LIVING UNITED
2009, ISSUE II
Why United Way?
What Makes United Way of Central Ohio Different
When it comes to supporting nonprofit organizations donors have
plenty of choices. But there is only one organization that is looking
across health and human service nonprofits, seeing which ones
are the most effective and helping to guide their efforts and create
strategically coordinated community-wide change. That organization
is United Way of Central Ohio.
But even some long-time supporters aren’t aware of the many benefits
that come from having one of the strongest United Ways in the country
in our community. Here are some concrete ways United Way does what
no other organization can. The hallmarks of our approach are broad
vision, focused action, accountability and results.
Broad Vision
• Understanding the broad needs of our community - United Way is the one place where a large and diverse group of volunteer
experts come together, and build a local plan for progress for our entire community by setting goals and priorities that address both
immediate and long-term issues.
• Education, Income, Health and Home - United Way takes a holistic approach to addressing community issues by investing in
programs that help people achieve the building blocks of a good life -- education, income, health and home. Progress in each of these
areas creates and reinforces progress in others, multiplying the impact of each donor gift.
Focused Action
•Research - United Way gathers pertinent existing local data and funds research on specific issues where data hasn’t been compiled.
This research is used to determine the most pressing needs in our community and guide our collaborative efforts to address them.
• Concrete strategies and measurable goals - Volunteer experts have developed a comprehensive set of strategies and measurable
10-year Bold Goals to guide our work. No other organization offers such a comprehensive, yet concrete plan for how our community can
progress over the next decade.
• The right mix of programs – United Way volunteers use a competitive process to select the right mix of programs provided by both
long-time member agencies and new agency partners that will achieve our goals and create lasting change. This comprehensive process
ensures that donors’ gifts are being used effectively.
Accountability and Results
• Accountability - United Way holds every agency we fund accountable for the effective use of donors’ contributions. This oversight
provides peace of mind to donors who do not have the time to research local nonprofits.
• Results – United Way holds itself accountable for achieving community-level results such as those outlined in the Bold Goals, and
regularly reviews funded programs to ensure they are using proven strategies to produce measurable results and achieve our
shared goals.
• Trust - United Way’s trusted reputation for thoroughness means that member organizations that receive program funding are viewed
favorably by other funders, and can often leverage additional investments in their work.
President’s Update
It is a time for beginnings at
your United Way of Central Ohio.
A time to complete the careful
research and preparations we
have been making for many
months and embark on a new
era of our work. As you know, our
Board of Trustees approved tenyear Bold Goals this summer.
These ambitious goals will guide
our work for the next decade,
beginning in January, 2010.
Our goals represent a holistic approach to the issues that face us
in the interconnected areas of education, income, health and home.
And because successes in one area create and reinforce successes
in other areas, we can build momentum for our work and ultimately
achieve greater impact.
In just a few weeks our board will approve program funding that will
also begin in January. After a thoughtful and extensive review process
our volunteers and staff have recommended the programs that will
most effectively help us achieve our Bold Goals and create broad social
change. These programs will form a strong foundation for our future
work, but they are only part of what we need to do to achieve the Bold
Goals.
By helping United Way gather the support we will need to achieve
the Bold Goals, you can be a catalyst for change on a scale that is
greater than anything we have accomplished before. You can help
by continuing to give. Dramatic change will require a substantial
investment. Advocate. Tell your friends, family and professional
contacts about the important work of United Way, and of our shared
vision for the future. Volunteer. Give your time to help us achieve
the Bold Goals.
But we can only do that if we educate and engage our community.
That’s where we need your help. My long experience with the United
Way movement both as a volunteer and a professional leader has
taught me that engaged, energetic, caring people like you want to
pay your good fortune forward by creating opportunities for others
to succeed.
We must now rally support around our shared goals, and inspire the level
of generosity and commitment we will need to realize them. That means
we all have to rise to the challenge these goals represent and go beyond
anything our movement has done before.
