United Way Quick Facts
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United Way Quick Facts |
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United Way of Broome County currently has 29 local member agencies.
All member agencies provide assistance in the areas of health and human services. Most of them offer many programs, but United Way provides funds only to some of them.
United Way also operates five local services that benefit the community.
United Way has one national member agency, but it receives funds only when a person making a donation to United Way specifically requests that money go to this agency.
United Way provides funds to about 100 specific programs at its member agencies and elsewhere in the community in these six areas of community service:
1. Assisting Older Adults programs includes programs that address quality of life for older adults through recreational and cultural programs; promotion of well being and self-sufficiency through counseling and education.
2. Promoting Health and Wellness programs provide services for individuals and families with disabilities, mental illness, addictions, and other special needs, including information, counseling, referrals, and support groups.
3. Strengthening Families programs include programs that provide individual, adolescent, marital and family counseling; child care; foster care and adoption services; and parent and home health care aides and support.
4. Helping Young People Succeed programs include youth development through citizenship and leadership programs, physical education programs, and sports activities; and hands-on experience through teen apprenticing.
5. Responding to
Emergencies, Including Fighting Hunger and Homelessness programs
includes assistance for disaster victims and others in need of food, clothing,
or shelter; and assistance for victims of domestic violence.
6. Building a Stronger Community programs include those that provide community-wide services, such as referral to community resources, technical assistance for agencies, and coordination of volunteer activities.
United Way member 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 15 local agencies each year—both member and non-member 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 member agencies and direct services programs supported by United Way assisted local people more than 150,000 times in 2007
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 1,000 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 85.9 cents goes to help people, 3.4 cents goes to cover collection loss, and 10.7 cents is used for fund raising and management. Through United Way’s Donor Choice program a contribution may be designated to a specific agency or service.
The Day of Caring
program, coordinated by United Way's Voluntary
Action Center, 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 involved in many community programs. Its Gifts-in-Kind program serves as a link between non-profit agencies in need of equipment, furnishings, and supplies and companies or individuals that want to donate surplus goods to benefit the community.
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 1,000 coats are collected, cleaned,
and distributed through local human service agencies, schools, and churches each
year.
First Call for Help, United Way’s health and human referral service, receives about 18,000 calls yearly, which resulted in over 26,000 referrals. Most calls are about basic needs (food and shelter). In addition, 4,000 mailings of reference materials are done yearly. First Call for Help also participates in a number of coalitions to help strengthen prioritized community programs. Plans are for this program to be expanded and become the local link in the 2-1-1 information and referral system with services to callers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
United Way is also a partner in the Earned Income Tax Credit coalition, which informs low to moderate income citizens about a tax credit to which they are entitled, but often do not claim.
It also participates in the Cover the Uninsured Week collaboration, which promotes the need for affordable health insurance for all Americans.
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Updated: December 18, 2008