18
Question #2
Who Are Partners in Improving Lives?
Not only agencies
Whoever can play a role
Companies Individuals Labor groups Government Foundations Media Academia
Institutions Systems Formal organizations Informal networks Faith-based groups Neighborhood associations . . . . . .
Agencies
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 19
Improved lives
Institutions
Corporations
Associations Neighborhoods
Faith community
United Way
Government
Individuals Agencies Labor groups Academia etc.Foundations
C o m m u n i t y a s s e t s / p a r t n e r s / i n v e s t o r s
Working Together to Change the Community
Community plan for action
Targeted changes in community conditions
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Not only United Way
A community partnership
The partners own it
The partners are accountable for it
The partners share responsibility and credit
Question #3
Who Owns a Community Impact Effort?
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Not only funder/fundraiser
A variety of roles – potentially. . .
Question #4
What Is United Way’s Role?
Policy advocate Resource mobilizer Fundraiser Investor/funder Philanthropic advisor Behind-the-scenes
facilitator . . . . . .
Community engager Catalyst for voluntarism Convener Partner/collaborator Leader Data provider & analyst Issue educator Planning specialist Implementation manager
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 22
United Way Might Contribute to a Community Impact Effort by . . .
Assembling and packaging data that a coalition needs to present its case to state and local decision makers
Raising corporate CEOs’ understanding of the effects of homelessness on the community
Helping the health department and school system work out more effective back-up for school nurses
Mustering 2,000 letters in support of increased funding for housing rehabilitation
Engaging a civic group to administer an endowed scholarship fund for children of recent immigrants
Securing donations of 200 new computers with technical support for homebound seniors
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 23
Employee giving Corporate donations Government & foundation
grants Major gifts Planned gifts/endowments Targeted sponsorships
Not only an annual workplace campaign
A diversified, multi-year plan to develop resources needed for community impact plans
Question #5
How Do We Mobilize Resources?
Leveraged funds Fees for service Gifts by web In-kind contributions
. . .
. . .
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What Resources Do We Need?
Not only money
Skills Expertise Advice Leadership Influence Volunteers Time Technology Financial assets . . . . . .
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Not only a general request
Also targeted requests for resources tied to specific strategies from relevant donor and volunteer segments
How Do We Target Our Efforts?
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With year-round communications that depict United Way as a leader in community change and
With some strategic communications tailored to the interests of selected market segments
Question #6
How Do We Communicate Our Brand?
Not with communications only about funding/ fundraising and only during the campaign
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Question #7
How Does United Way Operate?
As a community impact business:
Not as two separate businesses:
Resource Development
Resource Distribution
all organizational resources & activities aligned for community impact
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Alignment
Also volunteers
Not only staff
Not staff knowing only about their own function
Staff understanding how their function integrates into the organization’s overall plan
Not all staff having the same skills
Staff having specialized skills, yet working together
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Not just about organizational charts or job descriptions
More about mindset and culture
Alignment
In achieving community impact, all functions share responsibility
In mobilizing resources, all functions share responsibility
In creating the brand experience, all functions share responsibility
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 30
Improved lives
Targeted changes in community conditions
Community plan for action
Aligning to Help Change the Community
Resource development
Volun
teer
s
Finance
Agency relationsCom
mun
ity re
sear
ch
Public policy
Inve
stor
rel
atio
ns
Comm
unity investmentM
arke
ting
&
com
mun
icat
ions
Gov
erna
nceStaff H
uman resources
Technology
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 31
The Road to Community Impact: Changing Directions
United Way owns the effort
Ask donors for money once a year for “the campaign”
From
Improving lives by funding an assortment of servicesPartners are primarily agencies
United Way’s role is only funder/fundraiser
Standardized funding/ fundraising message
The partners own the effort
Seek resources for specific purposes from diverse sources
Messages – some tailored – about UW leadership in change
Partners are whoever can play a role
To
Improving lives by creating community change
United Way operates as two separate businesses
All organizational resources align
United Way plays various roles
The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions 32
• This is a journey
• It will take time
• It will take many steps
• It will not be easy
• We have much to build on
• We have more to learn
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Related Resources on United Way Online
• Aligning for Impact (keyword: Alignment)
• Brand Management (keyword: Brand)
• Communication for the Community Impact United Way: A Planning Guide (keyword: Communications_Guide)
• Community Impact (keyword: CommunityImpact)
• Hometown Literacy Partnership Experience (keyword: Hometown)
• Resource Development (keyword: ResourceDevelopment)
• United Way Knowledge Café (keyword: Cafe)
• What Is Community Impact? (keyword: WhatIsCI)
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