In the past we have improved individual lives, and each time we did our
community got a little bit better. But as we work to achieve the Bold
Goals we have the opportunity to move to a higher, more powerful level
of change.
Janet E. Jackson
President and CEO
United Way of Central Ohio
Community leaders speak out in support of the bold goals
What do prominent community leaders like Mayor Michael Coleman, Franklin County
Commissioner Paula Brooks, and National City Bank president and CEO Michael Gonsiorowski
have to say about United Way’s Bold Goals?
Find out for yourself by going to
liveunitedcentralohio.org.
Click on “videos” at the bottom of the homepage,
then click on the video titled, “United Way of Central Ohio’s Bold Goals.”
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LIVING UNITED
Achieving the bold goals together
United Way of Central Ohio Works to Engage Our Community
and Build Support for the Bold Goals to Advance the Common Good
When United Way of Central Ohio announced
its 10-year Bold Goals in July, the message
was clear: it will take our entire community
working together to achieve these goals and
create broad social change. That message
came through in the significant news
coverage the announcement received.
Local television stations 10TV, NBC4 and
ABC6 each covered different areas of focus
for the goals – highlighting the holistic
approach the goals represent, and the many
partners it will take to achieve them. The
Columbus Dispatch interviewed several
volunteers who had a hand in developing
the Bold Goals, illustrating the diversity of
experience and perspectives of the people
involved with setting these landmark goals.
Since the announcement, United Way
volunteers and staff have been reaching
out to community members, educating them
on the importance of the Bold Goals, and
building support. An important milestone
in this effort came when United Way of
Central Ohio president and CEO Janet
E. Jackson addressed The Columbus
Metropolitan Club on September 16th.
Jackson’s remarks laid out the ambitious
nature of the goals and the significant
positive change that will take place in
central Ohio when they are achieved. “I’m
talking about transforming more lives in a
more meaningful way than we ever have in
the past,” she said.
Jackson went on to explain the thoughtful
approach that underlies the goals: “We know
the challenges that face us are complex and
interrelated, and if we only address one or
two aspects we cannot create fundamental
and lasting change. But, if we take a holistic
approach and develop a comprehensive
response that effectively deals with the key
obstacles that keep people from succeeding,
then we can provide the opportunities they
need to gain stability and thrive. That is
exactly what the Bold Goals do.”
The Columbus Dispatch generously donated
a full-page in its Sunday, September 13th
edition to help inform our community about
the Bold Goals.
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She ended with a strong call to action,
inviting audience members to get involved
and champion the Bold Goals. As a result
of the speech, more than half of the 100+
leaders who attended the event turned in a
commitment card indicating their intention
to be more involved with United Way.
Using this successful presentation as a
touchstone, United Way staff and volunteers
United Way is communicating the Bold
Goals message through the use of effective
materials like this z-card that lays out all
nine goals.
will continue to educate and engage our
community on the needs addressed by the
Bold Goals.
If you belong to a local civic organization and
would like to receive a presentation on the Bold
Goals, please visit liveunitedcentralohio.org,
click on “contact us” and leave your contact
information. A United Way staff member will
contact you to schedule a presentation.
United Way of Central Ohio president and CEO
Janet E. Jackson explains the development of
the Bold Goals and their importance to our
community to an audience of local leaders
at the Columbus Metropolitan Club.
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Thousands of Volunteers Make a Difference
Volunteer projects support the four areas of United Way’s work:
Education, Income, Health and Home
Thousands of people once again volunteered
to make a difference on United Way of Central
Ohio’s Community Care Day, the largest
single volunteering effort in central Ohio. On
September 15th, over 3,300 volunteers from
172 companies and government agencies
participated in almost 200 projects at local
schools and United Way member agencies.
Each year, Community Care Day saves
schools and agencies thousands of dollars
in equivalent labor costs. Projects ranged
from stocking food pantries and delivering
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meals to the homebound to repairing
and refurbishing school facilities in the
Columbus City, Southwestern City, and
Groveport Madison Local school districts.
