United Way of Central Ohio

United Way of Central Ohio's mission is to improve the lives of others by mobilizing the caring power of our community. We have one purpose: to reduce poverty in our community. By bringing people and systems together and mobilizing them to act, we're helping to change community conditions and build a stronger Central Ohio. Our vision is to build a community in which everyone has the aspirations, resources and opportunities to reach their fullest potential.established in 1923, United Way of Central Ohio has served our community for 100 years. In that time, our focus has shifted from being strictly a community fundraiser to a community impact organization that brings people together to solve our most critical community issues. In addition to being a major funder of Central Ohio's nonprofit sector, United Way is also a strong and vibrant change agent in our community. To fulfill its goals and objectives, United Way raises dollars that support nonprofit agencies (funded partners) addressing critical needs in our community. Focused on reducing poverty, United Way funded 91 nonprofit agencies in 2022-2023. These funded partners worked to ensure people in crisis received food, shelter and assistance, and that children had the opportunities and resources needed to succeed from cradle to career. United Way manages an annual donor campaign that generated approximately $20.2 million in 2022-2023. As an independent affiliate of United Way worldwide, we invested in the following nonprofit agencies in 2022-2023: 1divineline2health211 Central ohioacademy for urban scholarsaction for childrenafrican american male wellness agencyafricentric personal development shopafter-school all-stars ohioall thatalvisamerican red cross of Central ohiobig brothers big sisters of Central Ohio, inc.boys & girls clubs of columbuscatholic social services, inc.center for employment opportunities, inc.center for healthy families, inc.central community housecharitable pharmacy of Central Ohio, inc.childhood league, inc.children's hunger alliancechoices for victims of domestic violencecity year, inc.clintonville-beechwold community resources centercolumbus early learning centerscolumbus housing partnership, Inc./ homeportcolumbus literacy councilcolumbus speech & hearing centercolumbus urban leaguecolumbus works, inc.communities in schools of Central ohiocommunity development for all peoplecommunity kitchen, inc.community for new direction, inc.community refugee and immigration services, inc.community shelter boarddirections for youth & familiesdoma international dba freedom a la cartdominican sisters of peace, inc.ethiopian tewahedo social servicesfaith mission, inc.family adolescent & child community engagement services (facces)festafoundation for families, inc.furniture bank of Central ohiogamma zeta zeta education foundation, inc.girls on the run of Central ohiogladden community housegodman guild associationhabitat for humanity midohiohardy center, inc.homes on the hill community development corporationhuckleberry house, inc.jewish family serviceskaleidoscope youth centerking arts complexlegal aid society of columbuslifecare alliancelocal matterslutheran social services of Central ohiomasters preparatory academymental health america of Ohio, inc.mid-ohio foodbankmuslim family services of ohiomy project usaneighborhood services, inc.new covenant believers' church human services corporationnew directions career centernnemapohiohealth corporationohio state university foundation, thepartnership4successphysicians careconnectionreeb avenue centerremember us urban scoutsriverview international center, inc.ruling our experiences, inc.salvation army, thesee kids dreamsomali community association of ohiosouth side thrive collaborativesprout fivest. Stephen's community housest. Vincent family centerstar housestudent success storesthe affordable housing trust for columbus & franklin countyurban resurrection communitywe amplify voiceswesterville area resource ministryymca of Central ohioyouth over usywca columbus United Way has a long, successful history of bringing government, business and nonprofits together to create lasting change. United Way provides opportunities for people to prosper. We do that by acting as a catalyst for lasting improvements and by mobilizing our community to give and volunteer. We bring leaders together to improve the policies and systems that directly affect thousands of lives, and we develop and implement innovative and integrated ways to reduce poverty.in addition to investing in our community's most effective nonprofits, United Way also supports projects such as tax time, stable families and project diversity pride leadership. (see note below). As one of the largest United ways in the country, United Way of Central Ohio brings together more than 45,000 donors and volunteers.for more information, visit wwwliveunitedcentralohioorgdivers... equity and inclusionthe demographics of United Way of Central Ohio's board of trustees and staff exceed the racial/ethnic demographics of franklin county. United Way embraces inclusion, diversity and equal opportunity as core values. We understand that our community is stronger and our mission more viable when the gifts of all community members are valued, embraced and maximized. Agencies receiving funding from United Way of Central Ohio are strongly encouraged to reflect these core values in their missions, goals and strategic directions, as well as at all levels of organizational decision-making. In 2022, United Way implemented a board diversity policy that required funded partners to submit board-approved plans outlining their approach and support toward greater board diversity and inclusion. The plan must be signed by the agency ceo and endorsed by the agency's board of trustees.through a lens of equity and inclusion, United Way of Central Ohio established a 2022-2023 funded partner portfolio that included new, smaller community-based organizations with demonstrated ability to serve traditionally hard-to-reach populations. United Way of Central Ohio's 2022 program investment process resulted in 91 nonprofits receiving funding. These 90 nonprofits included partnerships with 48 organizations led by people of color serving marginalized communities. United Way of Central Ohio will continue to make funding decisions using a racial equity lens, which involves paying disciplined attention to race and ethnicity while analyzing problems, looking for solutions and defining success. Using a racial equity lens to determine funding investments helps United Way better identify community needs and align funding resources to address those needs. Using a racial equity lens to determine funding investments also positions United Way of Central Ohio as a funder that is accessible, committed to inclusion and equity, and authentically connected and accountable to our community.success by third gradereading proficiency by the end of third grade is the greatest predictor of high school graduation. Research confirms that students not proficient in reading by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Success by third grade is a community-wide movement focused on ensuring that by 2035 all franklin county children will be reading proficiently by the end of third grade. United Way of Central Ohio serves as the backbone organization for success by third grade. In this role, United Way maintains the overall strategic coherence and manages the day-to-day operations and implementation of work around third grade reading proficiency.success by third grade mobilizes parents/caregivers, students, educators, government, nonprofits and the corporate community to work together to change the educational trajectory of kindergarten through third grade students in franklin county school districts. In 2022, network directors began working in the partner school districts, establishing relationships with community leaders, educators and families as they identify and address barriers to student success. Additional accomplishments achieved in 2022 that include a successful summer literacy program, a robust reading buddy program and the donation of 2,300 new winter coats to elementary students.kindergarten readinessearly childhood is the single most prolific period of development for children, with 90% of a child's brain growth occurring between birth and age three. Fewer than half of all franklin county children enter kindergarten ready to learn. High-quality early learning programs help increase academic performance and give children the skills and tools needed to become successful learners in kindergarten and beyond.

