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United Way
of Douglas County
Community Impact Study
United Way of Douglas County is focused on creating
measurable results for health and human service issues in
Douglas County. To that end, United Way implemented a
community-wide planning process with the goal of shifting
to community-impact focused funding. This report outlines
the process and findings of the community planning
process that occurred from June – November 2010.
Free Bird Business Solutions
Claudia Larkin, Diane Oakes
785.608.6714
12/1/2010
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Background…………………………………………………………………………………….3
Community Impact Committee………………………………………………….…..………5
The Process For Goal Setting………………………………………………….……………6
Community Survey………………………………………………………………..……….….7
Methodology………………………………………………………………….………........7
Community Education Initiative…………………………………………………………8
Survey Results……………………………………………………………………………9
Focus Groups……………………………………………………………………………..….15
Methodology……………………………………………………………….………...……15
Participants………………………………………………………………………...….….16
Findings…………………………………………………………………………………...17
Recurring Themes……………………………………………………………………….20
Key Messages……………………………………………………………………………25
Facilitator Observations…………………………………………………………….……….28
Facilitator Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..31
Appendices………………………………………………………………………….………..32
Community Impact Committee Members
Online Survey Tool
Comprehensive Survey Results
Communication Tool Kit
Focus Group Script
Community Indicator Data sampling
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BACKGROUND
The mission of United Way of Douglas County is to address human service needs by
mobilizing community resources and building partnerships. The board of directors is
committed to this mission.
For over 65 years, United Way of Douglas County (UWDC) has supported agencies,
helping thousands of people and functioning as a conduit for donors to give to
important organizations. Yet problems in the community remain. If UWDC is to
maintain value as the best way to invest in the community to have the greatest impact,
it must change the way it does business. As a result, the UWDC is repositioning itself
as more than a fundraiser for local agencies, but rather as the leading community
impact organization for the Douglas County area. Many successful United Ways
throughout the country have converted to the ―Community Impact‖ operating model.
This is a multiple year effort which will ultimately lead to increased levels of
volunteerism and financial contributions.
Traditionally, UWDC’s approach to improving lives has focused on funding agencies
that provide services to individuals and families. This strategy did improve the lives of
program clients and resulted in a direct impact on individuals/families in a limited
scope.
In the current system, UWDC-funded agencies offer programs and services that
respond to family characteristics and personal choices. Individuals and families
receive services to address a single challenge. Direct service programs lack the
resources to initiate changes at the community level, where multiple dimensions of a
problem can be addressed. Within the current system it is also a challenge to address
in an efficient manner the co-occurring issues often prevalent in those in need.
Despite best efforts, under the current system of direct impact funding, community
problems either persist or continue to worsen: rent affordability, lack of a robust public
transit system, joblessness, hard drug use in high school, neighborhood deterioration,
and public and private policy decisions that negatively impact families, etc. The scope
of community problems and the impact of those problems on families limit the ability of
direct service programs to make lasting changes.
The shift to community impact is a proven method of creating lasting change in
community conditions that will ultimately improve the lives of all community
populations.
Our community needs continue to challenge the capacity of Douglas County’s health
and human service providers. While agencies continually perform heroic work in
meeting people's immediate needs, there have been few opportunities to address the
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larger, community-wide conditions that give rise to those needs, or to foster sustained
community change.
In the future, United Way will continue to address a comprehensive range of basic
needs in the community. At the same time, UWDC will help the community address
the root causes of social problems, and support targeted strategies promoting
fundamental change. Addressing pressing community issues requires new
approaches and additional partners
Our community approach is moving from:
To this:
.
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COMMUNITY IMPACT COMMITTEE
The Board of Directors of UWDC appointed a Community Impact Committee to
oversee the shift from a traditional direct service funding model to the new community
impact funding model, driven by community goals. Members of the CIC can be found
in the appendices of this report.
The Community Impact Committee (CIC) adopted four key strategies for shepherding
the change from direct service funding (agencies) to community impact funding
(programs):
1. Identify and prioritize human service goals in education, health and wellness,
and self-sufficiency through community dialogue(s).
2. Create a plan to respond to the set human service goals.
3. Measure the success/progress of the plan/goals.
4. Create a year-round communication plan for community goals.
United Way Community Impact Committee Planning Timeline
2010
2011
2012
Feb – Plan formalized and adopted
April/May – Community Survey and Focus Group
Framework developed and approved
June – Community/media rollout soliciting
participation in online survey and focus group initiated
July/August – Analysis of community survey
responses and development of focus group script
August – Second push calling for survey and focus
group participants
Sept/Oct – Conduct 10-15 focus groups with
participants representing the community as a whole
January – Board of Directors processes results
and identifies priority areas and possible
indicators.
Track progress
February/March/April/May – Strategic planning
begins around each identified goal in teams that
include community partners
May – New funding structure announced to the
public
October – Applications supporting new funding
structure available and open to human service
organizations
Nov/Dec – Develop final report and findings
The 2010 focus for the CIC has been the identification and prioritizing of human
service goals in education, health and self-sufficiency through community dialogue(s).
This report captures the process and results of this strategy.
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THE PROCESS FOR GOAL SETTING
Community goals create a vision for Douglas County. Goals are positive statements
that capture the possibilities for our community. Once community goals are
established, strategies can be developed to move the community closer to
successfully attaining those goals. To focus in on this process, UWDC Board of
Directors adopted three broad areas in which goal setting would occur:
1. Education
2. Health and Wellness
3. Self-Sufficiency
The Board of Directors and the CIC were committed to providing opportunities for
widespread community input in the goal setting process. As early as June of 2009, the
CIC defined stakeholders and developed strategies for their inclusion in the process.
At that time stakeholders were defined as anyone for whom United Way is relevant
(whether they know it or not!). This included donors, potential donors, people receiving
services, public servants, business leaders, elected officials, young and old residents,
university students and faculty, and those who are currently indifferent to UWDC.
The Three-Legged Stool
The CIC developed a model for soliciting community input into the goal-setting process.
The analogy was that of a three-legged stool – three components of equal importance,
each contributing to the stability of the process and lending information the Board of
Directors would use in determining a future funding model:
Community Survey: An online survey used to invite partners, stakeholders, donors, and
community members to share their thoughts and opinions on broad priorities in the area of
health, education and self-sufficiency.
Focus Groups: Focus groups representing sectors of our community to take the process
a step deeper and gather greater detail about community perceptions and aspirations
identified in our surveys.
Hard Data: Statistical information gleaned from public records, community indicators and
information supplied by member agencies. This data provides another perspective in
identifying community goals that are significant and reasonable. While surveys and focus
groups provide perceptions of community needs, the data provides an objective assessment
of our community.
Ultimately, information from all three sources will be presented to the UWDC Board of
Directors for their consideration as they adopt community goals and move to a new
funding strategy.
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COMMUNITY SURVEY
Methodology
Upon our involvement with UWDC, we found that much of the work on the community
survey been completed by the CIC. The group had spent some months soliciting input
from other United Way organizations on the process and instruments used to initiate a
change in funding priorities and from this information, a draft survey questionnaire had
been developed by the CIC.
With the draft completed, the CIC began the process of weighing its options with
regard to soliciting community input:
Draw a random sample from the community using statistical resources to
ensure that the characteristics of the survey respondents (age, ethnicity,
income level, etc.) mirrored that of the Douglas County community at large.
Initiate a strategy that would allow anyone from the Douglas County area who
was interested in completing the survey the opportunity to do so. A strategic
public relations effort would be used to create awareness and foster
participation in the survey process.
The CIC carefully considered the pros and cons of each approach. After considerable
discussion, the CIC agreed that the latter approach—which allowed anyone in the
community to provide input via the survey tool—would be adopted at this time. While
not perfect, the CIC wanted to ensure that anyone interested in providing input was
afforded an opportunity to do so.
A goal of attaining 500 completed surveys was established.
The CIC also agreed that in recommending this approach to the full board, it would
also recommend that in two or three years, once the new funding initiatives were in
play in the community, a new survey focused on community initiatives be implemented
using a true random sample.
With these decisions made, the draft survey and methodology were presented to the
board, who adopted the CIC’s plan as presented. A few weeks later, the survey was
shared in a meeting with all UWDC agency partners, who provided input. Their
valuable suggestions were incorporated. The final document of the survey can be
found in the Appendices portion of this report.
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Community Education Initiative
The option of allowing all interested community members the opportunity to complete
the survey called for a strong public relations effort to educate the community on the
UWDC’s goal-setting initiative and community planning process.
The CIC determined that it would offer the survey via Survey Monkey, an online
survey-taking tool. As a secondary option, the CIC determined that paper copies
would also be available and distributed to those who requested it.
A ―Tool Kit‖ was developed that contained several components that would be utilized
strategically to call the community to action. The Tool Kit contained these components
(a complete Tool Kit can be found in the appendices portion of this report):
Media release
Donor/stakeholder letter and email messages
FAQ
Distribution plan
Talking points
Project timeline
Takeaway card
With the Tool Kit in hand, the United Way President/CEO began a public relations blitz
to get the word out about the survey and the need for community participation. The
message was well received and covered by the media.
In addition to the President/CEO’s efforts, UWDC Board Members and agency
partners were encouraged to spread the word about the availability of the survey and
the UWDC’s Community Planning Initiative. As contractors, we also attended
community activities to speak with the public and encourage participation.
Once the first round of surveys were taken and demographics analyzed, a second
round of public relations was used to encourage community participation until the goal
of 500 surveys was reached. In total, 566 community members completed the survey.
The top priorities that were identified by the community through the survey are
summarized on the following pages.
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United Way of Douglas County
Community Survey
Think about education in our community. Please review the goals below and
rank them 1 - 3 in order of importance with 1 being the highest priority.
First
Priority
260
47%
Infants and toddlers are ready for school at age five.
186
33%
Adults can compete for good jobs as a result of job training.
114
20%
Answer Options
Children and teens are successful in school.
answered question
561
skipped question
38
Children and teens are successful
in school.
20%
47%
33%
Infants and toddlers are ready for
school at age five.
Adults can compete for good jobs
as a result of job training.
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United Way of Douglas County
Community Survey
Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in need
of enhanced educational opportunities? Please rank the options 1 - 3 with 1 being
the highest priority.
Answer Options
Low-Income
Urban Residents
Rural Residents
First Priority
500
27
26
answered question
skipped question
5%
5%
90%
5%
5%
555
44
Rural Residents
Urban Residents
Low-Income
90%
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United Way of Douglas County
Community Survey
Think about health and wellness in our community. Please review the goals below
and rank them 1 - 6 in order of importance with 1 being the highest priority.
Answer Options
People of all ages have access to health care (mental, physical, etc.).
People care for one another without violence or abuse.
Individuals have high quality of life and well-being.
People live healthy lifestyles (good nutrition and physical activity).
People live without addiction to drugs or alcohol.
People are involved in their community (civic engagement, volunteer activity).
answered question
skipped question
First
Priority
285
53%
80
15%
71
13%
58
11%
29
5%
16
3%
People of all ages have access to
health care (mental, physical, etc.).
3%
544
55
People live without addiction to drugs
or alcohol.
11%
People care for one another without
violence or abuse.
13%
53%
Individuals have high quality of life and
well-being.
People live healthy lifestyles (good
nutrition and physical activity).
15%
5%
People are involved in their community
(civic engagement, volunteer activity).
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United Way of Douglas County
Community Survey
Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in
need of enhanced health and wellness opportunities? Please rank the options
1 - 6 with 1 being the highest priority.