Volunteer projects selected this year
highlight the four areas of United Way’s work
– education, income, health and home. In
July, United Way of Central Ohio announced
ambitious 10-year Bold Goals in each of
these four areas. Community Care Day
projects help build the infrastructure needed
to reach these goals.
“Community Care Day is a powerful example
of how people can make a difference by
volunteering through United Way,” said Janet
E. Jackson, president and CEO of United Way
of Central Ohio.
Community Care Day is sponsored by Bob
Evans Farms and the Kroger Company.
Their generosity supports the efforts of the
thousands of volunteers who are working to
advance the common good in central Ohio.
LIVING UNITED
At 18th Annual Community Care Day
“Community Care Day is a powerful example of how people
can make a difference by volunteering through United Way.”
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LEADERSHIP
GIVING
Tocqueville Society:
Young Leadership Group
Cinquefoil Fellowship
Key Club
Donors who give $10,000 or more
Donors who give $5,000 - $9,999
Donors 45 years or younger who invest $2,500 or more
African Americans who invest $1,000 or more
United Way of Central Ohio’s Leadership Giving groups offer the opportunity for donors to learn more about how their
contributions are helping improve lives in central Ohio, develop meaningful service projects and network with fellow donors.
Leadership Givers Step-Up and Step-Out at United Way of
Central Ohio’s First-Ever Combined Leadership Giving Launch
United Way stepped out of the ordinary
to kick-off the 2009 campaign for its
Leadership Giving groups. For the first time
ever all of the groups were invited to attend
one big event, and people responded with
enthusiasm. More than 200 leaders came
out for the “Step Up for Change” event
held at the Hilton Columbus at Easton on
September 30th.
A high-energy performance by a group of
young dancers from the Transit Arts Group
got the evening off to a fast start, and Janet
Jackson kept up the pace with remarks that
called on the attendees to step up to the
challenge of achieving the Bold Goals.
Yaromir Steiner, president and CEO of Steiner
and Associates spoke about the charitable
work of the Easton Community Foundation,
which generously sponsored the event.
And 2009 General Campaign Chair Dave
Daniel encouraged the audience members to
continue and increase their leadership-level
support for the work of United Way.
Volunteers Shaun Yoder, Tim Miller, Mysheika
LeMaile-Williams, and Robert Caldwell,
representing each of the four areas of United
Way’s work – education, income, health and
home – gave concrete examples of how
United Way is making a difference in our
community.
After the program, the energy continued as
the dance floor filled with leadership givers
celebrating a successful and fun kick-off
event.
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LIVING UNITED
United Way Launches Women’s Leadership Council
On October 7th, a group of 46 women leaders
gathered at the Franklin Park Conservatory to
launch United Way of Central Ohio’s Women’s
Leadership Council. Chaired by Tanny Crane,
president and CEO of Crane Group, and a
dedicated United Way donor and volunteer
for many years, the new group decided it
will create an initiative directed toward one
of United Way’s Bold Goals in education. As
part of the spirited discussion that took place,
many women pointed out that education is a
lasting investment that impacts all parts of
our lives. Others took that one step further
and said that financial education for women
is key. Some want to develop life skills
mentoring programs, others voiced concern
for the working women who “slip through
the cracks.” The Council will meet again on
December 3rd to continue to refine its focus.
The volunteer group will create its new
initiative, setting and implementing
all of the goals and strategies needed to
accomplish this new work. Janet Jackson
told the gathering, “You will give this group
the energy and direction it needs to be a true
catalyst for much-needed change in the lives
of so many women in central Ohio.”
If you would like more information on the
Women’s Leadership Council, please
contact Katie Matney at 614-227-8706 or
[email protected].
