 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Christopher's Story Overcoming the challenge of autism to find a job where his talents shine .... MORE |
 |
 |
||
June 17, 2008 (Cleveland, Ohio) United Way of Greater Cleveland has implemented a new investment strategy that focuses on improving some of our community's most difficult issues. The funded programs will, among other expected outcomes, help children improve their academic performance, elevate our working poor out of poverty through job skills training and offer a path out of homelessness, hunger and financial distress for individuals and families. United Way will invest in more than 200 health and human service programs provided by 126 agencies from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. Of the agencies receiving funding, 21 are new agencies to United Way and 105 are current partner agencies. United Way has been developing its new investment strategies for the past six years over three phases. The process began with an extensive research project that examined the health and human services in our community and the consumers who use them. Based on this research, over 200 volunteers, representing the corporate, non-profit and government sectors of our community, determined which programs for which populations at what stage of intervention represented the most strategic investment for United Way's dollars. The investment areas are Self-Sufficiency and Basic Needs, Children and Families, Behavioral Health, Community Health, Aging and Special Needs and Capacity Building. The final phase of the process was composed of a two-tier application process that identified the agencies that would provide the services to meet the expected outcomes. One example of the change this process has brought about is that United Way will shift a greater proportion of funding to Self-Sufficiency and Basic Needs, investing over $4.4 million in this area in fiscal year 2009. This move will distribute $2.8 million to programs to help the working poor in Cuyahoga County, $1 million to provide housing-related services including help for people facing foreclosure, $348,000 for people in financial distress, more than $200,000 for people who need food and the remainder to serve people who were formerly incarcerated. This new direction incorporates clearly defined expectations for results for each of the strategies, holding United Way and the agencies that provide services accountable for their performance. For more information, please contact Jenna Snyder at (216) 436-2120, mobile phone: 440-804-4496 or jsnyder@uws.org. United Way of Greater Cleveland is a leader in addressing health and human service needs through convening partnerships, funding programs and generating resources to support our community's priorities. United Way invests in our community through more than 200 programs provided by 126 agencies throughout Greater Cleveland. |
|||