Greater Cleveland's United Way Services announces campaign results, highlights how power of partnerships is reshaping community

(Cleveland, Ohio) March 12, 2003

Greater Cleveland's United Way Services today announced that the more than $44 million raised in the annual campaign will continue to protect the safety net of core health and human services and move forward Greater Cleveland's first health and human services agenda of the Community Vision Council. The capacity crowd for United Way's Annual Meeting at the Renaissance Cleveland ballroom celebrated the $44,409,826 raised against a $46 million stretch goal and acknowledged the "strong and solid effort in a very challenging year."

Since initiated by United Way two years ago, the Community Vision Council has become a national model for public-private partnerships aimed at maximizing the impact of social service resources to fundamentally change a community's social service infrastructure.

The Chairman of the Board of United Way Services, Alex Machaskee, president and publisher of The Plain Dealer, pointed out that United Way remains a "driving force" of the Vision Council and "a valuable resource that also recognizes the value of change." He explained that the power of partnerships of the Vision Council prompted United Way to reconfigure its allocation process to create Investment Committees that support local core services by fostering mobilized efforts around the larger community-wide strategic priorities.

Just one year after United Way announced the Vision Council priorities in its report to the community at this same forum, Robert W. Gillespie, Jr., co-chair of the Community Vision Council and chairman emeritus of KeyCorp, outlined how the community-wide action plan in health and human services is making history "in its direction and approach."

"It is worth noting …that United Way took a risk when it first began the Community Vision Council," said Machaskee. "Today, with United Way remaining as a driving force within this independent body of civic leaders, we are especially proud that the Community Vision Council is being recognized as a national model for making community impact," he said. Machaskee referred to a private briefing session with other community leaders during President George W. Bush's visit to Cleveland in July.

Before the progress report on the Community Vision Council, the Hon. Jane L. Campbell, Mayor of the City of Cleveland, addressed the crowd via videotape. A member of the United Way Board of Directors and co-chair of Strong families = successful children Vision Council, Campbell explained how a strong social service delivery system complements the city's economic development efforts.

More than 200 volunteers on the executive committee, full committee and targeted vision councils are engaged in the initiative that applies the public-private partnership model used in economic development for the first time to the development of people in the shared, community-wide vision focused on quality of life issues.

Gillespie provided examples of focused priorities and progress in each of the four targeted areas of impact: Strong families = successful children; Learning and earning for life; Senior success and Health and caring for all. He also called special attention to the collaborative efforts with the Cleveland Municipal School District and the City of Cleveland, working together on a number of the initiatives from fuller use of school buildings to smoking cessation efforts, that he said "epitomize the creativity and cooperation within the Vision Council."

The Cleveland Foundation and United Way Services are investing a total of $6 million over three years to move forward the Community Vision Council priorities, and United Way's newly aligned Investment Committees fund core services that support the same community-wide priorities. The initial year's investment from the Foundation and United Way has more than doubled in terms of leveraged dollars received beyond the first year's commitment by the partners.

In announcing the 2002 campaign total, Campaign Chair Kevin C. Keene, vice president and general manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car of Northeast Ohio, praised the efforts of his team. "These incredible volunteers convinced donors of the need to dig deeper because so many people are struggling and the results represent a strong and solid effort in a very challenging year," Keene said.

He pointed out how the nearly 14 percent increase in calls to United Way's First Call For Help added to the momentum "to keep working for the people who count on our partner agencies." Early successes in summer Pacesetter campaigns jumpstarted the effort with more than $302,000 in new money or a 10 percent increase over the prior year. He also noted the critical importance of leadership giving while welcoming the increased participation of young professionals in a GeneratioNEXT initiative. The prior year's campaign raised $45,102,483, prompting Keene and his Campaign Cabinet to set a stretch goal of $46 million before the economy worsened.

Keene was given a standing ovation for his leadership role on the campaign, including his family's participation at workplace meetings, which underscored how the family has long counted on United Way since a United Way partner agency first touched Kevin Keene's life when he and his brother and sister were adopted. The Keene family story shared in a workplace campaign video played in more than 1,000 companies was shown during the lunch meeting.

Taking the reins as the 2003 Campaign Chair is Alexander M. Cutler, chairman, chief executive officer and president for Eaton Corporation. "United Way is an integral element in the transformation of our city," Cutler said. "By unleashing the power of partnerships, we are capturing the benefits of scale and scope in our work." Cutler looks to hit new high marks in Pacesetter and new business campaigns, Leadership Circle and Ten Plus donors and overall campaign participation.

A special Community Partner Award was presented to another United Way volunteer, Jerry Hoegner, Director of Marketing Services, The Plain Dealer, for community service and helping to enhance United Way's presence.