Answer Options
First Priority
226
223
56
19
8
1
Children
Low-Income Residents
Senior Citizens
Adults
Rural Residents
Urban Residents
answered question
skipped question
42%
42%
11%
4%
1%
0%
536
63
Children
Adults
42%
42%
Senior Citizens
Rural Residents
Urban Residents
Low-Income Residents
0%
11%
4%
1%
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United Way of Douglas County
Community Survey
Think about self-sufficiency in our community. Please review the goals below
and rank them 1 - 7 in order of importance with 1 being the highest priority.
Answer Options
People have steady jobs and financial stability.
People can get help with food, shelter and financial aid.
People have housing that is safe, affordable and appropriate.
People have resources to be able to maintain a high quality of life.
People with disabilities maintain independent living and well-being.
Older adults remain independent.
People are prepared to handle unexpected crises.
answered question
skipped question
14%
First Priority
183
132
74
41
37
30
25
35%
25%
14%
8%
7%
6%
5%
525
74
People have resources to be able to maintain a high
quality of life.
People are prepared to handle unexpected crises.
8%
5%
6%
Older adults remain independent.
People have steady jobs and financial stability.
25%
People with disabilities maintain independent living and
well-being.
People can get help with food, shelter and financial aid.
35%
7%
People have housing that is safe, affordable and
appropriate.
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United Way of Douglas County
Community Survey
Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in
need of enhanced self-sufficiency opportunities? Please rank the options 1 - 6
with 1 being the highest priority.
First
Answer Options
Priority
301
58%
Low-Income Residents
95
18%
Senior Citizens
79
15%
Children
35
7%
Adults
4
1%
Urban Residents
3
1%
Rural Residents
answered question
skipped question
520
79
Children
15%
Adults
7%
Senior Citizens
Rural Residents
Urban Residents
58%
18%
Low-Income Residents
1%
1%
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FOCUS GROUPS
Having completed the community survey phase, the next step was to develop and
utilize focus groups to further explore the priorities identified in the survey. The CIC
opted to select the key priority for each category identified through the survey (Health,
Education, and Self-Sufficiency) as a basis for structuring the focus groups. Briefly,
the focus groups would be asked a series of questions designed to test the validity of
the priorities identified in the survey.
Did focus group participants agree with survey results? Why or why not?
Were there other priorities not identified in the survey that deserve attention?
What assets did the community have to address the priority needs identified in
the survey?
What challenges would we face?
What does the survey tell us about our community?
A script was developed and presented to the UWDG Presdent and CEO and CIC for
review and input and a final script for use with the groups was developed and is
attached in the appendices portion of this report.
For consistency throughout the process, all focus groups were facilitated by Claudia
Larkin, with notes of the meeting taken by Diane Oakes. All sessions were also
digitally recorded so that they could be relied upon later for clarification of any
comments made during the meeting. Notes can be found in the appendices portion of
this report. A compact disc containing the digital recordings of the focus group
proceedings is also submitted with this report.
Methodology
At the time they took the survey, survey-takers were offered the opportunity to
participate in the focus group process. A total of 127 individuals signed up to
participate.
The United Way Presdent and CEO reviewed the list of volunteers and augmented it
with groups and individuals who would round out the participant pool to ensure all
important community segments had an opportunity for input.
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An email invitation to participate was developed and sent out to the UWDG’s listserve, agency member list-serves, newsletters, and the like. The initial goal was to
have 12 groups of 10-12 individuals each participate in this portion of the process.
Participants
The final eleven focus groups involved 62 participants representing diverse aspects of
the community. Focus groups held at the Chamber of Commerce office and the
Lawrence Public Library tended to attract community professionals and service
providers including representatives from University of Kansas, small business owners,
United Way board or campaign volunteers and donors, agency board members, social
workers, educators, school district administrators, law enforcement officials, media
representatives, City of Lawrence staff, a past school board member and
representative from Bert Nash.
A focus group was sponsored in Baldwin in an attempt to reach residents outside of
the City of Lawrence. Eleven persons responded; two participated. While the number
of participants was low – their input was valuable. The realtor who participated in this
meeting had a firm grasp of the community. The other participant, a long-time
community volunteer, was able to address programs and services offered in Baldwin.
It is worth noting that other residents of Baldwin and Eudora also participated in
groups held in Lawrence.
Focus group invitations were extended to LeCompton residents, including an
announcement made during a City Commission meeting. We were unable to
determine if anyone from LeCompton participated.
Pastor Delmar White of the 9th St Baptist Church offered his congregation and meeting
space for a focus group. Four women from the church participated. They represented
a single mom who had only recently returned to work after losing a lucrative position
who had relied on social services while unemployed; a long-time resident and United
Way donor and social service recipient employed at the University of Kansas, a
recently retired person and a self-declared ―low-income mom‖ who regularly relied on
community services to make ends meet.
Carrie Lindsey, Resident Services Director for the Lawrence Housing Authority (LHA)
sponsored two focus groups at her facility. Participants represented Hispanic, AfricanAmerican and Native American populations. Three of the participants were physically
disabled, one suffered from mental illness. Also present were two social workers and
LHA program staff.
A complete list of participants is included in the appendices portion of this report.
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Findings
Generally speaking, focus group participants agreed with survey respondents on
community needs and priorities. Those priorities are:
GOAL
Education
Health
Self-Sufficiency
Priority
Children and teens are successful in
school
People of all ages have access to
healthcare (mental, physical, etc.)
People have steady jobs and financial
stability
Target
Low-Income
Children, low-income
residents
Low-income residents
Recurring Themes
Each focus group was asked to respond to a series of questions. As can be expected,
the responses and discussions varied greatly from one focus group to the next.
However, despite the diversity of the discussions, there were recurring themes that
appeared in each focus group. The following is an attempt to capture those recurring
themes. A summary of all responses can be found at the end of this section.
EDUCATION
Question: What does success look like?
Focus Group participants discussed a wide range of indicators of success, including
graduation rates and attendance records. The key indicators, however, were linked to
the school’s ability to instill life skills in students and help them transition to a
productive adulthood.
…Self sufficiency and problem solving skills
…Parent involvement
…Ability to make good decisions
…Time management and organizational skills
…Skills for being a contributing member of the community
…Prepared with critical thinking skills
…Successful employment and being able to support your family
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Question: What is working well in our community with regard to education?
Of all the questions posed during the focus group, this one had the highest
consistency of response. Across the board, focus group participants regarded youth
development programs as the greatest asset to education in our community. There
was strong recognition that teachers were critical, but limited in their ability to influence
the outcome of student education due to large class sizes, budget restraints, lack of
parental support, and expectations of expanded roles of schools.
Supplemental youth development programs were seen as the greatest benefit to
supporting families and enhancing the educational experience. It is worth noting that
participants offered praise for The Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers, Big Sisters in
every focus group! The Lawrence Arts Center (in particular the efforts made by the
Arts Center to reach low-income children), Upward Bond (KU/Haskell), Leap and Van
Gogh were also mentioned.
Participants at the 9th St Baptist Church focus group and the Lawrence Housing
Authority shared personal stories of the benefits their children received from mentoring
programs noted above.
…Big Brothers and Big Sisters is a great program to provide mentoring
and help families
…Boys and Girls Club programs serve all children in the community
…Additional community opportunities for additional support like Arts
Center and Boys and Girls Club are needed
…People, teachers care—good school district and strong partnerships
with schools
…School-business partnerships
Question: What challenges currently exist for education in our community?
It was no surprise to hear participants talk about lack of resources for our schools and
concerns over continued cuts to education. Large class sizes, underpaid teachers and
increasing demands for schools to provide services once provided by families were
part of the discussion in nearly every focus group. Elimination of programs designed to
help students with needs (e.g. WRAP) were also a great concern.
A secondary theme permeated the discussions regarding the challenges of educating
youth in our community – a lack of parental support/ability. It is worth noting that in
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nearly all discussions, concern with a lack of parental support was less a criticism of
parents than recognition of the difficulty in being an involved parent.
Focus group participants acknowledged the challenges families face today. Hardships
caused by the economy create financial stress for families and left working parents
with less energy to support school activities. Single parent households, blended
families, families with special needs children and lack of support from extended
families were all part of the discussion. Implicit in these discussions was the
recognition that families need community support, including parent education
programs, to be successful. Successful and supportive families key to children being
successful in school.
…Financial challenges of sending children to school - nothing is free!
…Examples: Cheerleading $800-$1000; football is $400 - school
extracurricular activity fees make it hard for our children to
participate, but these things can be just as important as academics
to developing well-rounded students who understand cooperation. It
is also the key for keeping some low-performing students in school.
…Money. Money. Money.
…Lack of opportunities that parents have to better themselves to
help their children. When opportunities are available for parents,
challenges including transportation and the ability to take time away
from work were noted as roadblocks to participating.
…Students need more role models….it takes an entire good
community to raise kids.
…There is a huge economic stress – especially on families.
Question: Do you believe children from all over the county have the same
opportunities for success in school?
Focus groups were fairly split on this question. Some participants felt that the
economic differences in neighborhoods translated to disparity in educational
experiences. Another viewpoint suggested that larger schools provided more
opportunities for students – suggesting that Lawrence schools may provide a better
educational experience than schools in Baldwin or Eudora. Conversely, there were
defenders of small schools as providing a more intimate educational experience for
children who did not get ―lost‖ in the system. Participants familiar with New York
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School used that school as an argument against the ―economic disadvantage‖
position, boasting of the school’s progress and ability to serve families.
For the most part, it appeared that program participants were satisfied with their
schools and concerned for other schools.
Question: Are there any educational needs that children or teens have that
transcend low-income issues?
Poor parenting, mental and physical disabilities, and language barriers were the
characteristics most frequently identified as negatively impacting children, regardless
of income level.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Question: What does success look like with regard to health and wellness in our
community?
Without doubt, the single most prevalent response to this question was access.
Success was envisioned as residents having the ability to get medical, dental and
psychiatric services when needed. The excessive line of those needing services at the
recent free dental clinic was mentioned by most groups to illustrate that health needs
in the community are going unmet. Preventive strategies were seen as critical to
insuring a healthy community.
Overall, indicators for success were described as:
…Everyone should have a medical home—coordination of services
is badly needed
…Being able to get an appointment without regard to ability to pay
…Being able to get an appointment in a timely manner when
Medicaid is involved
…Access to mental health services
…Usage at hospital and clinic would decrease
…Simplified one stop shopping ….easy intake…
…Less evidence of children needing services through the school
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…Easier access to emergency room care
…Services available outside of the typical 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
schedule
…People can get their meds—there was discussion by some that
they cannot take their medicines as prescribed because they lack
the finances to be able to do so
…People in need don’t have to spend the night waiting for dental
access
Question: What specific obstacles do you think low-income residents face with
regard to getting the healthcare they need?
There was a deep and genuine concern that residents of Douglas County do not have
access to healthcare. Respondents stated that access was hindered primarily by an
inability to pay for services (un- or under-insured) but transportation and service
provider hours were ranked high as well.
The surprise to this discussion was the amount of attention given to the limited hours
that practitioners were available and the strain that placed on all families. (It is worth
noting that agency access was discussed in a number of contexts, not just
healthcare. Agencies are often perceived as being inaccessible due to their hours and
intake procedures.) Working parents – regardless of occupation and income –
discussed the difficulty in consistently having to remove children from school and
losing work time for healthcare appointments.
