Applications for Allocations Now Available!

Applications for United Way funding for fiscal year 2011 (July 2010-June 2011) are now available.  Please visit our website to learn more about United Way, our Service Partners, and the Allocations process.

United Way of Cascade County has identified the following three focal areas around which we will align our resources and efforts to achieve lasting community impact: 

• EDUCATION: helping children and youth achieve their potential.  Education is essential to getting and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits.
• INCOME: promoting financial stability and independence.  An income adequate to pay for today’s necessities and save for the future provides families some sense of financial stability.
• HEALTH: improving people’s health.  Healthy lifestyles and access to quality health care keeps children on track in school and adults productive at work.

Community impact is not only about improving the lives of people served by United Way-funded programs; it also is about improving the lives of people affected by pressing community issues whether they receive services from these programs or not.  Further, it is about changing community conditions so that fewer people are affected by those issues.

We’d love to hear more of what you have to say around our three community impact areas–which do you feel is most important in our community?  Do you think there’s an area that we’re missing?

Reason to Celebrate!

As announced at last night’s Campaign Celebration, United Way of Cascade County has officially met and surpassed its initial goal of $955,000, set in the fall of 2009.  Our totals raised to date are (drumroll, please…………) $986,000! To read the Tribune’s full coverage of the event, click here. 

Now, meeting and exceeding the goal is very exciting, but the thing to remember is that 99% of every dollar raised goes toward United Way’s community impact work in Cascade County.  And with numbers as great as this, here’s to hoping we can further mobilize resources and volunteers to tackle pressing needs in the Education, Income and Health areas in our community!

The UWCC staff would again like to thank our gracious volunteers, from the campaign to the board and allocations committee, for their hard work and dedication to our community in 2009.  The work that we do would not be possible without your efforts.

Photos from our Annual Meeting and Campaign Celebration to follow soon!

You Can Help, Too

In the past couple days, we’ve had several people contact our office looking for ways to help those in Haiti affected by the recent earthquake.  Should you wish to help through the United Way Worldwide system, you may:

• donate online at www.liveunited.org
• to donate by phone or to ask any questions, call 1-866-404-5826
• text HAITI on your cell to 864833 (UNITED) to make an easy, $5 contribution
• mail checks direct to United Way Worldwide, PO Box 630568, Baltimore, MD 21263-0568. Please include on the memo line “United Way Disaster Recovery Fund.”

United Way Worldwide members in the Caribbean have mobilized their staff, volunteer leaders and resources in response to the disaster and will act in an advisory role to determine the most pressing, long-term recovery needs. Examples may include access to healthcare, rebuilding schools and housing, and meeting critical basic needs for shelter, food and clothing.

Real Economic Impact Tour

You Are Invited

• To learn about free tax preparation for taxpayers with disabilities;
• To meet new community-based partners interested in providing tax and financial services to customers with disabilities;
• To understand the importance of serving taxpayers with disabilities; and
• To participate in the 2010 free tax filing season in Montana.

                 Date:  January 19, 2010

                 Time:  9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

               Place:  Great Falls Public Library

                Host:  Rural Dynamics Inc.

  Organized By:  Johnette Hartnett, Ed.D.

                                National Disability Institute, Washington, DC and
Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University

                                Karen Heisler, Director of Asset Development

                                Rural Dynamics Inc.

                                Terry Donohoue, IRS

                                Stakeholder Partnerships, Education Communication (SPEC)

REI TOUR MISSION:  The mission of the Real Economic Impact Tour (REI Tour), currently in 100 cities nationwide, is to provide workers with disabilities access to free tax preparation assistance and other asset building strategies to increase their economic and social well being.

PLEASE RESPOND IF COMING TO: Judy Stengel Jstengel@ndi-inc.org.

Additionally, if you require an ADA accommodation in order to participate in the meeting please contact Ms. Stengel with your request at least one week in advance of the meeting. Thank you.

 

 

 

Building Healthy Economic Futures for Americans with Disabilities

The Real Economic Impact Tour is a public-private collaboration designed to produce:

• New opportunities to advance financial independence for Americans with disabilities;
• Immediate market creation in 100 cities nationwide for financial institutions; and
  • Measurable and sustainable economic growth defined by consumer spending and asset-building activities.

