United Way Fox Cities disburses its proceeds by three methods. First, and the largest, is our long-term support to partner agencies. A second method, known as Focused Funding, allows our United Way to make short (one year) commitments to any tax exempt health and human service organization in the Fox Cities. Third, United Way has developed four community initiatives and is involved in several community projects as convener and / or funder.
Support to Partner Agencies through the Community Investment Process
Every two years, the volunteers on United Way Fox Cities' four Impact Areas review funding requests from the partner agencies and programs and make investment recommendations to the Community Impact Council and the United Way Board of Directors. Only partner agencies and programs are eligible to participate in the investment process.
United Way Fox Cities Impact Areas:
• Providing Basic Needs and Self-Sufficiency
• Developing Children and Youth
• Strengthening Families
• Promoting Health, Healing and Crisis
United Way Fox Cities has provided grant funds to partner and non-partner programs since 1993. Its purpose has been to address emerging needs through innovative programs/projects as well as general program expansion and emergency needs.
Applications are accepted and reviewed on a quarterly basis. Currently, the same program/project may receive up to three grants. In 2007, 18 grants were awarded to local tax exempt agencies totaling $162,650.
In trying to meet our community's health and human service needs, United Way Fox Cities utilizes its resources to address needs on a higher level.
United Way Fox Cities can offer community support beyond fundraising for partner agencies, by pulling resources and organizations together and reaching across generations to address these identified community-wide needs.
United Way Fox Cities' four Impact Areas have studied local issues, established priorities and developed community initiatives to address pressing unmet needs.
"The Connector"
To increase transportation options for second and third shift workers, the Providing Basic Needs and Self-Sufficiency Impact Area, along with Valley Transit, developed "The Connector." Through a contract provider, this program offers rides during Valley Transit off hours or outside of Valley Transit's normal service area.
The Family Mentoring Program
In collaboration with the ThedaCare-led Community Health Action Team (CHAT), the Strengthening Families Impact Area created the Family Mentoring Program. This program, operated by CAP Services, assigns a team of volunteer mentors to families desiring to achieve long-term, self-sufficiency goals.
The Early Language and Literacy Initiative
In conjunction with Child Care Resource and Referral and with additional funding from the John J. and Ethel D. Keller Fund within the Community Foundation and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the Developing Children and Youth Impact Area developed this initiative to improve the environment and curriculum of local child care providers and thereby increasing the school readiness of local children.
Desiring to improve mental health access for area youth who have difficulty obtaining services in the community, the Promoting Health, Healing and Crisis Intervention Impact Area developed a program that provides mental health counseling in three schools in the
Other Community Initiatives
In addition to the four initiatives described above, the United Way Fox Cities Board of Directors has designated funds to community projects addressing United Way priority issues. Awards in the past included $70,000 to the Tri-County Community Dental Clinic for its capital campaign and operations budget, and $60,000 to the Housing Partnership's Peter Street Apartment Project - a ten-unit apartment building providing affordable and transitional housing.
United Way Fox Cities has also been involved in several other community projects, providing a variety of roles:
• Covering Kids as a convener,
• The Housing Coalition as an advocate and funder,
• The Sick Child Care Task Force as a convener and funder,
• The Literacy Task Force as a convener and funder,
• The Teen Parent Childcare Fund as a co-founder and funder,
• The Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center as a co-founder, funder and volunteer,
• Capacity building opportunities for non-profit organizations, addressing such topics as board development, fundraising and outcome measurements, as a convener and funder.