Your United Way has embarked on one of its most exciting journeys ever.

Earlier this evening, during our annual recognition and impact event, we announced a new vision, mission and community-level goals that aim to transform our region in specific, measurable and powerful ways.

The text of our news release, which appears at the bottom of this blog, will give you all the details. First, let me share my personal perspective.

In short, our new strategic path is an evolution of the impact work we’ve been doing. Impact is the DNA that determines who we are, what we do and what we will become. It’s the basis for that evolution toward a model that’s clearly measurable and sustainable. 

Leading up to this evolution, we spoke with hundreds of groups and individuals across our region, sharing our thinking and seeking their input. What they told us is, “It’s about time.” They said they wanted more measurable impact. They wanted us to stop being a mile wide and an inch deep. They wanted us to take our work to the next level.

Our new vision: A vibrant community where all people realize their full potential. Our mission: Drive impact by leading shared efforts that engage diverse people, ideas and resources.

I hope you see a key theme in our vision and mission. It’s about coming together. It’s about partnering across all sectors, working collectively to achieve that vibrant community.

I invite you to join us in that work! Please feel free to reach out to me or any of our leadership team members through our website’s contact page.

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UNITED WAY UNVEILS REGIONAL IMPACT GOALS, STRATEGIES; ‘COME TOGETHER’ EVENT CELEBRATES 2015 ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CALLS COMMUNITIES TO ACTION’

BATTLE CREEK and KALAMAZOO, Michigan—Strong, collective efforts aimed at specific outcomes will improve graduation rates, increase economically stable households, enhance family and infant health, and ensure safety nets for those in need across the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo region. These are the driving forces of new, community-level goals and strategies unveiled at a United Way gathering of 250 supporters and partners on Wednesday. 

“Our regional community has told us loud and clear that they want more, and more meaningful, impact from the collective work of United Way,” said Mike Larson, president and CEO of United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR). “Impact is the DNA that determines who we are, what we do and what we will become as an organization and as a region.”

Larson described the changes to United Way as an evolution of its work.

“We’ve been working in the areas of education, income, health and basic needs for a long time, and with our many partners we’ve accomplished a lot,” Larson explained. “But as we’ve spoken with supporters and partners over the past year, we keep hearing that United Way tends to be a mile wide and an inch deep. People are telling us to dive deeper, and that’s what we’ve committed to do.”

As part of that commitment, UWBCKR revised its vision and mission statements to reflect its impact strategies. Its new vision: “A vibrant community where all people realize their full potential.” Its new mission: “Drive impact by leading shared efforts that engage diverse people, ideas and resources.”

“Our new vision and mission statements are anchored in community-level change and collaboration,” said Larson. “They also acknowledge the role of diversity, inclusion and equity in helping address economic and racial disparities that plague so many in our region.”

UWBCKR’s new impact goals and strategies are these:

• Improve high school graduation rates and reduce racial and economic disparities in graduation rates. The measure of success will be a four-year high school graduation rate of 83 percent region-wide by 2030, with a focus on graduation rates for students of color and students from low-income families. Strategic efforts will focus on early childhood success and kindergarten readiness, early grade reading proficiency, and the social emotional wellbeing of children.
• Increase the number of economically stable households. As measured by ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) standards, UWBCKR seeks to elevate 8,500 households to economic stability by 2030. Strategies center on assuring stable and affordable housing, and providing workforce and income supports—such as access to child care, transportation and financial literacy—for low-income and working people.
• Improve family and infant health while reducing racial and economic disparities. As infant mortality rates are a key measure of a community’s overall health system, UWBCKR set a goal of reducing the infant mortality rate region-wide to 6.0 by 2025—that is, no more than six infant deaths in the first year of life per 1,000 live births. This is an especially urgent need among some minority groups that face worse infant mortality rates than seen in undeveloped countries. Efforts will focus on physical, behavioral and mental health for families and infants, and on health education and awareness.
• Ensure a safety net is in place to help individuals and families access basic necessities in times of crisis. Efforts in this area will include making sure people can get food, shelter, clothing, transportation, vital records and other basic needs.

In addition, Larson said United Way will invest in collaborations addressing other necessities in education, income, health and basic needs, as well as in pilot efforts that take innovative approaches in these areas.

UWBCKR arrived at the new strategic direction through an evaluation of needs and opportunities in the region, which included community conversations with diverse audiences throughout 2015. “This is the next, logical step in our ongoing work to change our region in meaningful, measurable ways,” Larson said.

Partnering agencies have been trained in the new goals and strategies, and many have already submitted proposals, said Larson. Funding decisions are expected in the third quarter of 2016.

Also as part of the “Come Together” event held Wednesday, UWBCKR announced the results of its 2015 annual campaign and honored a number of individuals and organizations for their work. The campaign raised $12,700,492 to support programs in the region. Awards and recognition included the following:

• Live United Award – PNC Bank
• Setting The Pace Award – Greenleaf Trust
• Trendsetter Award – Edwards Industrial
• Heritage Award – Denso Manufacturing Michigan
• Overachievers Award – Bravo Restaurant & Café; Calhoun County; Charitable Union; City of Battle Creek; City of Kalamazoo; County of Kalamazoo; DeNooyer Automotive Group; DPI Printers Inc.; Fabri-Kal Corp.; Humphrey Products; Kalamazoo College; Landscape Forms Inc.; Legal Aid of Western Michigan; and the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine.
• Extraordinary Leaders Award – Bob Betzig (Pfizer Inc.); Chris Buckley (Portage Community Center); Cecily Cagle (community volunteer); Denise Crawford (Family Health Center); Sue Ewing (Stryker); David Furgason (Stryker); Jodi Gibson (Kellogg Co.); Laura Howard (Vicksburg Adjacent Communities Committee); Bob Landeros (Western Michigan University); Cindy Kole (Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; PNC Bank retiree); Todd McDonald (CSM Group); Tom Mellinger (Pfizer Inc.); Jennifer Purucker (Borgess Ascension Health Information Services; Aspiring Leaders United); Ted Roethlisberger (Duncan Aviation); and Erick Stewart (Stewart Industries). 

In addition, UWBCKR acknowledged participants and sponsors of the annual United Way Sweepstakes, which provided a new car, up to a value of $30,000, to a randomly selected donor. This year’s winner was Susan Schroder of Denso Manufacturing Michigan, whose name was drawn from 7,891 qualified donors. The Sweepstakes drew $975,401 in pledges to United Way. Donors were automatically entered if they were first-time givers of at least $50 in undesignated funds or gave an undesignated gift at least $25 above their previous year’s donation. Sweepstakes sponsors were Kellogg Community Federal Credit Union, Cole Automotive Group, DeNooyer Chevrolet, Orrin B. Hayes Inc., Metro Imports, Seelye Auto Group, Lakeview Ford, Henkel Automotive Group, Heritage Chevrolet, Harold Zeigler Automotive Group and Sunshine Toyota.