Bold Impact Areas
A shared vision for change leads to collective community impact.
Bold community impact starts with bold goals.
Our Bold Impact Areas are our community’s collective vision for how to create opportunities for everyone in our region to thrive. United Way of North Central Ohio is uniquely positioned to bring people, organizations and resources together to address immediate needs in the community while supporting long-term programs working to eliminate barriers to employment and help set local families on a path to self-sufficiency.
Through our Bold Impact Area initiatives and collaborative efforts, our community comes together to align resources and solve the problems no single donor, organization, or government agency can accomplish alone. United, we make our communities more vibrant and successful.
All of the projects and programs we fund are working to demonstrably affect one or more of our Bold Impact Areas.
SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN
Youth Opportunity. Long-term solutions to the toughest challenges our community faces begin with ensuring that young people have opportunities to realize their full potential. That’s why our number one goal for bold impact is a community filled with successful children. We bring together agencies and organizations who are fighting to improve early childhood literacy rates, providing positive mentorship opportunities, and increasing rates of kindergarten readiness and high school graduation.
HEALTHY FAMILIES
Healthy Communities are successful communities. Every person in our region deserves a safe, warm place to live, dependable access to nutritious food and other necessities, and healthcare services for mind and body. At UWNCO, we leverage funding and resources for organizations working for safe and affordable housing, increased quality of life, and vibrant neighborhoods for our community.
SELF-SUFFICIENT RESIDENTS
Financial Security. Families and individuals in our community are facing financial obstacles that prevent a good quality of life. Collaborations convened by United Way of North Central Ohio are fighting to put every person in our community on the path toward financial empowerment and self-sufficiency. This work starts with access to services, job training, and credit counseling and money management programs.
STRONG COMMUNITIES
Community Resiliency. With a growing threat of natural disasters and increasing need in our community, we are uplifting programs that help us build connective, supportive, and responsive communities. This includes supporting 211 access for every person in our 5-county region, and the establishment of a Community Resiliency Fund.
SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN
Youth Opportunity. Long-term solutions to the toughest challenges our community faces begin with ensuring that young people have opportunities to realize their full potential. That’s why our number one goal for bold impact is a community filled with successful children. We bring together agencies and organizations who are fighting to improve early childhood literacy rates, providing positive mentorship opportunities, and increasing rates of kindergarten readiness and high school graduation.
HEALTHY FAMILIES
Healthy Communities are successful communities. Every person in our region deserves a safe, warm place to live, dependable access to nutritious food and other necessities, and healthcare services for mind and body. At UWNCO, we leverage funding and resources for organizations working for safe and affordable housing, increased quality of life, and vibrant neighborhoods for our community.
SELF-SUFFICIENT RESIDENTS
Financial Security. Families and individuals in our community are facing financial obstacles that prevent a good quality of life. Collaborations convened by United Way of North Central Ohio are fighting to put every person in our community on the path toward financial empowerment and self-sufficiency. This work starts with access to services, job training, and credit counseling and money management programs.
STRONG COMMUNITIES
Community Resiliency. With a growing threat of natural disasters and increasing need in our community, we are uplifting programs that help us build connective, supportive, and responsive communities. This includes supporting 211 access for every person in our 5-county region, and the establishment of a Community Resiliency Fund.
Collective Community Impact
Our drive to implement bold solutions to achieve bold goals for the community is powered by our commitment to Results-Based Accountability, or RBA.
RBA is a common-sense process that helps us and the organizations we fund challenge and overcome the assumptions that can be barriers to progress. It builds collaboration and consensus across the community, and most importantly, it uses data and transparency to ensure accountability for the performance of our programs. Using RBA ensures that United Way leverages funding in the most effective way, helping the most people.
RBA asks, “How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone better off? It ensures that United Way leverages funding to help the most people.
Collective Community Impact
Our drive to implement bold solutions to achieve bold goals for the community is powered by our commitment to Results-Based Accountability, or RBA.
RBA is a common-sense process that helps us and the organizations we fund challenge and overcome the assumptions that can be barriers to progress. It builds collaboration and consensus across the community, and most importantly, it uses data and transparency to ensure accountability for the performance of our programs. Using RBA ensures that United Way leverages funding in the most effective way, helping the most people.
RBA asks, “How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone better off? It ensures that United Way leverages funding to help the most people.
RBA begins with a shared vision for change.
Collective community impact through RBA begins with a common agenda – common understanding of the problem and a shared vision for change – and an agreement for data collection and measurement. Together with community leaders and local social service agencies, UWNCO identified four statements that describe our shared vision for the future of our community and decided on the data indicators that would measure success:
All residents in north central Ohio live in vibrant neighborhoods.
Indicators:
- % of residents with gross rent payments higher than 30% of household income
- % of residents with gross mortgage payments higher than 30% of household income
- % of occupied housing units
All children in north central Ohio will achieve their full potential.
Indicators:
- % of students reading at proficiency by 4th grade
- % of students who receive a high school diploma in 4 years
- % of students who demonstrate kindergarten readiness
- % of preschoolers with access to accredited early childhood programs
All children & adults in north central Ohio are mentally & physically healthy.
Indicators:
- % of people with access to mental health services
- Rate of abused and neglected children
- % of food insecure households
- Suicide rate
All residents in north central Ohio are able to meet their financial needs.
Indicators:
- % of households with incomes greater than 200% of the poverty rate
- Rate of unemployment
- % of 16 to 23 year olds not working or in school (disconnected youth)
RBA begins with a shared vision for change.
Collective community impact through RBA begins with a common agenda – common understanding of the problem and a shared vision for change – and an agreement for data collection and measurement. Together with community leaders and local social service agencies, UWNCO identified four statements that describe our shared vision for the future of our community and decided on the data indicators that would measure success:
All residents in north central Ohio live in vibrant neighborhoods.
Indicators:
- % of residents with gross rent payments higher than 30% of household income
- % of residents with gross mortgage payments higher than 30% of household income
- % of occupied housing units
All children in north central Ohio will achieve their full potential.
Indicators:
- % of students reading at proficiency by 4th grade
- % of students who receive a high school diploma in 4 years
- % of students who demonstrate kindergarten readiness
- % of preschoolers with access to accredited early childhood programs
All children & adults in north central Ohio are mentally & physically healthy.
Indicators:
- % of people with access to mental health services
- Rate of abused and neglected children
- % of food insecure households
- Suicide rate
All residents in north central Ohio are able to meet their financial needs.
Indicators:
- % of households with incomes greater than 200% of the poverty rate
- Rate of unemployment
- % of 16 to 23 year olds not working or in school (disconnected youth)
