united way reimaginedUnited Way of Summit County Vision Plan 2016

missionUnited Way improves lives by mobilizing community resources to advance the common good.

VisionUnited Way envisions a community where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, financial stability and healthy lives.

1united way reimaginedUnited Way of SUmmit CoUnty

letter from the PresidentAnyone who has spent more than a few days in Akron and Summit County over the past year can tell you that change is in the air. We’ve seen change at City Hall. We’ve seen it in the leadership of many of our anchor institutions. We’ve seen change in our neighborhoods – some of them reinventing themselves in exciting ways, others crumbling with continued disinvestment. Change is energizing to some, terrifying to others and a healthy dose of both to many of us.

But as a community, we have reached a point where we simply must take a deep breath and embrace the change – in all the fullness of its promise and uncertainty. We cannot deny the new world in which we find ourselves. While we are rightly proud of our past – of Akron’s track record as a resilient city that has reinvented itself and dodged disaster amid economic change – we can no longer rest on our history and declare our community to be better than some others or “good enough.” Because when we are honest and look closely at where we are, we see that we are not good enough. When 52% of our children in the City of Akron are living in poverty, we are not good enough. When 39% of kids under the age of eighteen in Summit County are obese, we are not good enough. When 11.1 of every 1,000 children in Akron are dying in infancy, we are a very long way from good enough.

You may notice that most of these statistics refer to the City of Akron. While United Way is a powerful force for change across Summit County, the data tells us the stark truth: that the greatest need in Summit County lies right in its core, in the City of Akron. Because we believe that success for the entire county is impossible without a healthy core in the City of Akron, United Way will focus a fair amount of its work on addressing the needs of the core.

The great news is that as we roll up our sleeves and tackle these community challenges, we have so many assets upon which to build. United Way is strengthening its partnership with a wide variety of stakeholders – from corporate and governmental leaders to residents who love this place. We are energized by the prospect of squaring off against these tough challenges, hand in hand with our equally committed partners who have told us that they want to be more strategic and see more pronounced results in the lives of their neighbors, coworkers and fellow community members. The collective appetite for change, for aggressive pursuit of a better tomorrow, is growing.

We invite you to join us as we reimagine an Akron and Summit County where every child has a fair shot at a healthy, prosperous, fulfilling life. Join us as we reimagine United Way.

Jim Mullen, President & CEO, United Way of Summit County

2united way reimagined United Way of SUmmit CoUnty

Jim Mullen

Current Community Conditions In the heart of our community the basic ingredients for a good life are increasingly beyond reach for many.

Five indicators of wellbeing that must be improved:• Children Living In Poverty • Infant Mortality• Childhood Obesity • Third Grade Reading • High School Graduation

3united way reimaginedUnited Way of SUmmit CoUnty

third grade reading

27% of akron Public school

students are not reading on grade level

in 3rd grade.

2014-15 aPs facts & stats sheet

Children liVing in PoVerty

52%of children in akron are living in poverty.

City of akronPoverty rate: 27.5%

2013 u.s. Census data

Childhood obesity

39%

of summit County children are obese

or overweight.

state of ohio health report 2013

infant mortality

11.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in the City of akron

state of ohio health report 2013

We cannot afford to let these conditions continue.

high sChool graduation

26% of akron Public school

students do not graduate high school in 4 years.

2014-15 aPs facts & stats sheet

7 Y

4united way reimagined United Way of SUmmit CoUnty

Create stronger Communities

early Childhood

youth oPPortunity

eConomiC mobility

health aCCess

engage Community stakeholders – work together

imProVe liVes via education, financial stability and health goals

we Can and must do better We need to challenge our systems—to create opportunities for a better life for everyone.

United Way has a theory about how to create change of the magnitude our community needs. It begins with declaring changes to our ORGANIZATIONAL DNA—how we do our work.

• Impact-Centric And Mission-Aligned Create a clear value to United Way’s work

• Data Informed Decision-Making Align United Way resources with needs

• Scaled And Measurable Results Require United Way investments deliver measurable results and can be taken to scale

• Tangible Return on Investment (ROI) Invest United Way resources for a multifold return

5united way reimaginedUnited Way of SUmmit CoUnty

a reimagined united way to driVe imPaCt and make lasting Change

6united way reimagined Community engagement

Corporate Partners and donors Current and Potential impact initiatives

Customer-Centrichigh roi

align withCorporate social

responsibility goals

imagination library

bridges summit County

iCare mentoring

financial empower Centers

fiscalsponsorships

Vision modelIn order for United Way of Summit County to have success we must change our model and become a dynamic, impact-driven organization. In this vision model, we create partnerships in the community focused on engagement and impact. We will work tirelessly to achieve our measured results.

imPaCt sCaled results engagement return on inVestment resourCes

shared Community

agenda

7united way reimagined

apex Community Partnersfoundations

Government/Publiceducational institutions

financial Stability CoalitionHealth Coalition

Collaborative aligned Program Partners

fiscalsponsorships

wrap-around schools

Collaborationaround eduCation,

finanCial stability& health

impact driven & scaled

shared results& roi

imPaCt sCaled results engagement return on inVestment resourCes

multiPle measures of suCCessUnited Way’s theory of change also requires our organization to move toward MULTIPLE MEASURES OF SUCCESS.

