What Is “Community Impact”?
Topics
Why United Way needs a new approach to
improving lives
Illustrating “changes in community conditions”
The elements of “community impact”
Final thoughts
What Is "Community Impact"?
2
Mission of the United Way System
To improve lives by mobilizing
the caring power of communities
What Is "Community Impact"?
3
United Way’s Traditional Approach
to Improving Lives
Mobilizing
communities
support services
that
to
for individuals
 and families 
financial resources of
businesses and
employees
What Is "Community Impact"?
improve lives
of program clients
DIRECT IMPACT
4
Many Problems in Our Communities are
Getting Worse
e.g.:
 Low-birthweight babies
 Disparities in school readiness,
school achievement
 Lack of affordable housing
 Children and families in poverty
 Personal debt and bankruptcy
 Child and adult obesity
 Lack of access to health care
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Many Factors Contribute to
Pressing Community Issues
Economic
conditions
Public
attitudes
Historical
trends
Media
messages
Public
sector policies/
practices
Private
sector policies/
practices
Health care
system policies/
practices
Education
system policies/
practices
System
relationships
Neighborhood
conditions
Personal
choices
What Is "Community Impact"?
Family
dynamics
6
Most Direct-service Programs Address
Only One or Two Factors
Personal
choices
What Is "Community Impact"?
Family
dynamics
7
Addressing Those Pressing Issues Requires
a New Approach and Additional Partners
Economic
conditions
Public
attitudes
Historical
trends
Media
messages
Public
sector policies/
practices
Private
sector policies/
practices
Health care
system policies/
practices
Education
system policies/
practices
System
relationships
Neighborhood
conditions
Personal
choices
What Is "Community Impact"?
Family
dynamics
8
New Model for Improving Lives Emphasizes
a Community-level Approach
COMMUNITY IMPACT
people, time, talent,
relationships, expertise,
technology, money, etc.
Mobilizing
communities
create lasting
changes in
community
conditions
to
financial resources of
businesses and
employees
of community
populations
that
support services
for individuals
and families
improve lives
of program clients
DIRECT IMPACT
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Note
Pursuing community impact…
 does not mean that we will discontinue all
support for direct services
 does mean that increasingly we will
emphasize strategies for creating lasting
changes in community conditions
- Direct services and direct-service agencies
will play roles in many community impact
strategies
What Is "Community Impact"?
10
Topics
Why United Way needs a new approach to improving
lives
Illustrating “changes in community conditions”
The elements of “community impact”
Final thoughts
What Is "Community Impact"?
11
Improving Lives
Program
clients
What Is "Community Impact"?
12
Systems
Individuals
& families
What Is "Community Impact"?
13
Improving Lives
Systems
Community
population
What Is "Community Impact"?
14
Improving Lives
Systems
Community
population
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Improving Lives
Systems
Community
population
What Is "Community Impact"?
16
Changes in Community Conditions
that can Improve Lives -- Examples
Target outcome
Children from families earning under 125% of poverty start
kindergarten with age-appropriate pre-literacy skills
Supporting changes in community conditions
• in organizations Grocery stores display tips on how parents
can enhance early learning while shopping with children
• in systems The state-run visiting nurse program includes Born
Learning parent tools in home visiting curriculum
• in neighborhoods Neighborhood businesses display posters
that show parents/caregivers ways to promote early learning
• in personal networks Parents use everyday moments to
promote their young children’s early learning
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Changes in Community Conditions
that can Improve Lives -- Examples
Target outcome
Ninth graders who missed more than 20 days of school in eighth
grade graduate from high school
Supporting changes in community conditions
• in organizations Faith communities recruit & train mentors to
help chronically truant youths increase school performance
• in systems The school district offers alternative educational
opportunities to every student who drops out
• in neighborhoods Neighborhood businesses offer part-time
employment for students who improve their school performance
• in personal networks Parents take an active role in increasing
students’ school attendance and performance
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Changes in Community Conditions
that can Improve Lives -- Examples
Target outcome
Single mothers not taking advantage of public and employer
benefits begin to use those benefits to increase their incomes
Supporting changes in community conditions
• in organizations Employers adopt opt-out policies for benefits
that increase employee income
• in systems The state human services office requires public
agencies to provide EITC information to benefit recipients
• in neighborhoods Neighborhood associations put information
on public benefits in places where mothers go frequently
• in personal networks Friends and family members encourage
low-income mothers to use free tax-preparation services
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Changes in Community Conditions
that can Improve Lives -- Examples
Target outcome
Community residents needing information on human services or
supports contact 2-1-1
Supporting changes in community conditions
• in organizations Businesses display posters with 2-1-1
information in places that employees gather informally
• in systems State and local human services include 2-1-1
contact information in materials given to all clients
• in neighborhoods Neighborhood associations connect
residents to 2-1-1 to obtain information and help
• in personal networks Friends of residents needing local
resource information encourage them to contact 2-1-1
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Caution
 We would not pursue these or other changes
in community conditions because they seem
like “a good idea”
We would pursue them because careful
analysis shows that they are an important part
of a broader strategy for improving lives
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Topics
Why United Way needs a new approach to improving
lives
Illustrating “changes in community conditions”
The elements of “community impact”
Final thoughts
What Is "Community Impact"?
22
Community Impact is . . .
Mobilizing
communities
to