Those who use ―free‖ or ―reduced cost‖ services find services nearly impossible to
access because the hours of service fall within the typical 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. work
day. These individuals reported that they lack the flexibility in their jobs to leave during
the day or take time away from work without having their pay docked. Families without
transportation were especially hard hit when children needed medical attention (some
reported having to take two or three buses to get to locations to access services,
wiping out an entire workday). Also discussed was the hardship faced by this group
when children got sick while at school—this situation could often put their jobs at risk.
Another strong theme was the impact that the healthcare crisis has on low-income
families or the ―working poor.‖ These individuals described themselves as having no
time available outside of going to work and taking care of the most basic of survival
needs. These individuals describe themselves as having ―fallen through the cracks.‖
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They make too much money to qualify for free services, yet do not make enough to
pay for basic needs without hardship and sacrifice. Most agreed that services for
those with nothing were fairly plentiful; it is the group in the middle that faces the most
difficult challenges. Their comments:
…I have been forced to send my child to school when I knew she should
be home, simply because I couldn’t afford to miss a day’s pay.
If the school calls for me to come and get her, I leave work and take her
home because I can’t get an appointment at the clinic.
…HealthWave and Medicare are no good if doctors won’t accept them.
…I lost my job and had no coverage. I just want to be able to go to the
dentist for an annual checkup and not take two years to pay off the bill.
…The lines at the free dental clinic demonstrate the need for additional
services; people were waiting in line all night – a shame in this
community.
…Healthcare is a challenge for everyone. Especially hard for Middle
America—one major sickness and you’re done.
…Working low-income adults get the short end of the stick; it feels
hopeless to be working and still not be able to get help with hospital bills;
all we can do is pray for good health.
…I go to work sick to make money to keep my children healthy.
Question: Do you believe people from all over the county have the same
opportunities when it comes to healthcare?
No. Respondents reiterated the challenges families, people with disabilities, the under
or un-insured, undocumented persons and those without transportation faced in
accessing healthcare.
Of particular concern were the transportation issues, particularly for those with
disabilities. Perhaps one participant summed up the issue of healthcare in our
community with this telling comment, ―These days everyone has trouble.‖
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SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Question: How do we define success with regard to self-sufficiency?
The prevailing responses dealt with employment and the ability of residents to earn a
living wage that would provide for basic needs: shelter, food, and access to medical
care. Stable employment with a reliable income is key for families and individuals to
be self-sufficient. Also noted were opportunities for individuals who do not go on to
college to earn a living wage in Lawrence; some felt technical training and support
were lacking for those who are not college bound.
Some of the reoccurring concerns include these, and were voiced by those who call
themselves the ―working poor‖:
…If you go to work and do a good job, you should be able to keep your job.
…I don’t want things that are unreasonable—I just want to earn enough to
provide for my family--a place to live and food on the table.
…Ability to pay my bills.
...A car that is reliable enough to get me where I need to go.
…A steady paycheck.
…People think we want a handout; we just want a ―hand up.‖ Stop giving me
the fish and teach me to fish instead. There is pride in being able to provide for
yourself. That’s what we want.
A secondary theme focused on the ability of the elderly or persons with disabilities to
retain independence.
…I want to stay in my home; success is allowing people to stay in their homes
with support services.
…People who need help need to know how to access services; the systems
are so complicated, it is easier to give up than go the distance with all the red
tape. It’s impossible for those who have language barriers or lack education.
…Sometimes the process isn’t just overwhelming, it’s demeaning.
Community indicators of self-sufficiency (signs of success) tended to focus on what
would NOT be needed.
… No need for a homeless shelter
…We wouldn’t need a LINKS kitchen
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Question: What specific obstacles do you think low-income residents face with
regard to experiencing greater self sufficiency?
Respondents reiterated themes from earlier questions – low-income
families/individuals suffer from a greater level of stress in dealing with life’s issues.
Respondents felt this population needed assistance with accessing services. This
population was seen as having a great chance of benefitting from educational
opportunities that would both enhance their ability to maintain a living wage and help
them deal with stress.
Comments included:
…Same ole-same ole – transportation, support, medical care and access.
…Access.
…People need patience and assistance; help is available in this community but
you have to find it and need to have patience with the process.
…Many times we find out about services not from service providers or
agencies, but from others like us who are in need of the services and have
figured out how to tangle through the red tape.
…They don’t know how to advocate for themselves.
…Children don’t have the right adults or adult support today.
…Everything is just harder.
…Lack of jobs.
…Illiteracy a big problem – these people are ―invisible‖ to many in this
community.
…People need to know HOW to get out of their present situation and move
upward.
Self-sufficiency was viewed as particularly difficult for persons with disabilities, mental
health illness, undocumented residents and non-English speakers.
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Key Messages
At the end of each focus group, participants were invited to brainstorm a list of
messages they wanted to send to the United Way Board of Directors. The messages
were a reflection of the priorities discussed during the focus groups.
Once the lists were developed, participants voted or otherwise reached a consensus
on the top three messages they wished to send to the United Way Board of Directors.
The following statements represent the three key messages generated by each of the
focus groups. They are presented in random order; no priority ranking was imposed
on the lists.
We need a new business model for accessing needs and providing services:
o Motivate service providers to accept Medicaid and extend hours;
o Campaign to love Lawrence….get everyone involved;
o We need more community education – knowledge of what’s available;
and
o Promote a spirit of volunteerism.
Prevention/access to public health/mental healthcare.
Need supports for parents; better programs to educate and support
parents/families during times and in ways that allow them to access.
Early intervention – health and mental health – we need more service
providers.
Flexible scheduling outside of the work day – access to services from agencies
and service providers.
New model of education - address demands on educators and support families.
Need for access to health and dental care (affordability, availability, time
sensitivity, appropriate services to match needs).
Programs to help parents do a better job of parenting. We need a different way
to engage parents by bringing programs to parents. Not just Success by Six Success by 20!
Break the cycle of learned helplessness – create hope and possibilities.
Programs that encourage clients to assume responsibility to learn, participate
or give back – with dignity.
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Education on being good parents: that might include financial literacy, healthy
lifestyles, etc.
Need for one stop shopping – portal entry systems; case management.
Nothing’s coordinated.
Education on complexity of issues – foster a culture of activism.
Transportation remains an issue in this community.
Awareness of and access to existing resources. Increase services for those
who work and lack flexibility in scheduling.
Need to focus on legislative issues that negatively affect educational funding.
Early childhood education and school readiness is important.
Adult literacy and job training are needed for people who are not college bound.
Crisis assistance: food, shelter utilities, critical needs.
A perception of control over life necessary for success in the world; find a way
to foster this in our community.
Priority on low income (interconnectedness among all areas).
The approach to community problem solving MUST BE WHOLISTIC. The
needs of children tie to families so we need to support families; many times
problems are co-occurring; people with healthcare issues often have
transportation challenges, limited income; job inflexibility, etc.
DUPLICATION OF SERVICES a big problem in Lawrence – need to have
better coordination/collaboration of services; there is a need for one central
intake portal/referral system.
Need to support working poor - those who are not eligible for public assistance.
Help non-English speaking populations understand which services are
available.
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Transportation not available for all—the current bus schedules are not
accommodating.
Services for independent living needed.
Good healthcare regardless of insurance!
Adequate resources for when people have a crisis.
Access to adequate healthcare (accessibility).
Resources for working ―poor‖ - under employed.
Elderly need help staying in their homes.
Process for getting healthcare needs to be easier--help get meds and care for
working people who fall through the cracks.
People, don’t need a free clinic, just an affordable one.
And a special comment…Thank you for soliciting input from all, especially
those of us who use services and are in need; we thought only bank presidents
got asked for their opinions!
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Facilitator Observations
This report attempts to capture the results of the Community Planning Process,
including community survey and the focus groups. The focus groups were particularly
enlightening as they provided participants an opportunity to engage in a thoughtful
dialogue. Like all good discussions, the conversations often meandered, as each
point, once shared, generated another discussion. While not all discussions, points or
sidebars where ―on-task,‖ they were all – directly or indirectly – pertinent to the
question at hand.
It is a challenge to represent the culmination of over 17 hours of conversation
involving over 62 participants, but every effort was made to do so in a fair and
accurate manner.
As facilitators, we had a unique vantage point and ability to listen to all conversations.
It became apparent that there were recurring issues being discussed that did not
necessarily ―make the cut‖ as priority goals or messages but were important
nonetheless. These themes seemed to transcend the categories of health, education
and self-sufficiency.
We therefore offer our observations, in the hopes these comments might be useful as
the project moves forward.
―The Community Needs a Quarterback!‖
A local healthcare provider offered this observation during a focus group, and we felt it
eloquently captured the frustration shared by several participants. There was a strong
perception among attendees that Douglas County lacks leadership in addressing
health and human service needs. The lack of a coordinating body (or quarterback) left
participants with the feeling that resources were not used as effectively as they could
be. Duplication of services came up time and again as an indicator of inefficiency in
social services.
There is a viewpoint that while Lawrence has grown, it is still small enough that
service providers could better coordinate services to maximize resources. Whether
this is a legitimate issue or a misperception, it is clear that participants want a
coordinating body to influence social services, identify community needs and eliminate
non-productive programs and/or duplicative services.
Life is Harder Than It Needs to Be for Working Families
Time and again participants talked about the need to help ―working-class‖ families or
the working poor – people who work hard and are one paycheck away from disaster.
There is a perception that the poorest among us has access to federal and state
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funded safety-nets and the wealthiest don’t need assistance, BUT the people who are
hardest hit are those who ―earn too much to qualify for help‖ but not enough to quite
make ends meet.
Help for families in this category did not necessarily mean financial assistance.
Transportation was identified as a major issue. Cheap cars break down and workers
depend on vehicles to get to work. While the ―T‖ sounds good in theory, time and
again we heard stories of impractical wait times, inconvenient routes and difficulty
accessing scheduled rides for medical appointments for people with disabilities.
There were several questions as to why agencies with buses or vans can’t coordinate
transportation for people needing help.
It was interesting to note that participants who used social services were the most
adamant that these services need not be provided for free. ―Nobody said life is
supposed to be easy,‖ said one participant. ―But is it fair that (person seated next to
her) worked her whole life and now in her retirement she can only afford to take her
medicine every other day – to make the prescription last. We work for everything we
get, and that is OK, just wish it was more fair.‖
Contrary to what some participants who do not use social services think (―the poor just
need to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and help themselves rather than looking
for someone else to do it‖), among those who use services, a reoccurring theme was
learning to do for themselves, and not just continuously being offered handouts.
Voiced was the dignity and pride that comes with earning their own way and providing
that example to their children. They do not want a system that continuously ―gives
them the fish‖; they want help in finding a way out to a better life as well as the ability
to give back to the community once they find their way.
Others agreed that successful families were key to community success. Children were
successful in school when parents were competent and less stressed. Relief for
parents and support in terms of parenting education, job training and financial
management/education were seen as critical to help families succeed. Truly,
participants believed that programs should offer a ―hand-up‖ not a ―hand-out.‖
Where Can I Find Help When I Need It?
No doubt, every agency director or service provider in Douglas County believes they
market their program and are accessible. It was a surprise to hear so many
participants talk about the difficulty in finding out where to turn for services when the
need arose. One participant shared her experience after she lost her job. She
eventually found the assistance she needed to maintain her home and feed her
children while she was unemployed, but she did so only after learning where to go
while ―hanging around‖ the job center. Had it not been for the ―word-of-mouth‖
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experience, she would have not known help was available. This was a recurring story
among participants who have used social services in this town.