Bold Goals For Education, Income and Health

Participation with United Way

VolunteersAdvocatesDonors

united way reimagined

#

United Way of SUmmit CoUnty8

united way reimaginedUnited Way of SUmmit CoUnty

Policy Advancement Supporting policy change that advances our Collective Impact priorities

Overall Organizational Revenue Campaign and non-traditional

Resources Under Management Revenue that United Way invests in Collective Impact

Impact Leverage United Way resources leveraged to create additional dollars

þ

$

Ý

9

10united way reimagined United Way of SUmmit CoUnty

working together, we can accomplish things that no one individual or organization can accomplish alone.

the Power of PartnershiP We know that when the stakes are high, Summit County residents will rise to the occasion. That leads to PARTNERSHIP, a critical element in United Way’s theory of change.

This work requires collaboration across all sectors:

Big businesses Small businessesElected officials

The mediaParentsNeighbors

NonprofitsAcademiaThe faith community

11united way reimaginedUnited Way of SUmmit CoUnty

Nicholas V. BrowningFirstMerit Bank

Traci J. BucknerGAR Foundation

Cynthia Flynn CapersThe University of Akron

Hallie Jones CapersG. Stephens Inc.

William L. CaplanBuckingham, Doolittle &Burroughs,LLP

Paul N. CataniaOswald Companies

Michele CerminaroGOJO Industries, Inc.

Steven M. CharlesBridgestone Americas

Shon ChristyFocal Point

James E. MerklinBoard ChairBober Markey Fedorovich

offiCersChristine Amer MayerVice ChairGAR Foundation

William R. FethImmediate Past ChairAESCO Holdings, LLC

Richard J. NoechelTreasurerThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Mark E. KrohnSecretary Brouse McDowell

membersWilliam H. ConsidineAkron Children’s Hospital

Robert B. CooperCBRE-CB Richard Ellis

Laura CulpBCG&Co.

Jennifer Dale FoxPNC Financial Services Group

Valerie A. GeigerChase Bank

Stuart C. GlaubermanMalco Products, Inc.

Martin P. Hauser

Dale Highsmith Jr.Extreme Networks

Dan HorriganCity of Akron

David JamesAkron Public Schools

David C. JenningsAkron-Summit County Public Library

Randy S. KatzCity Scrap & Salvage

Richard J. KrochkaTRIAD Communications

William W. Lowery IIStouffer Realty Inc.

Phillip P. Martucci

Joseph MayState and Federal Communications, Inc.

Philip H. MaynardASW

Michael MazzeoEY

Marc B. MerklinBrouse McDowell

Brian J. MooreRoetzel & Andress

Donald A. MoulFirstEnergy Corp.

John OrrMyers Industries

Russell M. PrySummit County Executive Office

Mark SchefflerLeadership Akron

Robin ShabazzSignet

W. Michael ShermanThe University of Akron

Jacqueline Silas-ButlerProject GRAD Akron

Donna R. SkodaSummit County Public Health

Brock SteereSteere Enterprises

Tim StoverCleveland Clinic/ Akron General

Captain Sylvia TrundleCity of Akron Police Department

Theodore F. WalterFifth Third Bank

Angela D. WellsGPD Group

Bernett L. WilliamsAkron Children’s Hospital

Henry L. ZelmanRubber City Radio Group

united way benefits from an engaged board of direCtors

Community engagement12

united way reimagined United Way of SUmmit CoUnty

smart start baby shower Collection, april 4 - april 29Collect baby items to help at-risk mothers and give their newborns a strong start.

smart start baby shower and sort-a-thon, may 4, sort-a-thon 10 a.m. to noon, shower 1 to 2:30 p.m.Volunteer to sort through baby items for distribution to at-risk mothers at a community baby shower.

day of action, June 17, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join with more than 1,000 volunteers across Summit County to help local residents and nonprofits.

kaboom! Playground build, June 18, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Volunteer to help build a playground and improve kids’ lives through play.

stuff the bus, July 5 - august 15 Collect school supplies for akron Public School children. stuff the bus sort-a-thon & supply delivery, august (tBd)Volunteer to sort school supplies and deliver to akron Public School children.

read to me day ii, november 3Read aloud to children in an akron Public Schools classroom.

holiday snack Packs food drive, november 28 - december 16Collect food for at-risk children to eat on their holiday school break.

holiday snack Packs sort-a-thon, december 21Volunteer to pack meal kits for at-risk children to eat on their holiday school break.

read to me day i, march 2017Read aloud to children in a Barberton City Schools classroom.

Page it forward book drive & sort-a-thon, february & march 2017Collect new and gently used books for children in grades K-6 to take home.

get inVolVed at uwsummit.org/Volunteer

United Way of Summit County90 North Prospect Street, Akron, OH 44304330.762.7601 uwsummit.org

Akron photos in this publication ©Shane Wynn/AkronStock