United_Way_of_America

United Way of America Lyntarshia Walton 11/18/11 The United Way of America is a leadership and support organization for the network of nearly 1,800 community-based United Ways in 40 countries and territories. They focus on improving education, and helping people achieve financial stability, and promoting healthy lives. This helps millions of people to give, advocate, and volunteer to improve the conditions in which they live. United Ways certify their adherence to standards that include comprehensive requirements for financial reporting, governance, ethics, diversity and operations. There are coded of ethics that all volunteers, employees and representatives have to comply with. Their responsibility is to uphold the highest ethical standards. These standards are believed to go beyond compliance with laws and regulations—calling us to fulfill higher obligations as stewards of the public trust. They are also in compliance with the spirit and intent of the U.S. Patriot Act and other counter terrorism laws. Affirmative action is taken to prevent technical, in-kind, or other resources from inadvertently being used for illegal acts and terrorist activities. In 1887, a Denver woman, a priest, two ministers and a rabbi recognized the need for cooperative action to address their city’s welfare problems. The first United campaign for ten health and welfare agencies were started by Frances Wisebart Jacobs, the Rev. Myron W. Reed, Msgr. William J. O’Ryan, Dean H. Martyn Hart and Rabbi William S. Friedman. An organization was created to serve as an agent to collect funds for local charities, as well as coordinate relief services, counsel and refer clients to cooperating agencies, and make emergency assistance grants in cases which could not be referred. The vision of the United Way is a world where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, income stability and healthy lives. There are several goals that the United Way wants to accomplish. A 10-year program was designed to achieve the following goals by 2018: * Improve education, and cut the number of high school dropouts – 1.2 million students, every year – in half. * Help people achieve financial stability, and get 1.9 million working families – half the number of lower-income families who are financially unstable – on the road to economic independence. * Promote healthy lives, and increase by one-third the number of youth and adults who are healthy and avoid risky behaviors. The United Way worldwide and FINRA provided $1.8 million in grants to recipients as part of the Financial Education in Your Community initiative. This funds community based financial education programs across the country, providing effective, unbiased financial education resources for hardworking individuals and families. Local organizations have a unique ability to provide low- and middle-income Americans with the information and support they need to make sound financial decisions and save for their long-term financial security. Two-year grants were competitively awarded to local United Ways and other non-profit community groups that will undertake projects to help identify best practices for providing working individuals and families with the information they need to take action toward increasing their financial stability. Another project funded by the United Way is Advancing of the Common Good. The strategies for this project falls info different tier categories. Tier 1: Legislative Leadership Engagement this will be a leadership role assumed by the United Way worldwide in advocacy on Capitol Hill within the human services sector by proactively lobbying and bringing visibility to issues brought about. Resources will be devoted to research, policy development, grass-roots mobilization, and advocacy. Tier 2: Legislative Advocacy Engagement positions will be proactively developed, advocate, and generate grassroots support among local United Ways on an as-needed basis. Tier 3 Legislative Support Issues they will monitor and respond to request for support through such vehicles as “sign-on letters.” The work of coalition partners who are the considered though leaders on Tier 3 issues. Reference: Vision, Mission and Goals | United Way. (n.d.). United Way. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from http://liveunited.org/pages/mission-and-goals/