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The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Jim Mullen, President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Way of Summit and Medina Counties.  Over Jim’s tenure, United Way of Summit & Medina has expanded its footprint and programming. The merger of InfoLine and Medina County coupled with the implementation of programs such as the Financial Empowerment Centers and Family Resource Centers have been instrumental in the success and results of the Bold Goals. Most of Jim’s presentation centered around the Four Bold Goals that currently drives the agency’s direction. According to Jim, the Bold Goals are how they measure their work to create lasting change. They target root causes of longstanding problems in our community. United Way looks at themselves as “In, With, and For Our Community.” What are the Four Bold Goals?
BOLD GOAL 1:
READY FOR SUCCESS
65% of APS third graders reading at or above grade
2015-2016 baseline: 38%
2020-2021: 27%
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on reading scores. In the 2018-19 school year, 50% of third graders were reading at or above grade level. BOLD GOAL 2:
YOUTH SUCCESS
COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS
90% of APS high schoolers graduating in 4 years, with 60% college/career ready
2015-2016 baseline: 75% and 21% respectively
2020-2021: 83% and 28% respectively
BOLD GOAL 3:
FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT
Financially empower 11,000 people in Summit County
Summit County 2016 baseline: 42,000 people in Akron live in households earning less than Ohio’s cost of living.
June 2018 – June 2022: 3,271 Summit County residents are on the path to financial empowerment.
BOLD GOAL 4:
HEALTH EQUITY
Reduce the Black infant mortality rate in Summit County to 6 per 1,000 live births
2019 baseline: Black infant mortality rate is 15.4 per 1,000 live births while the Summit County infant mortality rate is 6 per 1,000 live births.
Not Your Parents United Way
United Way of Summit and Medina Counties has changed how they do business. For years, the organization distributed money to a variety of not-for-profit organizations within the community. Now the organization contracts with agencies, but also provides services directly to residents of Summit and Medina counties. - The organization annual revenue is $40 million (March 2022).
- Direct Service programming is at the center of what they do.
- Campaign revenue is about 1/3 of their total revenue each year.
- Donor designations are less than $1 million, from over $8 million in 2015.
- Two acquisitions of area non-profits since 2018 (InfoLine and Medina United Way)
What is significant about the Donor Designation item is that with more donors not specifically identifying where they want their money to be allocated, United Way is better able to meet the needs of the community as the needs change. 2021 Return on Investment - $50.8 million overall community impact
- $38.1 million community contributions
- $9.7 million direct benefit to clients
- $3.0 million partner program leverage
- In 2021 the Return on Investment was $11:1
To learn more about each of the Bold Goals and their impact on the community, I encourage you to view Jim’s PowerPoint presentation or visit www.uwsummitmedina.org. You will learn about the Sojourner Truth Plaza, the Imagination Library, Family Resource Centers, College and Career Readiness, Keys to Financial Empowerment, to name just a few of the innovative activities taking place at the United Way of Summit & Medina Counties. Yours in Service - Terry Dalton Akron Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair |
Bhante Soorakkulame Pemaratana was born and trained in Sri Lanka, he moved to the US in 2008.
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