United Way of Salt Lake

Programs: Collective impact: (see schedule o)collective impact: united way's innovative approach to community problem solving. United way of salt lake has adopted a unique approach to solve community problems. Collective impact requires that everyone works together - foundations, businesses, cities, state government, schools, churches, nonprofit organizations. . . And individuals, to tackle our most pressing challenges and take advantage of our biggest opportunities. Collective impact requires that partners work together to:1) create a vision and set goals for their specific neighborhoods. 2) align all programs, activities, and strategies to mutually reinforce each other. 3) measure success by tracking and sharing data and modifying strategies to ensure results. 4) create an environment of continuous communication and continuous improvement. United way of salt lake serves as the backbone organization assuring these elements are in place in every neighborhood in which we work. As the backbone organization, united way:1) guides vision and strategies2) builds public will3) supports aligned activities4) establishes shared measurement5) mobilizes fundraising6) advances public policies7) engages volunteersour promise is to change the odds and create opportunities so all children - even in the toughest neighborhoods - have the same chance to become productive, self-reliant members of our community. The long-term effect benefits us all. Strategies to achieve collective impact include backbone functions and coordination. Working with many different partners, we concentrate on the most challenged neighborhoods in our communities through 25 neighborhood centers. These centers, located in schools, apartment complexes and community centers, create a web of support for the entire family by focusing on education as the foundation and integrating financial stability, health and basic needs programs and services. An important part of the collective impact program is the use of social impact loans to fund a high-quality preschool program, the objective of which is to decrease the number of children who use special education and remedial services in kindergarten through 12th grade. The goal of the program is to create cost savings for school districts, the state of utah, and other government entities.

basic needs: united way supports people's most basic needs of food, shelter, health and safety. Basic needs services are vital to individuals with chronic conditions and for individuals and families in crisis needing temporary support. When individuals are unable to meet their immediate needs, it becomes more difficult to focus on long-term goals such as employment, housing, or education. Basic needs services are critical to getting people back on their feet and on the road to self-sufficiency.

2-1-1 program: (see schedule o)2-1-1 was adopted in utah in 2002 and became a statewide resource in 2005. United way of salt lake acquired 2-1-1 in june of 2011. The concept of 2-1-1 was born out of the need for an easy-to-remember telephone number that reduces duplication and helps people navigate the confusing and overwhelming maze of available health and human service resources. The purpose of 2-1-1 is threefold: 1) support state agencies and nonprofit organizations in our communities by collecting and sharing resource and demographic data, helping organizations maintain their missions and obtain their visions 2) empower individuals and families by helping them find the tools they need to change their circumstances 3) connect organizations, agencies, individuals and families to one another to change the odds in the communities served by united way 2-1-1 united way 2-1-1 received 84,786 calls in 2014, providing over 155,000 referrals to callers. Additionally, in the past year, 2-1-1 received nearly 64,000 homepage hits, and, since the live chat feature was launched in february, information specialists have been responding to an average of 100 chats a month, with this number doubling and even tripling each month, as more people take advantage of this innovative service. The top five needs in the community, as identified by the number of requests received, include: income support assistance, housing assistance, health care, utility assistance, and individual family and community services.