One suggestion that was repeated in several focus groups was the need for single
entry portal (our words-their idea). A ―holistic‖ approach to providing services was
mentioned time and again, as families in need often experience ―co-occurring‖ issues;
they need somewhere in the community where case managers could process
requests for assistance and direct clients to the appropriate service provider.
Also mentioned time and again was the red tape a person in need must go through to
get services (―I just completed a dozen forms for this service; now I have a dozen new
forms for this other service—it’s so complicated, people give up‖). Perhaps there could
be intake centers at several locations throughout town, all of whom use the same
procedure for accepting applications for help and referring services in a consistent
manner.
Agency coordination of transportation was seen as another service desperately
needed. There was also a strong demand for agencies to adjust their hours to
accommodate working families and others for whom 9-5 was problematic.
We are still better than most!
Despite all the concerns identified throughout this process, participants agreed that
Lawrence was a great place to live. The community is generally seen as caring, and
most believe that services are available to help when needs arise. Participants
appreciate the work done by social service agencies, the hospital and the health
department. There was a general feeling that Lawrence/Douglas County does a good
job, but with some additional coordination and increased accessibility, we could do a
great job!
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Conclusion
It is has been our great pleasure to work with United Way of Douglas County these
past several months with their Community Planning Process. The Board of Directors
and CIC have put a good system in place to help shift the current funding process for
ensuring accountability to donor and that the most urgent community needs are met.
The time is right for UWDC to provide leadership in identifying the root causes of
community issues and to work with local leaders and service providers to strengthen
the community’s ability to address them, including the investment of United Way
campaign resources. There is no doubt that a change from agency to program
funding will not be without controversy. But given the commitment of the UWDC Board
of Directors in its pursuit of putting donor dollars where they meet the most need and
do the most good, the findings and observations in this report should provide a good
foundation for the decision making to come.
We extend to United Way of Douglas County our best wishes as they forge a new
path for the Lawrence community. If we can provide additional assistance, please call.
Free Bird Business Solutions
Claudia G. Larkin/Diane Oakes
3455 SW Brandywine Court
Topeka, Kansas 66614
785.608.6714
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APPENDICES
Community Impact Committee Members
Rita Sharpe, Chair - Community Volunteer
Bryan Culver – People’s Bank
Jane Buxton – Community Volunteer
Kim Gouge – Hallmark Cards
Judy Wright – KU Endowment Association
John Poertner, non-board member – Retired Professor of Social Welfare
Julie Sergeant, non-board member – KU Social Welfare Staff
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Online Survey Tool
United Way of Douglas County (UWDC) is asking for your help in prioritizing community goals in the areas of
Health, Education and Self-Sufficiency. This survey is one of several informational tools the United Way is using
to identify goals and ensure community resources address human service needs.
We appreciate your willingness to take the time to complete the few simple questions in this survey. By answering these questions you
ensure that your input is heard as part of the community goal setting process. The survey will only take five to seven minutes to
complete. It can also be completed online by visiting www.unitedwaydgco.org. If you complete this paper survey, please return it to
United Way of Douglas County at 2518 Ridge Ct., Room 200, Lawrence, KS 66046.
Thank you for participating! United Way of Douglas County appreciates your input.
1. Please read all options and check all that apply:
_____ I have no affiliation, past or present, with the UWDC or any of its funded agencies.
_____ I am a past or present donor, volunteer or staff member of the UWDC or one of its funded agencies.
_____ I have used services funded by the UWDC.
_____ I am an employer in Douglas County who may or may not be affiliated with the UWDC.
_____ I am a student in Douglas County who may or may not be affiliated with the UWDC.
2. Think about education in our community. Please review the goals below and rank them 1 - 3 in order of importance with 1 being
the highest priority. As you rank, use each number only once.
_____ Adults can compete for good jobs as a result of job training.
_____ Infants and toddlers are ready for school at age five.
_____ Children and teens are successful in school.
Other goals not mentioned:____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in need of enhanced educational opportunities?
Please rank the options 1 - 3 with 1 being the highest priority. As you rank, use each number only once.
_____ Rural residents
_____ Low income residents
_____ Urban residents
Comments:________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Think about health and wellness in our community. Please review the goals below and rank them 1 - 6 in order of importance with
1 being the highest priority. As you rank, use each number only once.
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Individuals have high quality of life and well-being.
People are involved in their community (civic engagement, volunteer activity).
People of all ages have access to health care (mental, physical, etc.).
People live healthy lifestyles (good nutrition and physical activity).
People live without addiction to drugs or alcohol.
People care for one another without violence or abuse.
Other goals not mentioned:___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
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5. Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in need of enhanced health and wellness
opportunities? Please rank the options 1 - 6 with 1 being the highest priority. As you rank, use each number only once.
_____ Rural residents
_____ Low income residents
_____ Urban residents
_____ Children
_____ Adults
_____ Senior Citizens
Comments:________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
6. Think about self-sufficiency in our community. Please review the goals below and rank them 1 - 7 in order of importance with 1
being the highest priority. As you rank, use each number only once.
_____ People can get help with food, shelter, and financial aid.
_____ People with disabilities maintain independent living and well-being.
_____ People have steady jobs and financial stability.
_____ Older adults remain independent.
_____ People have resources to be able to maintain a high quality of life.
_____ People are prepared to handle unexpected crises.
_____ People have housing that is safe, affordable and appropriate.
Other goals not mentioned:___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
7. Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in need of enhanced self-sufficiency opportunities?
Please rank the options 1 - 6 with 1 being the highest priority. As you rank, use each number only once.
_____ Rural residents
_____ Low income residents
_____ Urban residents
_____ Children
_____ Adults
_____ Senior Citizens
Comments:________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
8. If you were donating $100 and had to divide it between Education, Health and Self-Sufficiency, how would you invest your money?
Education: $_________
Health: $_________
Self Sufficiency: $_________
9. What are Douglas County's greatest assets for addressing some of the goals identified in this survey?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
10. In which Douglas County community do you currently live?
_____ Baldwin City
_____ Eudora
_____ Lawrence
_____ Other (please specify) ____________________
11. What is your age?
_____16-24
_____25-34
_____35-44
12. What is your ethnic background?
_____ African American or Black _____ Caucasian or White
_____ Asian
_____ Multi-Racial
_____ Lecompton
_____45-54
_____55-64
_____65+
_____ Hispanic or Latino
_____ Other
Later this year United Way of Douglas County will be hosting focus groups to gather additional input. If you are interested in being
considered for participating in a focus group, please complete the following:
Name:__________________________________Phone___________________ Email____________________________
Thank you for sharing your opinions with United Way of Douglas County (2518 Ridge Ct., Room 200, Lawrence, KS 66046). Your
participation is greatly appreciated. Please visit www.unitedwaydgco.org to learn more about our Community Planning process.
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Comprehensive Online Survey Results
Question 1
United Way of Douglas County Community Survey
Answer Options
I have no affiliation, past or present, with the
UWDC or any of its funded agencies.
I am a past or present donor, volunteer or staff
member of the UWDC or one of its funded
agencies.
I have used services funded by the UWDC.
I am an employer in Douglas County who may or
may not be affiliated with the UWDC.
I am a student in Douglas County who may or may
not be affiliated with the UWDC.
Response Percent
Response Count
16.8%
99
60.3%
355
14.5%
84
7.6%
45
0.8%
5
answered question
skipped question
588
11
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Question 2
United Way of Douglas County 
Community Survey
Think about education in our community. Please review the goals below and rank them 1 - 3 in
order of importance with 1 being the highest priority.
Answer Options
Children and teens are successful in school.
Infants and toddlers are ready for school at age five.
Adults can compete for good jobs as a result of job training.
First Priority
260
186
114
answered question
skipped question
47%
33%
20%
561
38
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Question 3
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Other Goals Not Mentioned
Response Count
answered question
skipped question
37
562
Families are strengthened and functioning as the foundation of a strong society
Health care for adults and elderly
Seniors & adults are educated about health services.
Rather hard to prioritize - they are all important
the availability of technical schools for those not college-bound
Health and well being of our citizenry
Making educational opportunities equal for ALL students regardless of economic status
Financial literacy for high school students, all adults
Planning for Seniors, "Boomers"
Hard to prioritize because kids won't be successful in school if infants/toddlers aren't ready for school and kids won't
be ready if parents don't have training for good jobs so they can support their family so all three should be first priority
Good schooling opportunities (I believe) lead to adults ready for good jobs
really not comfortable ranking these - they are all equally important
families at risk
consistency & cooperation among edu orgs
Building strong families to accomplish all of the other goals
Promoting positive mental health for all ages.
Awareness of social issues for adults.
Infants and mothers at risk are identified and helped for three to five years before the baby is born until the baby is
five to help the mother be a parent and to insure the child learns and receives what he/she needs
reduce high school drop-out rate
Programs for the elderly
health care through neighborhood swimming pools
Children and teens have access to health, relationship, and mental health education
math & science & history
partnerships between public education and other child-serving agencies is important to me
Choices of education other then academics
The value of critical & independent thinking should be a priority for middle- to upper-level education.
Gay-Straight Alliances in middle schools, comprehensive sex education in all schools
Senior Adult Issues #1 priority
older adults maintaining independence when possible; older adults support for staying in the job force when possible
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Opportunities for lifelong learning for older adults
Increase no. of high school graduates
I feel that if goals are met in this order that eventually adults will be more employable.
all of these are the first priority!
Services and programs to address important Aging needs
Understanding of rights and duties of citizenship.
People know what to do to live a healthy lifestyle.
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Question 4
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in need of enhanced
educational opportunities? Please rank the options 1 - 3 with 1 being the highest priority.
Low-Income
Urban Residents
Rural Residents
First Priority
500
27
26
answered question
skipped question
90%
5%
5%
555
44
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Question 5
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Additional Comments
Answer Options
answered question
skipped question
Response Count
35
564
Child development should not discriminate between income levels or locations
You cannot make such a general grouping priority and not lose some badly in need of support
I really do not think there is a difference between rural and urban in regard to enhanced educ-the need would be the sameI don't really have enough information to know if urban vs rural residents are in more need - I don't think one can generalize wouldn't it be more a case-by-case basis...
The Lawrence School District is very strong with excellent teachers. The focus and benefit of early childhood education is
clear, but that is the focus of the Lawrence Schools Foundation. As such, I would hope the UW would support LSF with future
grants.
Not sure of the differences in needs between urban and rural residence or how to prioritize.
The low-income and rural people are probably the hardest to serve.
For the purpose of this survey, I read: Urban = Lawrence (not downtown KC)
really not comfortable ranking these - they are all equally important
urban/rural it doesn't matter, should be available to everyone
This type of grouping is not appropriate. Take on the responsibility for monitoring dispersal of funds and target anyone based
on identified need.
Single parents whose full time student status and ineligibility for existing programs (i.e. VocRehab) leaves them without access
to daycare assistance.
Difficult to assess whether rural or urban residents need which priority.
I don't think it’s fair to determine the need based on these options.
Urban and rural residents have different needs so it is hard to assign different values. Given a choice, I would rank them both
second
college students
What is your definition of Urban? would your target "urban" group be covered with in your "low-income" radius?
I would think that their need is comparable, regardless whether they live in town, or in the county.
#1 is not necessarily true in every case, but more often #1 and #2 go hand-in-hand.
Faulty equation that Rural and Urban are exclusive of low-income. Response data will be suspect. Much of "rural" area in
county is urban folks moving outside city limits.
