United Way releases plan to invest $32 million in 64 communities

BOSTON - United Way of Massachusetts Bay (UWMB) is announcing plans to invest $32 million to empower communities and families to surround kids with the essential ingredients for healthy development. The research-backed cornerstones of UWMB's fiscal year 2006 allocations are: creating opportunities that lead to family self-sufficiency, securing safe, affordable housing, providing children with environments that enable learning and fostering positive connections between young people and adults. "In addition to raising and distributing funds, our United Way is looking to report its success in terms of the measurable, sustainable difference our investments make in the lives of people and the quality of our communities," said Milton J. Little, Jr., president and chief executive officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay. "We want to demonstrate that the dollars donors entrust in us are not only helping one individual or one agency, but are driving the kind of change that will have a lasting impact."

UWMB investments in its four focus areas include:

* $6 million to foster the social and emotional development of children, preparing them for school;
* $12 million to provide environments that enable learning, primarily through after-school programs;
* $2.7 million to develop skills for employment at a family-sustaining wage; and
* $4.6 million to help secure safe and affordable housing.

These allocations - which will become effective July 1 - provide operating support to more than 130 organizations. United Way plans to also direct grant funding - raised separately - to hundreds of additional agencies that are delivering results in its strategic focus areas.

For example:

* In the next three weeks, UWMB will award grants to organizations that offer girl-specific and co-educational, gender-sensitive programs that focus on advancing academic achievement, physical health, mental health and/or leadership development of young girls;
* United Way will this fall expand its successful math, science and technology after-school effort to programs in Boston, Quincy, Lynn, Randolph and Weymouth, serving more than 300 kids;
* United Way is launching a multi-year effort to increase family economic stability by working intensively with 100 families to identify the barriers they face to self-sustaining employment. According to the Brookings Institution, 22.8 percent of Boston's children under age 18 live in a household where no adult is in the workforce.

The $32 million investment approved by UWMB's Board of Directors continues a strategic shift in the way the organization distributes the funds raised through campaigns in the workplace and through donations from individuals. There is a greater emphasis on creating systemic, long-term change in the community through its annual investments. The bulk of its resources will be directed toward human service agencies that are 1) most aligned with United Way's strategies to strengthen families and communities and to nurture children, 2) have strong management and governance, 3) deliver high quality programs and 4) document demonstrable results. "The road to these allocation decisions has been particularly rigorous," said Cathy E. Minehan, Chairman of the Board at UWMB. "New guidelines were set for measuring agency performance, effectiveness and relevance to the strategic goals of UWMB. We believe the process clearly focuses on responsibility and accountability and will work over time to improve the caliber and capacity of human services in Massachusetts Bay."

This funding is based on the results of volunteer review of management, governance and program effectiveness. Today's announcement culminates over one year of research and review by more than 80 volunteers who represent a cross-section of the community. Their findings formed the basis for these investment choices that over the long-term will help children and families prosper emotionally and financially.

The public played a strong role in shaping United Way's strategic direction. Beginning in the Fall of 2002, UWMB informed its affiliate agencies of its intent to create greater community impact by sharpening the areas of focus, and, queried them about what they deemed to be community needs requiring the most attention. Additionally, over 1,000 individuals from a broad spectrum of the public, private and academic sectors identified community issues where they thought UWMB could have the greatest impact.