The Women’s Leadership Council builds on a
strong model used by more than 100 United
Ways across the country. Since 2002, these
groups, which are made up of more than
40,000 women, have raised more than $440
million. Citing that impressive number, Tanny
Crane remarked, “That is a powerful example
of what engaged, dedicated women can do.”
To become a member of the Council, each
woman pledged to contribute $1,000 over
and above their current gifts to United Way.
Moving forward, a steering committee will
begin meeting regularly to craft the initiative
and recruit new members.
Volunteer Profile: Tom Grote
Since joining the United Way of Central Ohio Board of Trustees in March
2008, Tom Grote has immersed himself in the work of United Way,
bringing a unique experience and skill set to his leadership role. Tom
has served on many boards including United Way member agencies
Godman Guild and Columbus AIDS Task Force, and is a co-founder and
former board chair of the Equality Ohio Education Fund.
Tom holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Miami University and an
executive MBA with honors from the Wharton School of the University
of Pennsylvania. Upon completing his education at Miami, Tom joined
his family business, Donatos Pizza, as Vice President of Operations and
Chief Operating Officer. He helped grow the company from 7 restaurants
in 1986 to over 200 restaurants by 2002. He currently serves as CFO for
start-up biofuel company ButylFuel, and is part owner of Snap Fitness.
When asked what he hopes to see United Way accomplish in the future,
he immediately responds, “The nine Bold Goals. These are worthy goals
that will help many.” He goes on to say, “I am particularly passionate
about one of the priority neighborhoods, the near Southside. I grew up
in this neighborhood right behind the first Donatos on Thurman Avenue.
I currently live a few blocks away in German Village and I would like to
see the near Southside become stronger and more vibrant.”
“I am also passionate about my work on the board’s Diversity and
Inclusion committee,” Tom says. “United Way of Central Ohio leads
the nation on issues of diversity --sponsoring programs to train young,
LIVEUNITEDCENTRALOHIO.ORG
diverse professionals
to serve on volunteer
nonprofit boards, and
requiring all funded
programs to comply
with United Way’s nondiscrimination policy,
which includes sexual
orientation and gender
identity.” As part of
his work in this area,
Tom is helping to launch
Pride Council, the first
Tom Grote (right) with his partner Rick
United Way LGBT giving
Neal (left) and Janet Jackson.
group in the nation. He
will also become chair of the Diversity and Inclusion committee
beginning January 1, 2010.
Tom is a past recipient of the Equality Award from the Columbus
chapter of the Human Rights Campaign and the President’s Award
from Stonewall Columbus. He also won the national “I Do” contest
sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
(GLAAD) for a commercial produced with his brother and sister about
gay marriage. Tom lives in German Village with his partner Rick Neal
and their daughter Amoret.
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Columbus, OH
360 South Third Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215-5485
LIVING UNITED
Leading Edge Welcomes nine
New Companies
GENNEXT Celebrates Its First
Year of Service
United Way’s Leading Edge initiative is focused on educating
more local business leaders about the work of United Way and
encouraging them to start an annual campaign. Under the
leadership of 2009 Leading Edge chair Randy Sleeper, the initiative
has signed on nine new companies to run United Way campaigns
this year. The companies are: Budros Ruhlin Roe, Capital Recovery,
cleverly+assosciates, Columbus Coca-Cola, FST Logistics, Impact
Community Action, Ohio Grocers Association, ologie and Worly
Plumbing Supply Inc. Congratulations to these new members
of the United Way family and thank you for making a difference!
United Way of Central Ohio’s
GenNext group of young
community-minded volunteers
celebrated their first anniversary
on October 9th. In just one year
GenNext has grown to over 500
members and participated in
10 community service projects.
The group’s latest project
collected more than 5,000
pounds of food for the Mid-Ohio
Food Bank. In all, GenNext
members have volunteered over
1,250 service hours, and saved
local nonprofits an estimated
$17,000 in equivalent labor
and material costs.
9 new campaigns.
companies leading
Thank you!