I really have no idea on how this really plays out.
Rural/Urban should be equitably prioritized
why? teach everyone to swim and be able to save themself and someone else
Many low-income residents, for various reasons, do not have the basic skills for being successful in life. They may need
special education and support. Severely disabled people also need special support.
Honestly, they all have equal needs.
I don't find this categorization particularly useful esp. the rural - urban differentiation
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our rural areas have a hard time attracting resources and participants are expected to drive to Lawrence to receive resources,
but that is a major barrier to many people
Low income residents have extremely limited access to food, transportation and shelter.
Broad-based education & instruction which is diverse & comprehensive is very important. Math & science skills are a high
priority for me.
i really don't know - I'm not an expert on this subject at all.
Urban and rural are equal in need.
Every group is in equal need. I cannot say how needs it the most.
It is difficult to prioritize as all citizens of Douglas County are in need of educational opportunities, low-income usually have
additional opportunities even though urban residents need them, their income may prevent help.
I don't believe their a real difference among these groups in terms of need for "enhanced" educational opportunities.
how do you prioritize urban vs rural, both groups have definite needs, different needs, but each group has them?
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Question 6
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Think about health and wellness in our community. Please review the goals below and rank them
1 - 6 in order of importance with 1 being the highest priority.
Answer Options
People of all ages have access to health care (mental,
physical, etc.).
People care for one another without violence or abuse.
Individuals have high quality of life and well-being.
People live healthy lifestyles (good nutrition and physical
activity).
People live without addiction to drugs or alcohol.
People are involved in their community (civic engagement,
volunteer activity).
First Priority
285
80
71
58
29
52%
15%
13%
11%
5%
16
answered question
skipped question
3%
544
55
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Question 7
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Other goals not mentioned:
Answer Options
Response Count
answered question
skipped question
19
580
This is an odd combination of goals - rather than prioritizing, I think you need to find out how important these are by
themselves, not compared to each other.
People have access to financial management education
really not comfortable ranking these - many are equally important and very do-able at same time
I think others come from first 3
What is high quality of life? How do you define it and differentiate it?
All people at risk are identified and helped as the first and most important priority with infants and child first
Isn't the last option a result of all of the above?
Not only have access to health care, but to affordable health care without the limited free/reduced access Lawrence has.
Keeping elderly in their homes and out of facilities
through public health in japan the elementary schools have pools and everyone learns to swim which helps the community on
a elemental level boosting everyone to a higher quality of life
There is a need for increased police protection because of the unsafe neighborhood where I am currently residing.
the quality and well being is derivative of other goals
Transportation-residents cannot get to agencies where they can get services. One woman with a child gave up using Bert
nash as it took 3 hrs of transportation time from S. of Lawrence (around 27th St.) to Bert Nash!
People should be better informed about food & its impact on local economy.
Hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
my, this isn't an easy list to prioritize.
People must be educated about how to consume food from local sources (most nutritious) -- or grow gardens!
Homeless has special needs
many of these items are intertwined and one interacts with the other, again, not sure how you would prioritize each of these
items, when people live healthy lifestyles they might be more likely to care for another without violence or abuse...it seems just
as important that people live without addictions AND learn to live healthy lifestyles.
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Question 8
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in need of enhanced
health and wellness opportunities? Please rank the options 1 - 6 with 1 being the highest priority.
Answer Options
Children
Low-Income Residents
Senior Citizens
Adults
Rural Residents
Urban Residents
First Priority
226
223
56
19
8
1
answered question
skipped question
42%
42%
10%
4%
1%
0%
536
63
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Question 9
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Additional Comments
Answer Options
Response Count
answered question
16
skipped question
583
There again I do not believe that there is a difference between rural and urban-especially in a county our size
I really don't like how this survey is designed and find it hard to prioritize in such a general manner - these groups are not
exclusive of each other.
people with disabilities need access to health & wellness oppo with their needs in mind
children may be eligible for Healthwave.
Again I read "urban = city of Lawrence"
I am interested as to why there are no listing for support of persons with disabilities
really not comfortable ranking these - they are all equally important
Again, where they live has nothing to do with the rating
Again, why the urban vs. rural split; children vs. seniors
don't know rural urban stats - no idea
Same problem trying to equate urban/rural as different when in fact are inclusive of all the other types
this is silly the breakdown of groups? EVERYBODY DA
All others are a 3
Many of the rural residents in Dg. Co. are millionaires.
Children are provided many opps already through school and community.
disabled of all ages & homebound seniors in rural areas
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Question 10
United Way of Douglas County Community Survey
Think about self-sufficiency in our community. Please review the goals below
and rank them 1 - 7 in order of importance with 1 being the highest priority.
Answer Options
First Priority
People have steady jobs and financial stability.
People can get help with food, shelter and
financial aid.
183
People have housing that is safe, affordable and
appropriate.
74
People have resources to be able to maintain a
high quality of life.
People with disabilities maintain independent
living and well-being.
Older adults remain independent.
People are prepared to handle unexpected crises.
41
132
35%
25%
14%
8%
37
7%
6%
5%
30
25
answered question
skipped question
525
74
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Question 11
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Other goals not mentioned:
Answer Options
Response Count
answered question
skipped question
16
583
If you have a steady job and financial stability it will take care of some of the other things. Safe housing and help for those with
disabilities may not follow. Again, who designed this survey?
People in financial stress can receive counseling, youth can be educated how to prevent bankruptcy
really not comfortable ranking these - they are all equally important & do-able together
Some of these options are similar
People have enough to eat, a safe place to live, help to manage parenting their children, and ongoing available and consistent
support from volunteer adults who stick with them as long as is necessary
people can collect child support owed to them
Comment: self-sufficiency is not being provided the physical - that's assistance. Focus on the quality of life issues that help
people become self-sufficient so they don't need assistance
Recreational opportunities should be expanded so that residents can get regular exercise close to home.
People can use the cooperative model rather than the competitive model to improve their situations.
Youth activism
People need confidence to be creative in finding employment solutions.
Seems as though access to transportation, which touches on several of these topics, is missing.
These are ALL important, don't like to rank
I might be a bit baist one this one
I think housing is critical, but include it under help with food, shelter... as well
Start saving for college at birth
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Question 12
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Consider the population groups below. In your opinion, which group is most in need of
enhanced self-sufficiency opportunities? Please rank the options 1 - 6 with 1 being the highest
priority.
Answer Options
Low-Income Residents
Senior Citizens
Children
Adults
Urban Residents
Rural Residents
First Priority
301
95
79
35
4
3
answered question
skipped question
58%
18%
15%
7%
1%
1%
520
79
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Question 13
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Additional Comments
Answer Options
Answered question
skipped question
Response Count
23
576
Okay, maybe I am really not getting this survey or understand what the United Way does. I am not sure how you can say one
group has priority over another - and these groups are not exclusive. We need to be able to meet the needs of our community
and I don't think you get that by asking me, a non-client, what those needs are.
Urban adults have the most options/opportunities. I suspect some people choose helplessness.
people with disabilities?
People w/ disabilities should also be a key group.
Adults is too general a category.
People with Disabilities
Confused on the child option. Is this educating them on future self-sufficiency or now.
These are weird questions and this may be one of the weirdest. Does anybody really expect children to be self-sufficient?
Same rural/urban equation
SILLY WHY DO CHILDREN NEED SELF SUFFICIENCY?enhanced?
I think this is a poor question (how are children self sufficient?)
No opinion
poorly phrased; too much overlap among categories
This is assuming children are benefiting from opportunities provided to their caretakers.
children- self-sufficiency opps?
children dependent upon adults.
Perople should understand that working locally & cooperatively improves their opportunities.
people with disabilities are a priority for self-sufficiency.
In this question, as in some of the prior questions, the categories are overlapping, that is, I would rank rural senior citizens
higher than rural adults but lower than rural children . . .
how can children be "self-sufficient"?
Those with disibilities would be first
disabled adults
Children are not suppose to be self-sufficient, adolescents maybe.
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Question 14
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
If you were donating $100 and had to divide it between Education, Health and Self-Sufficiency, how would
you invest your money? (Please enter only the numbers, dollar signs and/or decimal points are not
accepted.)
Answer
Options
Response Average
Health
$
37.88
$
18,563.00
490
Education
$
37.29
$
17,972.00
482
Self-Sufficiency
$
28.97
$
13,965.00
482
Response Total
Response Count
answered question
505
skipped question
94
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Question 15
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
What are Douglas County's greatest assets for addressing some of the goals identified in this survey?
Answer Options
answered question
skipped question
Response Count
242
357
Strong sense of community. American Red Cross, Imagine DayCare, other organizations.
Scouting Programs and Red Cross
Smart, business minded people that also understand the need for philanthropy. There are many of us in the community.
Community leadership
Good schools and education support systems (library, etc.)
Great support from those who can help.
desire to help people
The United Way and the projects that concerned volunteers willingly undertake.
High quality education is available
Highly talented and diverse working adults
Social Service Agencies & City Commision
Douglas County citizens care about each other.
The ability of organizations i.e. city, county, schools, non profits, that have the desire to achieve the goals.
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The people of DG Co. take care of eachother.
each other
people who care
its caring population
Caring citizens who will step up to donate and volunteer.
People with initiative
ECKAN, Just Food, United Way, Bert Nash
The agencies that provide the services.
Bert Nash, Cottonwood, DCCCA
We have an excellent school system, a first class university, and several organizations that help develop life skills. We need
to be careful about creating "dependency" incentives, which leads to poor misallocation of resources. LMH, its physician staff
that provides millions in charity care, along with Health Care Access are also great resources for our community.
Generous citizens who volunteer and donate time and money
Wealth of Creativity, Strong Sense of Community and Compassion, University Programs and Student Volunteers,
WellCommons.com
Health Care Access, Douglas County Dental Clinic,
UW agencies that have a lot of knowledge and experience about how to make a dollar help a LOT of people in a very efficient,
effective way. Continuing to utilize the expertise of those agencies will help further the goals.
Numerous agencies
community resources - fiancial and talent
A variety of effective, diverse NGOs providing services in the community
Mental health support (ex HQCC), public education system
Willingness to volunteer
Highly educated population, relatively stable economy
Douglas County Research and Extension - Education, Housing Credit Counseling
school programs that go beyond testing, food bank, health care access, boys and girls club, housing authority
educated people, resources, caring community
wealthy residents and university donors
United Way, Bert Nash, KU
Is there anyone in Douglas County that has not applied for assistance? We're overwhelmed with applications.
I think there is a very large portion of the population that is willing to help (in terms of volunteering) that is largely untapped due
to not knowing how to get involved. This community seems really open-minded and willing, though.
Community collaboration
The caring volunteers that give of themselves even when they are doing without.
Its people
KU, volunteers, companys and corporations with resources to share, current UW agencies, schools hospital and media.
The 3 are so completly dependant on each other and intertwined for each to achieve success....
Healthcare Access, Ballard, ECKAN, SA, LEO Center, Success by Six
Well educated population
Get a better survey that doesn't ask no-brainer questions.
The number of educated, self-sufficient, healthy individuals that in Do Co that could be mobilized to volunteer to provide the
talent and resources to work on the issues. More "do-ers" are needed, instead of "talkers and silent observers"
involved community volunteers; intelligent collaborators; caring individuals
Van Go Mobil Arts- This program does something that no other program does in taking at risk young people and giving them
opportunities for success. I know this looks like a stretch to link this with self suficiency but builing confidence and the
education, job training and actually health information too makes them a STAR in my mind. I wish every United Way agency
offered programs and services of this caliber.