What Is "Community Impact"?
create lasting
changes in
community
conditions
that

improve lives
23
Mobilizing
communities
. . . to identify pressing community issues,
agree on priorities, create partnerships,
develop change strategies, activate
needed resources
For example:
• Meeting with neighborhood residents to identify their concerns and assets
• Working with advocates for homeless families on setting priorities for action
• Partnering with residents and experts to pinpoint underlying causes of and
promising responses to family violence
• Convening strategic partners to develop a plan to provide transportation for
people with disabilities
• Collaborating with opinion leaders to raise awareness of isolated seniors
• Engaging 2-1-1 to enlist interested people and organizations in advocating
for quality child care
• Linking investors concerned about health care access with efforts to
address the issue
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Mobilizing
communities
to

create lasting
changes in
community
conditions
For example:
• Local businesses provide regular and varied internship and
apprenticeship opportunities for youth
• Junior League, Kiwanis, and other civic groups provide volunteers
and other resources to early literacy efforts
• All county law enforcement agencies adopt a “pro-arrest” policy
regarding domestic violence
• Neighborhood associations in high-crime areas influence the city
council to provide funds for improved street lighting
• State and city governments enact new policies and allocate
added funds for quality early childhood education
• Public attitudes toward child abuse become less tolerant
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Mobilizing
communities
to

create lasting
changes in
community
conditions
that

improve lives
For example:
• Low-income children in pilot school districts reach targeted
developmental benchmarks
• Families of workers without health insurance have preventive health care
• High school juniors and seniors demonstrate commitment to community
involvement
• Homeless families are in quality transitional housing
• Workers laid off in company closings develop marketable technical and
educational skills
• Residents of high-crime neighborhoods experience increased safety
• Home-bound seniors in central-city high-rises have nutritional, social, and
medical support
What Is "Community Impact"?
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United Way of Dane County; Madison, WI
Schools of Hope
Mobilizing the community . . .
 Catalyzed by a series of newspaper reports highlighting
the gaps in academic achievement between white
students and students of color in Dane County Public
Schools, United Way convened school, parent, business,
media, community organization, government, university,
and labor union representatives to address the problem.
 After researching the problem and solutions used
elsewhere, the partners developed strategies to eliminate
the reading gap at 3rd grade.
What Is "Community Impact"?
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United Way of Dane County; Madison, WI
Schools of Hope
… to create community conditions …
 The school system:
- significantly reduced class sizes in grades K-3;
- revised and standardized the K-3 curriculum; and
- trains teachers more extensively and performs in-class
assessments.
 Diverse community players recruit hundreds of volunteers
each year to tutor students with literacy challenges.
 The school district, RSVP, VISTA volunteer coordinators,
and United Way collaborate to train volunteers and match
them with K-3 students as needed.
 Media keep the issue in front of the public.
What Is "Community Impact"?
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United Way of Dane County; Madison, WI
Schools of Hope
… that improve lives.
 In 1995, the gap in reading achievement scores between
white students and students of color was as much as 25%.
% Below Standard/Minimal
 By 2005, the gap had been nearly eliminated.
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1995
1996
1997
African American
What Is "Community Impact"?
1998
1999
Hispanic
2000
2001
2002
Southeast Asian
2003
2004
Other Asian
2005
White
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Community impact is . . .
Mobilizing
communities
to

What Is "Community Impact"?
create lasting
changes in
community
conditions
that

improve lives
30
Working Together to Change the Community
Improved
lives
Targeted changes in community conditions
Community plan for action
Community assets/partners/investors
Institutions
Associations
Corporations
Individuals Agencies
What Is "Community Impact"?
Neighborhoods
United Way
Faith community
Government
Labor groups
Foundations
Academia
etc.
31
Topics
Why United Way needs a new approach to
improving lives
Illustrating “changes in community conditions”
The elements of “community impact”
Final thoughts
What Is "Community Impact"?
32
Community Impact ...
 Is not just about improving lives of clients of
United Way-funded programs
 Is about improving lives of people affected by
pressing community issues
 Is not about relying only on the health and
human services sector
 Is about mobilizing all of the sectors, systems,
networks, organizations, and others that can play
a role in improving lives in our communities
 Is not just the job of certain United Way functions
(e.g., fund distribution, community building)
 Is the business of the entire organization
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Aligning to Help Change the Community
Improved
lives
Targeted changes in community conditions
Community plan for action
What Is "Community Impact"?
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Related Resources on United Way Online
• Aligning for Impact
(keyword: Alignment)
• Community Initiatives: Tracking Progress and Results
(keyword:
CITracking)
• Community Investment Triangle: Targeting Our Resources –
Part 1 (keyword: CITriangle)
• Hometown Literacy Partnership Experience
• Ogre Story
(keyword: Hometown)
(keyword: Ogre)
• Program Outcomes and Community Outcomes: What Are the
Differences? (keyword: ProgramCommunityOutcomes)
• Redefining Agency Relationships for Community Impact
(keyword: RedefineAgency)
• The Road to Community Impact: New Answers to Old Questions
(keyword: RoadtoCI)
What Is "Community Impact"?
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What Is "Community Impact"?
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