United Way of Central Ohio allows donors to designate gifts to other United ways or specific agencies. United Way of Central Ohio processed donor designations to 1,784 agencies and other United ways during the 2022 campaign. Organizations receiving donor designated contributions through United Way undergo screening prior to distribution of funding. Such screening includes verification of compliance with the provisions of the patriot act and verification of current status as an irs code section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Tax time is a coalition of nonprofit, business and government organizations that provides free, high-quality tax assistance and linkages to financial resources. The program helps households claim valuable tax deductions and credits and achieve greater financial stability. Lutheran social services 2-1-1 information and referral services acts as the primary point of contact to connect taxpayers to tax sites. In addition, the legal aid society of columbus manages a legal help line to assist clients with tax-related legal issues. Clients also receive information about savings and checking accounts, understanding and repairing credit, and benefits application assistance. More than 10,800 people received free tax preparation assistance with their 2022 tax filings, resulting in $9.6 million being returned to Central Ohio families and over $2.1 million saved in tax preparation fees. Tax time serves low- to moderate-income households. All clients served by tax time's vita program live in households earning $56,000 or less per year; however, the average client earns significantly less. Tax time focuses on households eligible for the earned income tax credit, whose primary recipients are working parents with children.stable families is a communitywide program that provides families at imminent risk of homelessness with a combination of immediate emergency funds and longer-term health and human services. This effective approach helps prevent homelessness and reduce student mobility among low-income families throughout franklin county. Unplanned moves, resulting in repeated new schools, have a negative impact on the learning and development of school-age children. Homeless children are twice as likely to repeat a grade than those with stable housing. The stable families program prevents disruptive moves by identifying families at risk of homelessness and connecting them with case management professionals who work intensely with them for up to 18 months to create plans for each family to stabilize and prosper. Thousands of families are evicted from their homes due to a sudden loss of income or an emergency expense. Not only have the needs of families increased and changed, but the number of families facing current and imminent threats of unstable housing, unemployment and inadequate education have increased due to covid-19. By preventing eviction and keeping families safely housed, stable families service coordinators help families navigate an uncertain journey from crisis to recovery. Throughout 2022-2023, stable families helped more than 1,000 families with school-age children receive help that prevented a housing crisis.project diversity pride leadership is United Way's inclusive nonprofit board development program focused preparing diverse leaders to serve on nonprofit boards. Designed specifically for Central Ohio's leaders of color and the lgbtq+ community, the program equips participants with the essential knowledge, skills and experiences to effectively serve on a nonprofit board.

United Way of Central Ohio processed donor designations to 1,784 agencies and other United ways during the 2022 campaign.