United Way of the CSRA unveiled their new strategic plan and community-wide initiative called Leading Families Forward last month at the 2019 campaign kickoff luncheon. With 51% of United Way’s 12-county impact area either living in poverty or considered the working poor, United Way believes a new focus, called Leading Families Forward, will harness collaborative efforts of existing and new community partners and focus on transforming local lives in four key impact areas: Childhood Success, Youth Success, Workforce Development, and Access to Resources.

United Way is now requesting Letters of Intent (LOI) for the Leading Families Forward Initiative for the Program Year 2020-2021 from area nonprofits to be considered for future funding. Under the Leading Families Forward initiative, United Way seeks to fund coordinated services specifically to families struggling to overcome barriers to success. Working in collaborative partnerships, agencies seeking funding should support a multi-generational service model that provides education to parents, encourages parental involvement in the education of their children, and invests in children becoming more productive adults in the future.

Agencies should demonstrate how they work collectively on issues most strongly affecting under-resourced children and families, target specific issues in a holistic approach, and convene volunteers, community leaders, and key stakeholders in an effort to raise awareness and advocate for more economic mobility opportunities across the region. The goal is to provide families living in poverty with the resources and services that allow them to move from poverty into self-sufficiency, crossing that poverty threshold for a more successful life.

Local area 501c3 nonprofits can learn more about United Way’s new focus, RSVP for upcoming information sessions, and see what requirements are necessary to receive United Way funding and become a partner by visiting www.uwcsra.org.