If we learned anything this past year, it’s that our community is stronger than ever and this metro really is #ThatKindofTown. Thank you so much to our donors, volunteers and corporate and nonprofit partners for ensuring more neighbors have access to basic needs, education and financial stability supports.
raised during fiscal year 2018-19.
engaged in fundraising efforts.
in need served in 2017-18.
helped better our community.
Together our community raised $19 million for local programs that serve neighbors in need! This includes $1 million that donors like you contributed to our Nebraska & Iowa Flood Relief Fund.
We were honored and grateful to have Tim and Terri’s support, time and passion. They truly made this past campaign year a successful one. Thank you for helping to make our community stronger!
We are so appreciative of our board’s leadership that they extend to United Way of the Midlands and to our community. Their devotion to helping those who need it most makes our metro a better place to live and thrive!
Special thanks to our 2018-2019 Board Chair, Jerry Crouse.
This year, United Way of the Midlands was ranked as the seventh best United Way in the nation for campaign performance out of approximately 1,200 United Ways. The ranking is determined by United Way Worldwide’s Performance Index. The performance index takes into account each United Way’s fundraising campaign size, campaign per capita, campaign per effective buying income (EBI, a measure of disposable income) and growth in each of these areas between 2001 and 2017.
With support from our board, corporate and nonprofit partners, Senator Mike McDonnell and Nebraska United Ways, LB641 was signed into law, ensuring our 2-1-1 Helpline will receive $300,000 in state funding each year for the next two years. These dollars will enable Helpline staff to operate services 24/7, positioning it to assist in emergency or disaster response efforts across the state.
Peter Buffett, Omaha-native and son of Warren Buffett, brought his musical experience “A Concert and Conversation” to his hometown through a partnership with United Way Worldwide. Our team was honored to help coordinate multiple events including the concert, a VIP reception, a foundation luncheon as well as a business leader roundtable featuring executives from across the country.
Our Court Referral Community Service Program (CRCSP) has collaborated with the Douglas County Department of Corrections and Douglas County Court House to create a pilot program for the Offender Work Program (OWP). This pilot program offers an alternative for individuals who are not financially able to pay their court fees/fines. Individuals who participate in the pilot program will complete community service at a non-profit agency. The number of hours an individual has to complete is based on their court fees/fines.
This year we implemented our second two-year CIRT investment cycle, where volunteers and experts across the community review applications for funding and help determine where donor dollars will be most impactful.
CCF = Community Care Fund, our general fund that supports programs across all three of our investment areas: Basic Needs, Education and Financial Stability.
For the first time, we introduced campaign awards to companies who went above and beyond to give back to our community. Congratulations once more to award winners Lozier, Security National Bank, ACCESSbank, The Harry A. Koch Co., Columbia Insurance Group, Nebraska Total Care and Sojern!
Thanks to our donors we also raised funds to support our special initiatives: Opportunity Youth, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Book Trust and “Healthy Food for All,” a Community Food Service Plan.
We strengthened our partnerships with the Combined Health Agencies Drive, or CHAD, and the Nebraska Center for Workforce Development and Education (NCWDE). You can learn more about CHAD agencies your donation supports here. We are very excited to partner with the Omaha Federation of Labor and the NCWDE for Blue Collar Boxing, coming up on November 27th!
Our Community Investment team initiated Results-Based Accountability (RBA) into the process we use to distribute donor dollars into the community, called CIRT. The RBA framework helps us collect more detailed data around program outcomes, giving us better insight into the effectiveness of dollars we invest into our community.
Our team supported community flood relief efforts in several ways including creating the Nebraska and Iowa Flood Relief Fund where 100% of proceeds went to nonprofit programs meeting people’s needs for emergency shelter, food and more. Our 2-1-1 Helpline specialists worked around the clock to connect flood victims to available resources, and our team worked with AmeriCorps and Texas Conservation Corps members to coordinate flood-related volunteer opportunities. Our staff also helped manage donations and was involved in community committees focused on needs and next steps. Flood donors can expect a report detailing the impact their gift has had this coming fall.
We look forward to another remarkable year of giving back to our community and making it stronger. Thank you for your time, heart and support. We couldn’t do it without YOU!
About the Author
Kylie is the Manager of Digital at United Way of the Midlands. Whenever you see a social media post or something new on the website, chances are she was behind it! She loves finding new ways to share stories online that inspire people to give back. Her favorite things in life are her family and friends, her pets Maisel and Bunny, and nachos.
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