Community Impact Results to Be Released

In February, United Way will unveil a long-awaited report of the impact of investments in projects that address the underlying cause of many of our community’s most serious issues.

Each year, the United Way community campaign raises millions of dollars to help our community. Approximately half of the funds are designated by donors to specific causes they support – last year that included more than 1,800 nonprofit organizations. The balance of the donations is designated to support United Way’s Community Impact Fund. This fund was created in 2002 to provide more accountability for donor investments and more impact in our community. The process requires ongoing evaluation to assess community needs and uses a grant funding model to invest in critical programs vetted by volunteer leaders, social service experts, and United Way staff. Projects are selected based on their efficient and innovative approach in addressing community problems.

It takes time to make systemic changes in the way services are delivered. That is why United Way has made a long term commitment to supporting programs in the core areas of education, income and health. The report highlights accomplishments over two grant cycles and includes data for the past five years. During this period, United Way invested $20.1 million in grants, and $2.4 million in strategic initiatives. These investments leveraged an additional $18.8 million from government, foundation grants, collaborators and other sources.

More than 100,000 people are helped by your generous contributions each year. About 43% of people served by United Way programs live in Multnomah County, while 20.8% live in Clark County. Another 20.4% are Washington County residents, and 16.3% live in Clackamas.

The upcoming Results Report provides a sample of the number of people who are being helped with United Way funding and illuminates the long-term benefits that are achieved as we increase graduation rates, provide skills and support for financial stability and independence, and improve the health of children, individuals, and families throughout the region. In addition to the intermediate and long-term results achieved with United Way funding, additional investments have been made to provide an immediate response to needs in the community for food, rent, and utility assistance as well as connecting people with resources through 211info.