DALLAS – United Way of Metropolitan Dallas announced that it will invest $50 million in the North Texas community during its 2013-2014 fiscal year. Among its diverse range of investments are the first three-year Community Impact Fund grant awards totaling more than $20 million for 161 outstanding programs that are making measurable strides to improve community conditions. These grants account for forty-one percent of United Way’s overall investment in the community. The organization is also making significant contributions in new and innovative ways to achieve even greater impact.
“There is more to our United 2020 strategy than investments made through the competitive grants process” said United Way of Metropolitan Dallas President and CEO Jennifer Sampson. “We are working to create lasting change in North Texas. This includes the diversification of our community investments into programs and partnerships that are accelerating our progress toward achieving the United 2020 community goals to prepare kids to graduate and succeed, help families leave poverty permanently and to enable people to live healthy, responsible lives.”
The Community Impact Fund is United Way’s most well-known community investment. In recent years the organization has substantially diversified its contributions into programs, partnerships and capital projects addressing key gaps in the community. These investments include:
• Community Impact Fund Grants – $20,213,035
Grant awards to local service providers for programs demonstrating a measurable impact in the areas of education, income and health. Funding awards are based on a volunteer review of proposals submitted by service providers through an open grants process.
• Donor-Directed Investments – $15,789,234
These donations are provided to various nonprofit organizations and agencies according to specific donor requests. Organizations do not have to be directly affiliated with United Way to receive a donor-directed contribution.
• United Way-led Education, Income and Health Programs – $5,693,949
This investment represents funding for programs administered by United Way, such as Destination: Graduation, Healthy Zone Schools, Leaders in Science and The GroundFloor (social innovation fund). It also includes financial and staffing support for collaborations, such as the Community Financial Stability Initiative, and for development of community plans like Charting the Course, a plan to eradicate childhood obesity by 2020.
• Leveraged Investments in Capital Projects via Leveraged New market Tax Credits – $5,100,000
These investments include capital projects for service partners, such as with Children’s Medical Center.
• Investments in the United Way Endowment – $3,175,200
Endowment contributions to the United Way Foundation of Metropolitan Dallas represent an investment in the future. This year the Foundation chose to support the Community Impact Fund and United Way’s GroundFloor social innovation fund.
“United Way amplifies the impact of every dollar donors entrust with us by investing in exceptional local programs, as well as United Way led initiatives that are changing lives in North Texas,” said Debbie Taylor, chair of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Board and Southwest regional director for Citi Community Development. “This collective impact is magnified through better coordination and targeted efforts that are tightly aligned with our work to break the costly and destructive cycles of dropouts, poverty and poor health.”
In addition to identifying new ways to invest in the community, United Way is enhancing its existing contributions. For instance, 2013-2014 is the first year during which United Way will award Community Impact Fund grants spanning a three-year horizon.
Transitioning from an annual cycle to a multi-year funding structure empowers service providers, and United Way, to better plan for long-term initiatives with more stable funding patterns. Additionally, it allows United Way staff and volunteers to leverage their expertise to strengthen the organization’s evaluation capabilities and produce better outcomes.