Kicking off in the fall of 2009 with the first two stops a Mayor’s Leadership Academy on Asset Building for Americans with Disabilities in Jacksonville, FL and a Kick-Off Celebration at the National Press Club, the 2010 Real Economic Impact Tour will take place in 100 cities. Activities in each city will include:

• Development of a disability workgroup within existing free tax coalition;
• Volunteer tax preparation assistance;
• Financial education classes;
• Training about access and use of public benefits;
• Special events to connect to financial institutions;
• Credit, debt, and homeownership counseling;
• Training about federal work incentives to promote self-sufficiency; and
  • Training and technical assistance leveraging existing community resources.

The 2010 Real Economic Impact Tour builds on successful accomplishments over the past five years that assisted more than 332,903 individuals with disabilities access the free tax preparation as a gateway to other asset-building activities.  In 2006, The Tour received funding from the Ford Foundation and the National Cooperative Bank (now NCB), for the National Disability Institute (NDI) in collaboration with IRS Wage & Investment Research to study the needs of taxpayers with disabilities in four cities. In 2009, the Tour provided outreach and technical assistance to community coalitions in 84 cities and returned over $176.6 million. 

The goal of the 2010 Real Economic Impact Tour is to reach out to more than two million individuals with disabilities and help over 275,000 taxpayers and their families receive free tax filing and other asset building services. Private support for the 2010 Tour is provided by the Bank of America, AT&T, Acorda Therapeutics, Darden Restaurants Foundation and Walmart Foundation combined with in-kind federal agency support from the IRS, FDIC, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor, Mayors’ Offices and more than 630 community-based organizations. The National Disability Institute expects to produce 50,000 new filers with disabilities and pump more than $200 million dollars back into local economies.  Most of all, the Real Economic Impact Tour will work to change the thinking and behavior of working-age adults with disabilities that the American Dream leaves no one behind when it comes to asset building.

More Information — www.reitour.org

Judy Stengel, REI Tour Resource Manager

jstengel@ndi-inc.org

Happy Holidays from United Way!

Hamilton Misfeldt LIVES UNITED!

Hamilton Misfeldt is one of our local accounting firms, and is a tremendous supporter of United Way of Cascade County, amongst many other organizations.  For their staff Christmas party, they decided to kick up their heels and show their Live United pride…what a great bunch! Thanks to Gabbye, Jodi and Stacey for their work in organizing the group photo.

Who said accountants were stodgy?! This group looks pretty fun!

Education Community Impact Council Update

On Tuesday, November 11, the Education Council had its second meeting.  Attendees talked about existing efforts in the education field working towards helping children and youth achieve their potential, and how they can help move the community-level indicators to align with the impact council’s goals. In addition, what metrics to be used was discussed, so there will be a better understanding about what data would be needed to understand the effects the committee is having on the community-level indicators.  Overall, good discussion was had, with a sense of accomplishment and moving forward.  The council is looking forward to its next meeting in December.

~submitted by Heather Palermo, MSU College of Technology, UWCC board member and education community impact council member

Making Progress

Our enthusiastic Campaign Cabinet has been busily working towards reaching our $955,000 campaign goal and as of today, have raised a total of $679,744.  Way to go, campaign volunteers!  Your work is appreciated, and will make an impactive difference in Cascade County. 

For those of you good at math, that leaves us with only $275,256 left to raise.  If you haven’t yet had an opportunity to contribute to our community campaign through your workplace, watch your mailbox in the coming days for your invitation to give.  Or, click here and make your donation through our secure and convenient online giving portal.

Remember, when we reach out a hand to one, we influence the condition of all.  Give.  Advocate.  Volunteer.  LIVE UNITED!

YWCA Harvest Luncheon This Friday

Looking for a treat this Friday? Come out and support the YWCA.  Their Harvest Luncheon menu sounds superb (I don’t even know what a chocolate frango torte is, but it sounds amazing) and all proceeds support the work of the YWCA and Mercy Home.  Contact them at 452-1315 for more details.

JCCS LIVES UNITED!

One of our local accounting firms held their own Live United Day today–what a happy looking bunch! The smiling ladies in Live United shirts serve on our board of directors and allocations committee. Thanks for advocating on behalf of United Way!

JCCS Lives United!