Greater Gallatin United Way Inc

Programs: One organization, united effort, great resultsgreater gallatin united way (gguw) is local, well-governed by volunteers, and has been an essential and vibrant supporter of the community. Greater gallatin united way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in the greater gallatin community. The organization takes a collective approach to community problem solving and serves people in park, madison, meagher and gallatin county, montana. The agency was incorporated with the state of montana on december 19, 1978. The governing board consists of an elected board chair, and elected members of the board of directors. The organization is supported primarily through contributions from an annual campaign, as well as, grant funds. Gguw is a community leader in collective impact-driven work. To achieve our mission, we identify priority community issues around health, education and income utilize a strategic plan that directs gguw to listen to the community, to provide leadership when warranted secure resources through an annual fundraising campaign, grant writing, utilizing existing community assets and developing innovative partnerships convene individuals, businesses, nonprofits and government to work collectively targeting root causes provide essential funding through our community investment/impact process to vetted partner programs, ensuring donors that their dollars are wisely invested to make the most impact mobilize community members, businesses and their workforce to get involved by giving, advocating and/or volunteeringas a centralized philanthropy, we believe that real long-term change is best generated by a united effort, working collectively through a common agenda. When nonprofits are equipped to effectively collaborate, duplication is reduced and each partner's contribution multiplies to deliver greater results for the community. Greater gallatin united way works on tough issues because. . . - - poverty is not a distant issue. It exists right here. - - mental illness is not a distant issue. It exists right here. - - illiteracy is not a distant issue. It exists right here. No one organization alone in isolation can solve complex community problems. The only way we can create real, lasting change is by working together through collective impact. Collective impact requires that everyone work together in partnership businesses, cities, government, schools, churches, foundations, and non-profit organizations to tackle our most pressing challenges and develop lasting solutions. Greater gallatin united way focuses on 4 community impact areas: i. Basic needs - ensuring basic needs are metii. Children and youth success ensuring all children have the opportunity to reach their full potentialiii. Senior stability promoting healthy agingiv. Mental well-being ensuring every individual realizes his or her own potential and can contribute to the communityour strategies to ensure basic needs are met:- - end homelessness and advance affordable housing options (u. S. Government defines affordable housing as housing that consumes 30% or less of a household's income)- - eliminate food insecurity- - access to affordable health care- - promote 2-1-1 / suicide and crisis hotline + resource coordination and access to resourcesour strategies for children and youth success:- - early literacy; children entering kindergarten ready learn - - grade level reading by 3rd grade (a key measure of a childs academic success, and a strong predictor of high school graduation) - - access to quality affordable early child care, 0-5 years (child care is considered affordable if it is less than 10% of total income)- - access to quality affordable out-of-school-time care / summer programming, 5+ yearsour strategies for senior stability:- - enhance senior mental and physical well-being- - help seniors remain independent as long as possible- - promote end-of-life education and support for seniors and care giversour strategies around mental health and well-being:- - community outreach, education and awareness about mental health, mental well-being and mental illness- - combat human trafficking and abuse and support for survivors- - quality professional development for care providers- - access to mental health resources and serviceswe believe that no problem is so big that we cant solve it together, but it takes all of us: fundraisers, hand-raisers, change-makers, partners, and each of our donors to create lasting change through advocacy, fundraising, and volunteerism. Gguw program services successesour work addresses the quality of life for the whole community, from babies to seniors. 1. Community investment/impact: we mobilize the caring power of the community and invest funds in over 60 local tax-exempt programs and initiatives that are effective, accountable and demonstrate positive results for the people served. 2. Kidslink afterschool provided a safe, healthy, enriching environment for more than 1,600 youth on a daily basis at 29 sites in four counties. 3. Montana afterschool alliance (mtaa): gguw is a co-founder and serves as the fiscal sponsor for mtaa, a statewide network of stakeholders working to increase access, improve quality and increase sustainability of out-of-school-time programs across the state. 4. Early childhood community council and mt project launch initiative supports youth ages 0-8 and their families by bringing together diverse stakeholders working together to support strong, healthy families and to engage montana's early childhood partners to improve systems and access to mental health services for young children and families in our rural state while piloting evidence-based practices in gallatin and park counties. 5. Volunteer connections / volunteermt. Org: this gguw initiative is to build volunteer engagement by providing a central resource for non-profit organizations to share quality volunteer opportunities with community members. 6. Other program services: the resilience project - promotes awareness and support for trauma informed practices and resilience building in our community; with emphasis on youth, their families, and support network; familywize - a drug discount program for those without prescription plans; the mammogram project with partners bozeman deaconess and advanced medical imaging that pays for diagnostic and screening mammograms for women who cannot afford them; and other projects that fulfill the organization's mission to improve lives through mobilizing the caring power of our local communities. Gguw operates with transparency and accountability throughout all its programming and operations and invests donations wisely and efficiently. To learn more, visit www. Greatergallatinunitedway. Org.