NON-PROFIT AGENCIES, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, DONORS
collaboration
There are a lot: community involvement is huge assest.
human capital
Engaged community, different kinds of services
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Good school system & caring residents
presence of some strong agencies that have community support and demonstrated response to needs
Supportive businesses and invdividuals in the community
high risk families
generousity of citizens
generosity of community residents
Staff
I don't know.
NOT Bert Nash
Supporting existing education/human service programs
It's people, we have a lot of giving people
giving spirit
FIAT program, Fairy Godmother Fund, VocRehab, Bert Nash Mental Health Services, Early Childhood Education and home
visitation programs.
the people
Diverse social services, concerned and caring members of the community.
strong system of helping agencies, good schools, good leadership at non-profits
Regional businesses, service organizations and government
Health Care Access
It's people
a committed and engaged volunteer base, multiple agencies providing a myriad of services, a relatively educated community
Don't Know
Health Care Access, HCCI, Middle income "scholarship " programs at area preschools/daycare, East Height Early Childhood
Development
Caring network of citizens / faith based groups / strong leaders
The ability to attract new employers to the great area and continue to expand the job, tax, and resource base.
Individuals working to make sure $$ maximized and not services not duplicated
The University
United Way Funding and federal grants
Competent people who serve on boards and quality social services.
high level of citizen involvement and civic volunteers
Great agencies in a caring, committed community
Its citizens, public schools, universities, hospital and health and human service agencies (United Way affiliates and others)
partnerships, city, county, active community, volunteers
A population that in general si willing to contribute to causes such as the United Way and an educated public.
Social Service League, United Way
public school system, Healthcare Access
Lawrence Meals On Wheels
low income health care, Homeless shelter, Family Promise, LINK
The many agencies available in the community - collaboration among agencies is gaining momentum
Bert Nash and Health Care Access
Boys and Girls Club and American Red Cross
many non profits
Existing Health facilities i.e. Bert Nash, LMH etc
established agencies that work together plus community support of these agencies
I am not that familiar with County's assets
Excellent school system, close proximity to KU, Bert Nash
Bert Nash, Health Care Access, LMH
Bert Nash, Social Service League
strong, experienced leadership
Its citizens
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wealth of volunteers (and money) in community and at KU
our overabundance of wealth
Citizens, businesses, civic organizations
Strong schools, many agencies and citizens willing to help if you tell them how.
schools, health care organizations, family promise
Location good for economic development; history; available work force; caring community; good educational system
social service agencies
An educated population
Social Services available to individuals
A giving caring community
It's people -- volunteers and donations.
Caring people
Willingness to participate; educational level of population
volunteers and donors
We have a high population educators and educated people.
Good community base
Finances
People oriented social agencies as opposed to those who work on things
Generosity. Health Care Access, CASA, Childrens Review Board.
So many helping organizations.
to reach many people
Accessible resources such as the United Way, Salvation Army, Food pantry, LINK
self sufficiency is a lie we need interdependant community acts
Support staff in schools, WRAP, Health Care Access
leadership, vision, community concepts
Salvation Army
HCA, Dental Clinic, DCAP
Caring People
Health and jobs are in greates assests
Health Care Assess, Ballard Community Services (Emergency Services Council)
KU, Bert Nash, LMH
LCS, Recovery and Hope Network, Bert Nash, Independence, Inc
The university, United Way, Bert Nash, CASA, USD#497, Meals on Wheels, Cottonwood, The Shelter, Highly educated
community members, churches
Lawrence Community Shelter social services
volunteers
The library and housing authority have excellent resources and computer training.
volunteers
dedicated employees
Sense of community and shared responsibility & goals
GaDuGi SafeCenter, WRAP program, school nurses
Dedicated community who wants to help
service agencies
educated, generous citizens
Transportation Services, Multiple Social Service Organizations
potential for huge volunteerism via HS and KU
Cohesiveness of community programs, the resources are available, however, some agencies still feel a need to work on their
own instead of working together to provide more services and continuity for residents of DG county.
skilled professionals
well-established agencies with a proven track record
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not clear how we fund self-sufficiency
Red Cross, GaDuGi SafeCenter, Health Care Access
Education 3, Health 1, Self Suffciency 2
Education 3, Health 2, Self Suffiency 1. University of Kanssa (special Ed). Cottonwood, Health Care Access. Indepentdent
Living i.e., DCCCA.
Many support groups.
Health Care Access, Coalition for Homelessness,GED program
myriad of agencies that work collaboratively
Willow Domestic Violence Center, AA, Homeless Shelter, Housing Authority, The medical services at Leo Center and Health
Care Access.
Pretty good community educational resources & cooperative spirit.
we are resource rich in this community, we just need to do a better job of coming together in transparent, collaborative ways.
Level of education in the community; University of Kansas.
private and public schools, hospital, non-profit groups helping others
Volunteers
Intelliigent, caring, active seekers of wise solutions.
TO BETTER KNOW WHERE THE NEEDS ARE AND WHAT PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT
The compassionate citizens and organizations that are striving to meet the challenges in these tough economic times.
tax base
Its educated population
knowledgeable, wise, independent, productive citizens
the people who volunteer to make these goals possible
Having a community which brings together many Businesses and agencies to complete tasks and reach goals.
CASA, Homeless Shelter, Boys & Girls Club
People willing to volunteer and donate their time and skills.
people
Volunteers and Churches
Health Care Access Clinic, public schools
Service agencies available, willing community of supporters
Its well-educated, passionate population.
Local food system, locally owned businesses, strong community of folks willing to help.
Education; seniors; students
educated and informed groups of volunteers
It's residents and their ideas, desire for positive change.
volunteers
Boys & Girls Club
services and community volunteers
Skilled teachers and technology workers
Senior Center
Willingness to donate time and money.
Jr. Achievement
Churches
A community with a good sense of community
Non profit organizations
We have some great organizations that can help address these goals. Health Care Access, Headquarters and DCCDA are
some that come straight to mind. The key is communication, funding the right organizations for sustainability and community
awareness.
people - helping one another
Local residents with expertise and dedication to bettering the community
Bert Nash, Health Care Access, VNA, Van Go, CASA, Headquarters, Lawrence/Douglas County Schools
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social networking, getting groups activated to meet needs
Professional workforce and access to KU's resources
I wish I could see some outside the box thinking, instead of thinking only of throwing money at our problems
Health Care Access, DCSenior Center, Headquaters, Trinity Home Care. VNA. Just Food, Audio Reader, B;oys and Girls
Club, , Public Library,
That's a very good question? If we knew then there wouldn't be a problem.
the willingness of it people to help in crisis
Strong nonprofit community
The "giving" people of this community & many support services!:-)
dcsc jaaa united way
A community that is engaged and aware, and generous
UWDC, Cottonwood, Trinity Care, Public Schools
LMH, VNA etc., Dr. Doll Senior Services, Trinity-in-Home Care, and many others.
Education 2, Health 3, Self Sufficiency 1
Our servcies to the disabled and elderly
Excellent and dedicated community providers
churches
many caring people and a high income base
Halthe Care Access facilities
Lawrence Memorial Hospital
its residents
Health Care Access, Ballard Center
little in healthcare - same in education not a lot though.
United Way of Do. Co. and its agencies
Our many non-profit agencies that provide high qualiity services in a cost-effective manner. Most of them need more funding,
especially to cover operational costs that are seldom funded by grants.
People of all ages willing to volunteer is there are meaningful, high impact opportunities and requests to volunteer are
personalized.
Health Care Access, Public Health, Visiting Nurses
DG dental clinic and health access- sliding fee scale services
Educated volunteers
caring volunteers
Providing healthcare services for uninsured residents of Douglas County.
a concerned population; small enough community that the prolems aren't overwhelming
Douglas County has a number of organizations that provide assistance to low-income families. However, many of these
programs individuals have to be qualified to utilize.
Family Promise Program
The Arc, Trinity, Independence Inc, Headquarters
agency don't overlap in services
Service incorporated into education programs for University students
Eduaction, education, education
There are many opportunities for free education.
covered, more than some county's.
Social Services when their hands aren't tied.
size of population; good civic boosters; increasing use of social media
The health care program is stepping up.
to find who and what needs most help
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Question 16
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
In which Douglas County community do you currently live?
Answer Options
Response Percent
Response Count
92%
4%
3%
2%
443
18
14
7
28
482
117
Lawrence
Eudora
Baldwin
Lecompton
Other (please specify)
answered question
skipped question
Other:
rural Baldwin
Lived here all 55+ years of my life
Jefferson County Resident that uses UW
Rural
Johnson
De Soto
Work in Douglas County only
Topeka
Residence in Johnson County, Employment in Douglas
County
Leavenworth
Live in the county
I use to live in Lawrence
live in Perry, work in Lawrence
Gardner
Rural
Jackson
Kansas City
2 miles NW of city limits
Leavenworth
Wakarusa Township
technically Baldwin (vinland/Sibbyville-rural Douglas
County.
outside the county
Rural Lawrence
Live in Johnson, work in Douglas
Linwood
Jefferson County
Mailed in paper survey and did not specify.
Carlos
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Question 17
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
What is your age?
Answer Options
55-64
45-54
35-44
65 or older
25-34
16-24
Response Percent
25%
20%
18%
15%
14%
8%
answered question
skipped question
Response Count
128
101
92
78
72
41
512
87
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Question 18
United Way of Douglas County  Community Survey
Which best describes your ethnic background?
Answer Options
Caucasian or White
Other
African American or Black
Multi-Racial
Hispanic or Latino
Asian
Response Percent
92%
3%
2%
1%
1%
0%
answered question
skipped question
Response Count
466
16
11
7
4
2
506
93
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Communication Toolkit
Media Release
United Way launches Community Planning Process
For Immediate Release
Contact: Erika Dvorske, 785-843-6626
June 16, 2010, Lawrence, Kansas—Tom Christie, United Way Board President, marked today
as the beginning of United Way of Douglas County’s community planning process aimed at
hearing how Douglas County citizens rank community goals and priorities.
“People trust United Way and look to the organization to ensure community needs are met,”
said Christie earlier today. “We want to be sure community resources are targeting the
critical priorities for citizens in Douglas County.”
As part of this planning process, United Way will utilize several informational tools to create a
comprehensive picture of current community need, including a survey to gather a broad
perspective on community priorities, focus groups for a more in-depth analysis of those
priorities and community data focused around health, education, and self sufficiency.
Once all information is compiled, United Way board of directors will use it to indentify
funding priorities that have the greatest impact on the community. Free Bird Business
Solutions, a strategic planning and marketing firm out of Topeka, has been hired to consult on
the project.
“We want be able to look at needs and determine future funding based on a community-wide
lens that relies on several different components,” said Christie.
The online Community Survey is the first tool to be implemented and will be distributed to
targeted groups as well as the community at large. Community members can access the
online survey on the United Way website at www.unitedwaydgco.org. Additional information
about the process, including an FAQ and a project timeline, can also be found there.
“We encourage our community to participate,” said Erika Dvorske, United Way Presdent and
CEO. “By answering the questions in this brief survey, community members can ensure that
their input is utilized to set community goals and target the community’s resources.”
The online survey takes five to seven minutes to complete. In addition to accessing it on the
United Way website, community members can also access the survey on the websites of
United Way partner agencies, the Lawrence Public Library and the Lawrence Journal World.
The City of Lawrence is also helping promote the survey through its social networks.
