Causes: Children & Youth, Children & Youth Services, Federated Giving Programs, Human Service Organizations, Human Services, Philanthropy

Mission: TRIDENT UNITED WAY ESTABLISHES AND IMPLEMENTS A COMMUNITY STRATEGIC SOCIAL AGENDA WITHIN FIVE PROGRAM AREAS: EDUCATION, INCOME, HEALTH, SAFETY NET AND CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY.

Programs: Educationtuw's education initiatives are aimed at helping young children to achieve educational success and graduate high school prepare for a career or continuing education. Tuw believe education is the first step toward becoming healthy, happy and productive citizens. Tuw invested $2. 7 million in education programs, including $1. 4 million in its innovative, research-based links to success initiative. The initiative fosters collaboration between agencies and "high potential" schools around a common agenda and shared metrics. During this last period, 6,008 students attended links to success schools. Of those students, 3,422 or 57% received "linking partner services. " further, 58% of links students scored at or above proficiency in english language arts and 53% were at or above proficiency in math. "linking partner services," such as weekend feeding programs family counseling, and family navigator services provide children and families necessary supports so that children can focus on learning and overcoming challenges that prevented them from entering school ready to learn.

community impactthe community change led by tuw is supported through hundreds of workplace giving campaigns, individual giving, corporate and foundation grants, federal and state grants, and fees for services. In 2015, tuw created a strategic learning and evaluation system designed to ensure that the organization continues to add value to partners and the greater community with continuous quality improvement and progress toward goals. The community investment process, an open and competitive process guided by over 100 volunteers, is the process through which tuw volunteer leadership decides which strategic investments are most likely to result in measurable change in each of its focus areas of education, financial stability and health. The investment process is underpinned by three principles the guide all investments: fiscal responsibility, measurable results and alignment. Volunteers are trained by staff to invest community dollars in programs that measurably improve lives and align with tuw priorities. This is the last year of a three-year investment process (2012-2014) focused on supporting human services organizations aligned with community impact goals outlined in the 2011 agenda for community impact. Trident united way invests approximately $7 million in mission-related services annually. The organization also process approximately $2 million in pass-through gifts designated by donors to other organizations, which are not vetted through the community investment process.

financial stabilitytuw's financial stability initiatives are aimed at helping families to become financially stable through stepped access to basic needs supports, basic skills education, tools to increase income and savings, and ultimately tools to help gain and sustain assets. Each of these steps is underpinned by financial education. Tuw invested $1. 7 million dollars in programs that help people build financial assets. Critical to this work is collective impact, exemplified by the berkeley and dorchester prosperity centers in moncks corner and summerville. At these sites, palmetto goodwill, family services, inc. , and tuw provide coordinated, comprehensive financial stability services designed to help families move themselves up the ladder to self-sufficiency. Each organization provides a different set of services. Tuw provides administrative oversight and coordinates basic needs assistance; family services offers financial education and home ownership classes; and goodwill focuses on employment and workforce readiness skills. Tuw also serves as the backbone organization, creating a common agenda and shared metrics. The results so far have been impressive. The prosperity centers and financial stability funded partners provided 14,943 individuals financial stability services in 2015. Individuals accessing employment and employment training services grew from 30% to 49% and free tax preparation services grew from 12% to 14%. When the centers opened, 78% of total clients were requesting access to basic needs services. Now the mix is such that 23% of total clients are requesting basic needs supports. This reduction in proportionate demand for basic needs services, in comparison to increase demand in services that strengthen income and stability, suggests that the individuals accessing center services are moving down a developmental path toward greater financial stability.

connecting the communitytuw informs and mobilizes the community, with particular emphasis on volunteerism in the tri-county region. Its connecting the community focus is anchored by 2-1-1 hotline, which allows residents of the lowcountry to get or give help 24-hours-a-day. Employing the state's most comprehensive and up-to-date database of community resources, 2-1-1 hotline is free and confidential, and received 37,710 calls in 2015. Most of the calls are for help with basic needs, but 2-1-1 also answers for other community services. In 2015, tuw's connecting the community's largest episodic one-day volunteer effort was its annual day of caring event, which involved over 6,800 people from 145 companies throughout the tri-county region. Healthtuw's health investments focus on helping people make good health choices and on reducing the incidence of preventable chronic diseases. In 2015, 10,025 individuals received health services from partners funded by tuw. One notable example is tuw's partnership with musc children's care network to provide preventative care for low-income, uninsured children in the lowcountry. The clinic is strategically located on a bus line, accepts walk-in appointments, and has a bi-lingual staff. The program is demonstrating measurable results: 92% of all new patients correctly identify a primary care provider after six months and 79. 5% maintained medical home relationship.