United Way Quick Facts
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United Way Quick Facts |
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United Way of Broome County currently has
30 local partner agencies.
All partner agencies provide assistance in the areas of health and human services. Most of them offer many programs, but United Way provides funds to only some of them in the areas of education, income, and health, the building blocks for a good life.
United Way also operates five local services that benefit the community.
United Way will provides funds to about about 60 specific programs at its partner agencies and elsewhere in the community in education, income, and health in 2011 (from funds pledged to United Way during 2010):
1. Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. It's essential to getting a job with good wages and health benefits. An educated workforce is fundamental to a community's economic prosperity.
2. Health. "He who has health has hope . . . and he who has hope has everything." --Arabian proverb. Good health allows children to learn better and adults to increase their income through productivity.
3. Income. Helping families and individuals meet basic needs and obtain financial stability.
United Way partner agencies and the programs funded by United Way are
concerned with community needs for all age groups from infants through older
adults.
United Way provides Venture and Special Assistance Grants to about 12-15 local agencies each year—both partner and non-partner agencies.
The mission of United Way of Broome County as stated in the By-laws is to operate for charitable purposes only and have as its goal the development of Broome County as a community where the health, recreation, and welfare needs of all people are met equitably and thoroughly regardless of race, religion, or economic status.
In Broome County, the "united" concept of helping people dates
back to at least 1918 with the formation of the Binghamton United Relief
Organization. Nationally, the organization now known as United Way began in Denver, Colorado, as an effort to
consolidate fund raising activities among local charities
in the 1880s.
The partner agencies and direct services programs supported by United Way assisted local people more than 138,670 times in 2009
Volunteers make all decisions in the distribution of United Way funds.
About 125 volunteers spend more than 3,000 hours each year making educated
decisions using a formal assessment of community need before any dollars are
distributed. This
process is called Community Care, a name which has been used by other United Ways
for many years and has been adopted recently in
More than 600 local volunteers work on the Annual Campaign, United Way's yearly fund drive. About 97 percent of funds raised in the Annual Campaign are used locally for programs and services. Of every dollar raised in the Annual Campaign, about 83 cents goes to help people, 4 cents goes to cover collection loss, and 5 cents is used for fund raising, and 8 cents goes to other management expense. Through United Way’s Donor Choice program a contribution may be designated to a specific qualified charity.
The Day of Caring
program, coordinated by United Way, provides an opportunity for employee groups and others to
participate in one-day volunteer projects at local non-profit agencies. Since
2002, Day of Caring has been held as a yearly event on or near the anniversary of the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Each year more than 1,000 volunteers
participate.
United Way is a partner in the Building
Brighter Futures for Broome Early Childhood Coalition, which aids children from birth
to six years old to give them a "healthy start" in life and to prepare them for
success in school. United Way’s nationwide effort to promote the fact that
children are “Born
Learning” has been adopted locally by the Early Childhood Coalition.
United Way also helped develop a Citizens Corps Council to help the community prepare for emergencies.
United Way also services on the local Federal Emergency Management Aid (FEMA)
board, which helps allocate resources to the community during emergencies.
United Way is involved with the Aging Futures Partnership, which helps to identify the needs of local seniors and determine which community programs can best help fill those needs. This coalition of local organizations identified seven needs of the local aging population and has been awarded a four-year, grant to help fund strategies to address the top three issues affecting seniors: supporting caregivers, managing chronic illnesses, and reducing social isolation.
Teaming for Technology, a United Way-funded program, helps local non-profit organizations with their computing and technological needs through the distribution of computers donated by IBM and other companies, and the technical assistance provided by the program’s two staff members.
In collaboration with other organizations, United Way
supports the annual "Keeping Kids Warm"
coat drive
for children in Broome County. About 1,800 coats are collected, cleaned,
and distributed through local human service agencies, schools, and churches each
year.
2-1-1, the health and human referral service operated by United Way of Broome County in Broome and Tioga Counties, currently receives about 30,000 calls yearly. More than half of these calls are about basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter). In addition, reference materials are mailed to people throughout the two-county area. The local 2-1-1 staff also participate in a number of coalitions to help strengthen prioritized community programs. Formerly known as First Call for Help, this program was expanded in 2011 to become the local link in the nationwide 2-1-1 information and referral system.
United Way is also a partner in the local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which prepares state and federal income tax returns for area citizens with low or moderate incomes without charge. As part of the program the tax returns are checked to see if the taxpayer qualifies for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which many low to moderate income citizens are entitled, but often do not claim.
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Updated: April 28, 2011