—MORE—
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United Way launches community assessment initiative, p2
Erika Dvorske, 785.843.6626
“We’ll collect survey input throughout June and July,” said Dvorske. “Then, this fall, we will
begin working with focus groups to delve deeper into common themes identified in the
survey. From there, our board will analyze the information and create and adopt a
community impact funding plan for the future. We hope to announce new funding priorities
in the summer of 2011.”
United Way of Douglas County’s mission is to address human service needs and mobilize
community resources and build partnerships. United Way does this by providing financial
support to 24 member agencies through an annual community fundraising campaign. In 2009
the United Way Campaign raised $1.76 million. The United Way of Douglas County also
accomplishes its mission by building partnerships through hosting the Roger Hill Volunteer
Center, which recruits volunteers for 150 agencies, and managing the Center for Human
Services which provides a campus-like environment for 20 nonprofit organizations. For more
information, please call 785.843.6626 or visit their website at www.unitedwaydgco.org.
—30—
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Donor Letter
June 22, 2010
Dear Community Partner:
The Board of Directors of the United Way of Douglas County needs your input to champion a
community planning process. The goal of this process is to identify community outcomes that
will help the Douglas County community address our increasing needs. This process, which
will take place over the next year, is designed to gather communitywide input on priorities
and will involve the use of several informational tools:
· Community survey. This tool, which we are distributing now, will go out to targeted groups
as well as to the community at large. We invite all partners, stakeholders, donors, and
community members at large for their thoughts and opinions on broad priorities in the
areas of health, education, and self sufficiency.
· Focus groups. Fifteen focus groups representing sectors of our community will begin
meeting in the fall. These groups will help us take our process a step deeper to gather
greater detail about community perceptions and aspirations identified in our surveys.
· Community data. Input derived from surveys and focus groups will be considered alongside
hard data that we and our member agencies monitor on a regular basis. This data
offers another perspective in identifying community goals that are significant and
reasonable and allows us to contrast our challenges with peer communities so that we can
target out efforts and be successful.
This communitywide approach to setting goals is not specific to our United Way;
it is happening at United Way agencies across the country, and to good results. To learn
more about this initiative in Douglas County, please visit our website at
www.unitedwaydgco.org.
The first important step in identifying priorities is a communitywide survey which is now
available online. In less than five minutes you can complete the survey and provide valuable
feedback that will help us better serve our community. To take the survey online go to
www.unitedwaydgco.org. A paper copy is also included with this letter if that option is
more convenient for you.
People trust United Way and look to the organization to ensure community needs are met.
On behalf of the United Way Board of Directors and our member agencies, we thank you for
your continued support. If I provide additional information for you or answer any questions
you might have about this project, please call.
Sincerely,
Erika Dvorske
President & CEO
Survey enclosed.
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Message to Partners
Dear [ ]—
The Board of Directors of the United Way of Douglas County needs your input to champion a
community planning process. The goal of this process is to identify community outcomes that
will help the Douglas County community address our increasing needs. This process is
designed to gather communitywide input on priorities. Our process, which will take place over
the next year, will involve several informational tools:
· Community Survey. This tool, which we are distributing now, will go out to targeted groups
as well as to the community at large. We invite partners, stakeholders, donors, and
community members at large for their thoughts and opinions on broad priorities in the
areas of health, education, and self sufficiency.
· Focus Groups: Fifteen focus groups representing sectors of our community will begin
meeting in the fall. These groups will help us take our process a step deeper to gather
greater detail about community perceptions and aspirations identified in our surveys.
· Hard data: The input derived from our surveys and focus groups will be considered
alongside hard data that United Way and our member agencies monitor on a regular
basis. This data offers another perspective in identifying community goals that are
significant and reasonable. It also allows us to contrast our challenges with peer
communities so that we can target out efforts and be successful.
This communitywide approach to setting goals is not specific to our United Way;
it is happening at United Way agencies across the country, and to good results. To learn
more about this initiative in Douglas County, please visit our website at
www.unitedwaydgco.org.
I am writing today to ask for your help in acquiring community input. Included in this tool kit
you will find a press release announcing the initiative, a paper copy of our online survey,
talking points, FAQ and project timeline. All the pieces in this kit can be found on our
website. We ask that you share the online survey and information with those with
whom you come in contact by adding this link to your website: __________________.
(The paper copy of the survey can be distributed to those who may not have internet
access.) As individuals tuned in to so many people working to improve lives, your input and
the input of those you interact with is critical to this process.
To make distribution as easy as possible for you, we have included below a draft message
that you can adapt and send to those in your circle. If there is anything further that we can
provide to make distribution of this survey easier for you, please let me know.
Thank you for all that you do. Your role is critical for all of us to have information which guides
all of the efforts to improve lives throughout our community.
Sincerely,
Erika Dvorske
President & CEO
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is different? Why?
The United Way of Douglas County has defined three broad priorities that it believes are
critical to a positive community: education, health and self-sufficiency. The United Way, with
input from community members and hard data from member agencies, will identify specific
goals within these priorities and focus resources on eliminating barriers and reaching
community goals. By targeting community resources on community goals, we can measure
our success toward making significant changes in people’s lives.
2. Is this part of a national trend?
Yes! United Ways across the country have shifted their focus to addressing specific
community goals. Participating United Ways, with support from the United Way Worldwide,
have experienced great success utilizing this approach. For example, the United Way of Dane
County in Madison, Wisconsin, focused on reducing the achievement gap in education. Over a
nine year period that gap was reduced from 29% to 8%. You can visit their web site to see
more. www.unitedwaydanecounty.org.
3. In the past, United Way asked service agencies to define the nature of community need.
Why change this practice?
Under the old model, United Way's partner agencies effectively defined the need for the
target population that they serve. With this new model, the United Way has the opportunity
to engage people from throughout the community, from clients and donors to subject matter
experts, to effectively define the need with a community-wide lens. This will allow our
partner agencies who are improving lives daily to focus on that service while United Way
focuses on the larger community picture.
4. What is the structure of the planning process?
United Way board of directors is seeking information from a variety of sources. Like a “threelegged stool” each stream of information will offer a different perspective and provide insight
into the needs of our community. The first “leg” will be information gleaned from a
communitywide survey which is designed to get a broad perspective of community priorities.
The survey will be available online and anyone who wishes to provide their perspective is
encouraged to participate. The second “leg” will come from focus groups. Participation in
focus groups will be by invitation to insure feedback from a diverse segment of our
community. Focus groups allow for a more in-depth analysis of community priorities. The
third venue for information will be community data: health, education and economic
indicators that describe our community. Once all this information is compiled, the United
Way board of directors will use it to identify funding priorities that will have the greatest
impact on the community.
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5. Will some current agencies no longer receive funding?
Until the community planning process is complete and goals have been identified, it is difficult
to say. In all likelihood, it will result in this. Many of our current partners will have programs
that fit within United Way's priorities. Some partners will need to track their program
outcomes differently or slightly modify components of existing programs to better target the
goals. Some partners will want to focus on their own agency priorities and will not seek
United Way funding to do so.
6. What is the timeline for this?
Planning will occur in 2010, goals will be finalized in 2011 and will frame the funding decisions
in 2012. Three-year funding will begin on a staggered basis and the first complete funding
cycle will end in 2017 at which time United Way will assess progress toward the goals,
reaffirm or adjust the goals and continue to move ahead. This work for United Way is not
short term, it is critical to our mission of addressing human service needs by mobilizing
resources and building partnerships.
7. What kinds of goals might be possibilities?
Education: Children are entering school with all the tools they need to succeed.
Health: People with chronic physical and mental health problems reduce use of crisis health
services.
Self-Sufficiency: People have food and housing and are able to save for the future.
8. Where can I learn more?
Visit our website at www.unitedwaydgco.org.
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Talking Points for Agency Partners
As the United Way embarks on this process of shifting toward community
impact funding, questions from clients, donors and community members will
arise. This document might provide guidelines for addressing community
questions.
United Way has a great history of financial accountability. Over the past decade, the
importance of measuring agency outcomes has illustrated the value of program
accountability. United Way is a convener to set and achieve community outcomes.
United Way is beginning a community-wide planning process with the intent to shift
toward community impact funding.
Community Impact funding will help us accomplish our Mission: Addressing human
service needs by mobilizing community resources and building partnerships.
United Way leverages resources, including financial contributions, community
expertise, in-kind contributions, and partnerships to fuel impact.
This year, community goals will be identified using surveys, focus groups, and
community data. In 2011 United Way will use the information it has gathered to work
with community partners to identify strategies that will best target community goals.
Community Impact funding will commence in 2012, and will be directed towards
agencies’ programs that address the goals identified by the community.
Community Impact efforts will identify and address goals within three broad areas:
Education – Helping families, children and youth achieve their potential through
access to quality, affordable child care, early learning opportunities, afterschool and mentoring programs for at-risk youth
Health -- Increasing access to healthcare education and services, and reducing
substance abuse, child abuse, and domestic violence
Self-Sufficiency – Helping families and individuals become financially stable
and independent through programs that provide basic needs, counseling
and advocacy, and in-home care.
United Way strives to Advance the Common Good by encouraging our friends and
neighbors to Give, Advocate and Volunteer.
Our continuing goal is to create long-lasting changes that prevent problems from
happening in the first place. Community Impact focuses efforts on a common cause
to better utilize scarce resources.
We invite you to be a part of the change. Together, united, we can inspire hope and
create opportunities for a better tomorrow.
That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED.
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Project Timeline
May 2010
Develop community goals survey.
Discuss survey methodology and identify targeted groups to receive survey
for completion.
Identify community partners to assist with survey distribution.
June and July 2010
Rollout community planning process and survey to the community.
Distribute survey to targeted groups and community members at large.
Provide ongoing progress updates to the community on the planning process.
Identify and confirm focus group participants.
August 2010
Wrap up survey solicitations.
Begin focus group facilitation.
Provide ongoing progress updates to the community on the planning process.
September 2010
Complete focus group facilitation.
October and November 2010
Process survey and focus group results.
Prepare final report which identifies findings.
January through April 2011
Present report to United Way Board who will use it to identify areas of focus
for future funding.
May 2011
Announce funding priorities to the community.
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Community
Planning
Process
Help us help our community!
Take our survey and provide your input on
priorities and opportunities facing Douglas County!
www.unitedwaydgco.org
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Focus Group Script
United Way of Douglas County
Community Assessment Initiative
Focus Group Questionnaire
Introduction and Background
7 minutes
Good morning everyone and welcome to our United Way Focus Group.
I’m Claudia Larkin from Free Bird Business Solutions and I want to thank you for coming today.
With me is Diane Oakes. I’m going to facilitate our discussion today and Diane will be taking
some notes.
What’s our role in this?
We are working with the United Way of Douglas County to help them engage community
input so that they may determine future funding goals.
As you may know, the mission of the United Way is this: Addressing human service needs by
mobilizing community resources and building partnerships.
As you likely know as well, your United Way has an important role in Douglas County.
They raise resources that are then allocated to social service agencies who work to meet the
challenges in the community.
The meeting you’ll participate today is step two of a three-step process.
We began this summer with a survey, where we asked for input communitywide around the
three initiatives that the United Way focuses on: education, health and wellness, and self
sufficiency.
588 people completed those surveys from all around Douglas County…
So with that information in hand, we want to work with our focus groups to be sure we
understand the opportunities and challenges surrounding the goals identified in the
community survey.
