Community Investment

The entire Community Investment Process is driven by our Community Impact Model. From February through March, more than 60 volunteers dedicate more than 1,200 hours to the community investment process. With so many programs vying for funds, doing the job right requires an army of citizens on the march from early morning until late at night for about two months. These volunteers are organized into panels according to the four impact areas:  Emergency Assistance and Basic Human Needs, Education, Financial Stability, and Health.

The work of the panels begins as they learn how to evaluate programs according to the “outcome measurements,” then they read and evaluate applications, visit agencies, and ask questions. After the tours, the panels convene to discuss the program requests and make their recommendations.  Then the panel leaders finalize the panel recommendations, which are then presented to United Way's Board of Directors.

Since incorporating the Outcome Measurements into our work beginning in 2005, the community investment application is no longer about what programs agencies have and how many people go through them, but how the programs have changed  the lives of the clients and community. Our community partners have told us the outcome measurements has helped them to become better at what they do.

 Community Investment Volunteers Honored

 In 2009  a “bumper crop” of 65 volunteers served on Community Investment panels—more than a third of them for the first time. 27 panel members were honored with service awards in March 2009: 16 received 3-year awards, five received 4-year awards, and the following six panel members were singled out for special recognition for five years of dedicated service on Community Investment panels:

Barbara Brummel, Retiree

Rhonda Dittman, National City Bank

Janet Hagel, Retiree

Beth Higgins, National City Bank

Diane Ybarra, Global Concepts

Sheryl Zajechowski, Brilliance Audio

Thank you all Community Investment volunteers!