Program areas at UWNCA
Nonprofit capacity building: United Way nca's primary source of revenue is generated through employer-sponsored workplace giving campaigns. In addition, United Way nca conducts a variety of fundraising initiatives throughout the year, with a focus on growing and diversifying funding sources to support its community impact work and operations. For nearly 100 years, companies, foundations, public entities, and individual donors have recognized United Way nca as the preeminent nonprofit for donating to the causes they care about. the millions of dollars raised by United Way nca each year are invested in the most effective programs and services to tackle the most complex social challenges, critical areas of needs and issues in our region.... Continued on schedule o.
Economic opportunity: United Way nca's economic opportunity initiatives provide information, resources, and services to end debt and increase generational wealth in under-resourced communities. Since 2015, United Way nca has operated the region's first group of financial empowerment centers (fecs) to promote economic opportunity. Today, United Way nca's five fecs offer individuals, veterans, and working families no-cost, professional high-quality financial capacity building services, such as personlized financial coaching and housing counseling. Fec programs include financial and workforce training, individual and small group coaching, tax preparation services and wealth building work. ... Continued on schedule o.in 2023, 8,753 residents received a variety of financial coaching services ranging from free tax preparation, financial workshops, and housing counseling that are aimed at helping our region's residents get on the pathway to a stronger financial future; 900 individuals benefited from its volunteer income tax assistance (vita) and the earned income tax credit (eitc) program. Through its free tax preparation services, United Way nca resulted in $1.4 million in tax refunds allowing Area residents to plan, save and get ahead. 1,367 veterans received services to develop capacity for financial literacy and planning, employment and entreprenurial skills, and improve mental health and well-being.
Health and education: United Way nca's thrive United 365 health program provides equitable access to the distribtuion of health resources and improves people's lives by addressing health conditions most affecting its communities. Adopting a community-based public health intervention model, the program supports prevention and care management strategies to create low-barrier health resource access points for communities facing enduring health disparities. This place-based work includes equitable access to covid-19 response programs, diabetes prevention and management, and mental health first aid.... Continued on schedule o.in 2022-23, United Way nca and partner organizations engaged 719 people to receive covid-19 testing, vaccines and education events. United Way nca engaged more than 2,000 people to learn more about the risks of chronic health conditions and receive tests to assess their health needs. the program also built and distributed 4,500 kits containing food, clothing, and hygiene supplies. United Way nca also provided $3,298,263 in prescription savings to 33,786 individuals and families across the region. United Way nca's education initatives provide high-quality resources thorugh the community school model to support students and young adults in realizing their academic and training goals. United Way nca partners with seven community schools designated as title i schools. Title i schools receive federal financial assistance with high percentages of children from families with low income and 80% of students are recipients of free and reduced meals (farms). the community schools initiative supports a place-based strategy in which each school partners with community agencies and allocates resources to provide an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement. This strategy aims to support community schools located in neighborhoods where structural forces linked to racism and poverty shape the experiences of young people and erect barriers to learning and school success. the seven community schools that United Way nca partners with are based in communities where families have few resources to supplement what typical schools provide. Through United Way nca's community schools, 4,956 students were served addressing attendance, behavior and course performance; and 21,965 students were served through United Way nca's character playbook program focused on character development and healthy relationships. From almost 300 youth facing the most significant chronic learning challenges, they received indivdiualized intensive services and showed consistent improvement on all indicators. This includes 76% improvement in attendance goal, 70% improvement in math and language arts goal, and more 90% in attaining social-emotional learning and career readiness goals. This is in part due to the more than 11,000 aggregated contact hours of community school coordinators engaging studets and families in academic and wraparound services. This translates to an additional 1.5 hour of engagement per school day.
Fema: United Way nca serves as the fiscal agent with program oversight and management of the federal emergency management's (fema) emergency food and shelter humanitarian relief program (efsp-h). the purpose of the program is to provide shelter and other services to migrant families and individuals arriving to the Washington dc metropolitan region from the southwest border, where they're encountered by the us department of human services and are awaiting immigration court proceedings. United Way nca work closely with fema staff, the National efsp board, montgomery county, district of columbia (dc) government, and subrecipient organization - samu in support of migrant arrivals who continue to arrive to the Washington dc Area primarily by bus from the us southern border. This included intake and respite operations at two welcome respite centers in montgomery county, md and Washington dc. the services provided resulted in 8,785 migrants served; 200 buses received; 3,792 migrants sherltered; and 43,833 meals provided.
United Way nca holds itself accountable by infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its business operations and community impact initiatives. United Way nca's leadership, board, staff, partners, and volunteers support anti-racist work that exposes and dismantles institutional and systemic racism and all forms of injustice. Commitment to racial equity is the core of who United Way nca is, serves, and supports. United Way nca represents a collective community that cares. United Way nca continues to serve and intentionally lift up those who are marginalized because of their intersectional identities, which includes race, age, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, education, ability, culture, and language. United Way nca champions collaboration, community connections and critical conversations that advances our journey towards equity for all people across the greater Washington, dc metro Area. Achieving equity is not a sprint, but rather a lifelong marathon. United Way nca makes room for all who are ready to join this journey. United waynca will continue to take bold strides and commit resources to attain equity for everyone because when none are ignored, all will thrive!in june 2020, United Way nca completed its first five-year community commitment that tackled complex issues like poor health, school graduation and poverty. United Way nca is proud of its many impacts, including providing 4.26 million meals to food-insecure students and families and putting nearly $81 million back in the pockets of working families' tax refunds through free tax preparation and financial coaching. In july 2020, United Way nca launched the next phase of its strategic programmatic direction focused on making bold strides focused on achieving equity for all community members, regardless of race, gender, income and ability.