The United Way board of directors will take the information from the focus groups (we’ll do
10 of these) and surveys and combine it with existing data to determine how best to allocate
its limited resources for the betterment of Douglas County moving forward.
We meet for about an hour and a half. During that time, we will review the survey questions
and responses, we’ll discuss what they mean from your perspective and we’ll conclude our
session with prioritizing those issues you see as crucial for our community.
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Each of you has a notebook. In it, you’ll find hard copies of our slides that you can refer to
during our discussion.
The notebook also contains a notepad and pen. Whenever we touch on a point that’s
significant for you write it, down on your notepad. We’ll use these notes to help us prioritize
at the end of the exercise.
Some final things before we get started…
We are taking a digital recording of this session. We’re not at all taping in order to see who
said what….
This tape is for us so that we can refer back to your comments when preparing the final report
for the United Way.
Please try to avoid jiggles and bumps to the table. They’ll distort the recording and we really
want to be able to capture your comments for the report.
And since this is a group process, let’s please be mindful of allowing our participants who have
the floor to speak without interruptions and side discussions. This will also help us with the
digital recording.
Restrooms.
Refreshments.
How many here have participated in focus groups before?
Before we start, are there any questions on the process we’ll use today?
Okay, let’s start.
Warm up
5 minutes
Let’s move around our room and have you share with us who you are, what you do, and why
you decided to participate in this focus group.
Thank you. Now let’s move straight into discussing our community goals.
Education
20 minutes
Let’s take a look at the data on the screen. There’s the question we asked our participants and this is
how they ranked community goals pertaining to education.
[READ QUESTION AND ANSWERS WITH PERCENTAGES]
Overwhelmingly, the community wants to see a focus on ensuring children and teens are successful in
school.
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We also asked our participants to rank what segment of the county’s population most needed
enhanced educational opportunities
[READ QUESTION AND ANSWERS WITH PERCENTAGES]
An overwhelming majority placed priority on low income residents.
Do these results or the order of the community goals surprise anyone in the group?
With regard to children ages 5-12 and teens ages 13-18 finding success in school, what does
success look like? How would we define success with regard to this priority?
Do you think there is one measure of success for children and a different measure of success
for teens? Why? Why not?
What’s working well with regard to this community goal of ensuring children and teens find
success in school?
What challenges currently exist?
Do you believe all students from all parts of the county have the same opportunities for
success? Why? Why not?
Are there any educational needs that children or teens have that transcend low income
issues?
Health and Wellness
20 minutes
Now let’s talk about health and wellness.
Once again take a look at the data on the screen. There’s the question we asked our participants and
this is how they ranked community goals pertaining to community health and wellness.
[READ QUESTION AND ANSWERS WITH PERCENTAGES]
As you can see clearly, the community wants to see a focus on ensuring people of all ages have access
to health care of all kinds.
We also asked our participants to rank what segment of the county’s population most needed
enhanced health and wellness opportunities.
[READ QUESTION AND ANSWERS WITH PERCENTAGES]
In this case, participants were split with regard to the top priority, placing importance on children and
low income residents.
Do these results or the order of the community goals surprise anyone in the group?
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With regard to the community having access to the health care it needs, what does success
look like? How would we define success with regard to this priority?
Of all age groups ranked by participants, why do you think there was a priority placed on
children? What special needs exist in your opinion?
What specific obstacles do you think low income residents face with regard to getting the
healthcare they need?
Do you believe all people from all parts of the county have the same opportunities and
access to health care? Why? Why not?
We often think about healthcare being a struggle for low income individuals, but are there
other groups for whom health care is a challenge?
Self Sufficiency
20 minutes
Let’s once again take a look at the data on the screen. There’s the question we asked our participants
and this is how they ranked community goals pertaining to self sufficiency.
[READ QUESTION AND ANSWERS WITH PERCENTAGES]
As you can see, the focus is on the basics of ensuring people have jobs and financial stability. This was
followed somewhat closely ensuring people have access to the basics of food, shelter, and financial
aid.
We also asked our participants to rank what segment of the county’s population most needed
enhanced opportunities for self sufficiency, and the focus is clearly on low income residents.
[READ QUESTION AND ANSWERS WITH PERCENTAGES]
Do these results or the order of the community goals surprise anyone in the group?
With regard to low-income residents having opportunities for self sufficiency, what does
success look like? How would we define success with regard to this priority?
What does it mean for children to be self sufficient?
What specific obstacles do you think low income residents face with regard to experiencing
greater self sufficiency?
Income aside, do you believe all people from all parts of the county have the same
opportunities to be self-sufficient? Why? Why not?
We often think about self sufficiency being a struggle for low income individuals, but are
there other groups for whom self sufficiency is a challenge?
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Prioritize
5 minutes
Given all the topics we discussed today, can we come up with three items that we could agree on as
the most important moving forward? Why don’t we brainstorm a list and then vote to determine our
top three.
Closing
5 minutes
Is there anything else that needs to be acknowledged with regard to the community goals of
education, health and wellness and self-sufficiency?
Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to share your thoughts with us. The focus group is
over. Enjoy your day.
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Data about our community as they relate to the goals.
1. EDUCATION
a. Adults can compete for good jobs as a result of job training.
Douglas County Unemployment Rate – 2009 – 5.5%
Median Wage per job - $31,280
Educational Attainment – 2,122 people or 3.4% over age 25 do not have a high school
diploma
b. Infants and toddlers are ready for school at age five.
Based on current data, 6,706 child care slots exist in Douglas County.
631 children received child care subsidies through SRS in 2009.
The average cost of infant child care is $186 per week.
77% of families with children under age 6 have all parents in the workforce (total # 6,413)
64.3% of 3 & 4 year olds are enrolled in school
41.9% of families with children under age 6 were living in poverty at some point in 2009.
c. Children and teens are successful in school.
3 Grade Reading Proficiency
rd
Baldwin – 98.0% at or above standard
Eudora – 91.7% at or above standard
Lawrence – 88.0% at or above standard
5th Grade Reading Proficiency for entire county – 88.4% (KAC)
In 2007 860 students graduated in the county and 155 students dropped out.
2009 High School Graduation Percentage – 88.17% as compared to 89.69% in Kansas.
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CTC – 2010 – 39% exhibit a low commitment to school in comparison to 40% in Kansas.
39.63% of Douglas County students report Low Neighborhood Attachment (38.97% in
Kansas). 19.76% of students report that they do not like where they live as compared to
21.23% in Kansas.
14,833 children and youth age 5 to 18, 9.2% are living below poverty (compared to
12% for the state of Kansas)
15.7% of children are living in a high poverty neighborhood (20% or more of
households are living in poverty) which compares to 8.9% in Kansas.
2. HEALTH
a. Individuals have high quality of life and well-being.
760 deaths per 100,000 annually, compared to 1,137 median deaths in US per 100,000
8.03% of live births to mothers without a high school degree
Breast cancer mortality rate is 33.8 as compared to a national rate of 24.1.
Heart disease mortality rate is 94.0 as compared to a national rate of 154.
8.4% of Douglas County residents rate fair or poor health (compared to 17.1% in US)
6.8% of babies born are low birth weight, compared to 8.0% in the US.
1.8% of births are to women under age 18, compared to 3.4% in the US.
b. People are involved in their community (civic engagement, volunteer activity).
39.3% of Residents in Lawrence, Kansas Volunteer which compares to 35.9% of Kansas
residents who volunteer
64.68% Voter participation in the last general presidential election and 72.3% for Kansas.
CTC – 59.7% of youth report receiving rewards for doing good things in their school or their
community as compared to 56% in Kansas.
CTC – 57.7% of youth report volunteering in the past year as compared to 55.97 for the state.
c. People of all ages have access to health care (mental, physical, etc.).
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Number of uninsured – 18,780 (CHSI) 8,851 in peer counties. 2009 ACS 13, 225 (933 under
18)
In Kansas 89.8% of children are insured as compared to 90.9% in the U.S.
In Kansas 72.3% of children age 2-17 with problems requiring counseling who received mental
health care as compared to 60.0% in the U.S.
Number of physicians (MD & DO) – 5th in the state with 174 in 2008
Number of people accessing Substance Abuse Behavioral Health Services in 2009 – 185
Number of people accessing Mental Health Behavioral Health Services in 2009 – 1,834
6,789 people have major depression (CHSI)
d. People live healthy lifestyles (good nutrition and physical activity).
19.3% of people report no exercise (CHSI) 13.1% in peer counties
79.6% of people report eating few fruits and vegetables (CHSI) 73.7% in peer counties
17% of people are obese (CHSI) 21.8% in peer counties
8.4% of Douglas County residents report fair or poor health (compare to 17.1% US median)
21% of deaths for people from 15-24 were from suicide (19% in peer counties); 15% for
people 25-44 (20% in peer counties)
e. People live without addiction to drugs or alcohol.
CTC - Youth Binge Drinking 11.7% students report drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks in a row
as compared to 13.77% for Kansas.
CTC – 23.38% of students report availability of marijuana as compared to 20.19% for Kansas
CTC – 22% of students report having had one alcoholic drink in the past 30 days as compared
to 25.63% for Kansas.
8,675 people are recent drug users (CHSI)
f. People care for one another without violence or abuse.
Violent Crimes in 2008 – 466 (4th in State)
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CTC – Rate of Domestic Violence 5.54 per 1,000 adults (as compared to 6.39 for KS)
CTC – 10.38% of Youth report that they don’t feel safe in their neighborhood where they live
as compared to 13.15% in Kansas.
CTC – Adult Property Crime Arrests 1034.43 per 100,000 adults as compared to 757.15 for
Kansas.
CTC – Juvenile Property Crime Arrests 13.53 per 1,000 juveniles as compared to 15.44 for
Kansas.
CTC – Adult Personal Crime 844.63 arrests for violent crimes per 100,000 adults as compared
to 771.38 for Kansas
CTC – Juvenile Arrests for Personal Crimes 9.74 per 1,000 juveniles as compared to 10.42 at
the state.
Teen Violent Deaths (homicide, suicide or motor vehicle) in 2008 – 9.6 per 100,000 of 15-19
year olds.
3. SELF-SUFFICIENCY
a. People can get help with food, shelter, and financial aid.
Poverty Rates – 2008 Estimates -- 13.0% of county population & 12,661 people
5,931 people received food assistance
30.87% of children in Douglas County public schools are economically disadvantaged as
compared to 42.79% are considered economically disadvantaged in Kansas.
b. People with disabilities maintain independent living and well-being.
2009 – 558 people received home and community based services
2009 – 1,736 people were in an intermediate care facility
c. People have steady jobs and financial stability.
Unemployment - 3,483 people in 2009 for a 5.5% unemployment rate (9.5% in July 2010 in
US)
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Employed 59,344 people in 2009
Labor force is 62,827
d. Older adults remain independent.
2000 – 7,937 over age 65
Estimated population over age 60 in Douglas County in 2021 – 17,177.
13.9% of population over 65 has a mobility limitation
e. People have resources to be able to maintain a high quality of life.
Per capital personal income - $31,443 (84th in the State)
f. People are prepared to handle unexpected crises.
g. People have housing that is safe, affordable and appropriate.
Fair Market Rent for a 2 bedroom in 2009 -- $712 (#2 in State) and 27% of per capita personal
income
Foreclosure filings –
97 in 2009 in Lawrence Judicial Court
.11% of foreclosure filings as a percentage of the population.
28.6% of homeowners are spending more than 30% of household income on housing costs.
60.2% of renters are spending more than 30% of household income on housing costs.
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