Community Impact

BASIC NEEDS FUND DETAILS

THE BACKGROUND

Serving our Miami County's basic needs is at the heart of United Way’s work. Our work began more than 63 years ago, organizing support for hungry, sick, disabled, and vulnerable to crisis.

OUR COMMITMENT

United Way is committed to increasing the connectivity of organizations for individuals seeking basic needs support and will maintain efforts to inform and support public policy priorities in this area.

WHAT WE'RE DOING

The Basic Needs Fund will support individuals who need access to shelter and advocacy, mental health awareness and services, direct emergency assistance, feed needs of hungry children, transportation, and other basic needs’ supports.

BASIC NEED - DIRECT ASSISTANCE

United Way of Miami County identifies the most critical needs and invests in initiatives that significantly impact. The 2021 campaign payable 2022 Funded Partner Agencies are part of the United Way Community Impact. These partner agencies meet strict standards for operation, governance, finance, inclusiveness, and more. The organizations are reviewed annually through a Standards Process led by staff and trained volunteers.                                                         

Potential and current partner agencies are eligible to apply for funding from United Way of Miami County. Our next opportunity for applying is by November 2022. Funded services must address issues in four impact areas: Education, Food Insecurity, Financial Stability, and Mental Health.

Program/Partner Agencies

  • American Red Cross
  • Area Five of Aging   
  • Family Service Association, DV
  • Imagination Library
  • Mental Health America
  • ShipHappens   
  • The Salvation Army   
  • YMCA
  • YMCA Transit

Initiatives       

  • Homelessness
  • Miami Co. Imagination Library           
  • Weekend Meal Deal - buddy bags
DONATIONS TO THE PROGRAM/INITIATIVE FUND WILL SPARK NEW IDEAS AND FUND
INITIATIVES THAT LEAD TO COMMUNITY-WIDE SOLUTIONS

THE SITUATION

Miami County's community-based organizations work tirelessly to support our most vulnerable neighbors. With the day-to-day intensity of serving those in poverty, little time and resources are left to test innovative approaches that could expand services to more people in need. Barriers to employment such as lack of job skills, family care responsibilities, and lack of reliable transportation, need to be addressed in innovative ways to achieve long-term, successful outcomes.

THE PLAN

The human services sector is ripe for innovation. While great work is being done on the ground to serve families and individuals in need, poverty is a systemic problem that will not be solved with one magic bullet—policymakers, academics, businesses, and social service agencies need to work together to address long-term systemic change and do it with innovative ideas and solutions.

THE SUPPORT

Today’s millennial generation of donors is more interested in solving problems to which they have a personal connection and using technology to affect directly. Specifically, in the tech sector, there is growing interest in connecting these natural innovators to the problems that plague our community so that new, innovative solutions can be revealed—and scaled for the greater good of the community.

Education

  • Paths to Quality
  • High School & Preschool Scholarships

​Financial Stability

  • Education Awareness
  • Food Mobile Drives
  • Work Ready Job Skills
  • Financial Sustainability - Budgeting

​Mental Health

  • Stigma awareness against substance abuse disorder
  • Stigma awareness against mental illness

​TOGETHER WE'RE GREATER THAN ANY CHALLENGE

Community Solutions

United Way of Miami County fights for community solutions improving underlying community conditions and specific place-based initiatives to assist in areas of concentrated disadvantage.

Impact Initiatives

Align a set of programs and services to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Program Solution

Direct services for individuals and families with measurable results

  • Sustain basic needs - direct assistance
  • Support community-wide - solutions
  • Give donors volunteer opportunities

DONOR ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

  • CAMPAIGN CABINET
  • MOBILE FOOD DRIVES
  • STAMP OUT HUNGER
  • SPONSOR SPECIAL EVENTS
    • DAY OF CARING (February 25)
    • 65TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION (Cocktail attire or decades) (August)
    • UNITED WAY  KICK-OFF (Monte Carlo Night) (August)
    • UNITED WAY DUCKY RUN (August)
    • SENIOR EXPO (September)
    • MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY (Oct. 22)
    • INTER-AGENCY FAIR (Oct.)
    • GIVING TUESDAY (Nov. 29)
    • CHRISTMAS/GINGERBREAD DISPLAYS (November 14 - December 4)
  • UNITED WAY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
  • WEEKEND MEAL DEAL - BUDDY BAGS

CHANGE DOESN'T HAPPEN ALONE. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!