United Way Inc.

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2011 to Jun 30, 2012

Signed

Dec 13, 2012

Return Version

2011v1.2

Gross Receipts

$10,579,301

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

EDUCATION: Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. It is essential to getting and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits. It is also fundamental to a community's economic prosperity: a well-educated workforce attracts world-class jobs. United Way funds 25 programs at 13 partner agencies that focus on education, helping us advance our education goals in the community. From addressing youth self-esteem to funding accredited child care centers, United Way is helping children, youth, and families reach their potential. Just as the strength of the foundation determines the stability of the home, all future learning, behavior and health is based on one's early experiences. Our vision is that young people will grow up healthy and ready for the future; that they are prepared for kindergarten; that children are reading on grade level by fourth grade; that middle school youth are at grade level in math and reading; and that high school students graduate with proficiency and are ready for college, the workplace, or the military. Research and experience show that each one of these benchmarks is essential for long term success. Our Westbrook Children's Project is an example of how we are working to fulfill our vision. Important project strategies have focused on increasing attendance and decreasing behavior issues, both important for improving academic success. In FY 2012, at one elementary school: The number of behavior incidents resulting in children being sent out of the classroom decreased by 12% The number of children with behavior incidents decreased by 30% The number of children absent seven or more times in a six month period decreased by 17% In FY 2012, we also increased instructional attention for struggling students. We saw a huge growth in letter identification by kindergartners in one school, an important benchmark in early literacy.Other Project accomplishments in the past year include: -Kate Hersom, Principal at Saccarappa Elementary School and a lead Project champion, was named Maine's Elementary School Principal of the Year. -The Project brought volunteers into the school and classroom to help children succeed, with 66 volunteers donating over 2,300 hours at one elementary school alone. -This summer, literacy kits were distributed to all incoming kindergarteners. -We are increasing collaboration by convening 80 individuals representing more than 20 agencies on a monthly basis.

Activity 3

INCOME: Many people in Greater Portland do not have a stable income that allows them to provide the basics - food, rent, and utilities. United Way has always taken a strategic approach to addressing critical issues and financial stability is no exception. Financial stability comes from providing families with the resources and opportunities they need to meet their basic needs. United Way funds 15 programs at 10 partner agencies that focus on income and securing the basics, helping us advance our financial stability goals in the community. From addressing the needs of refugees and immigrants to transportation and legal services programs, United Way is linking community members to tools that will help them get on, or continue down, the path to financial stability. CA$H (Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope) Greater Portland is a partnership of community leaders and industry experts empowering individuals and families to achieve long-term financial stability. CA$H is a year-round resource for the community, offering free income tax preparation to qualified filers during tax season, helping employers bring financial education tools to their employees, and educating hard-working residents about how they can make the most of their money. CA$H connects the community to local programs and services, and utilizes its website, www.cashgp.org, as a financial education clearinghouse. In 2012, CA$H free income tax preparation events returned $1,241,483 in federal and state tax refunds to the community, and applied $372,331 in federal earned income tax credits. United Way of Greater Portland serves as the Local Board administrator of the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). This program is specially designed to help communities respond to local emergency food and shelter needs. EFSP funds are intended to help existing programs, such a food pantries and shelters, expand their capacity to serve those in need. Funding decisions are made on the local level by the Local Board which sets priorities, advertises the availability of funds, makes funding recommendations, and provides technical support to recipient organizations throughout the grant period. In 2011, Cumberland County was deemed ineligible for funding due to a change in the qualification formula and a 40% cut to the program nationally. As a result of direct advocacy, the Local Board was able to secure $93,000 in special funds from the National Board and $24,000 in funding from the State Set Aside Committee. United Way of Greater Portland convenes and leads the Cumberland County Food Security Council, a coalition focused on increasing access to food for vulnerable populations throughout Cumberland County. Formed in 2011, the council is comprised of representatives from local businesses, farms, food pantries and meal providers, government agencies, and other social services providers. The Council's focus for the next year includes developing a food security dashboard for Cumberland County and one common, shared database to collect and store data. This effort involves building collaboration and consensus among the key food providers for the county, as well as the front-line pantries and meal programs served by them. The establishment of a common data collection tool and dashboard will help provide an accurate picture of the state of food security in the county and provide strategic direction to hunger reduction efforts, provide a formal mechanism for collaboration, communication and data sharing among key food providers, and help reduce the burden of duplicative data reporting on the part of front line providers. The other major focus is to utilize a community conversation model, tested in the Lakes Region, to bring together partners from across the food system to identify and discuss the food access issue and potential solutions for particular communities. A successful series of conversations in the Lakes Region has resulted in new relationships between providers and local gov

Filer

EIN

01-0241767