United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut

United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut is taking on some of the biggest challenges of our region: ensuring that children graduate high school, college and career ready; ensuring that families become more financially secure; connecting families with health services, supporting healthier beginnings and healthier lives; and providing people with food, shelter, and other essential services and resources. Each area presents an opportunity for philanthropic investment that will produce a significant social return.

Utilizing innovative approaches and the latest research, we find the best ways to bring people together to solve the issues that matter most. By spearheading new community change models and leveraging funding from public and private sources, we have achieved positive outcomes in our community. United Way supports the work of more than 50 innovative partner organizations, and serves as a leader and/or member of several community initiatives throughout our region that focus on early literacy, middle grade success, family financial stability, and health.

We believe that not one organization alone can solve the complex challenges facing children and families in our region. As such, we strive to bring together the right mix of partners and resources to tackle these issues. United Way is uniquely positioned to mobilize community members to give, advocate and volunteer on behalf of the causes they care about. We are able to bring together the human and financial resources needed to work together on challenges unique to our local communities. The foundation of our funding strategy is ongoing research of best practices and a volunteer-driven process for vetting partner organizations. We also seek to develop organizations' capacity to deliver the effective services, and to align organizations and resources to achieve positive community results at a broad scale.

Last year, we invested $6.4 million in programs/initiatives that benefitted over 260,000 residents.

Children accessed high quality early learning programs, including early language and literacy supports, as well as in-school and out-of-school time supports, and summer learning opportunities that improved reading and academic skills. Individuals received employment services, financial coaching, and connection to benefits. Services included: financial coaching, benefits screening, credit counseling, employment/career development, tax preparation, matched savings accounts, and resource and referral. Families accessed immediate, emergency assistance including (as examples): information and referrals through 2-1-1 and emergency resources such as rent, utility and transportation assistance.

In addition, we act as both a leader and partner in several initiatives in Hartford, including: Hartford Campaign for Grade Level Reading – a cross-sector partnership to ensure children are reading on grade level by the end of third grade; Hartford Generation Work, bridging workforce systems to benefit young adults ages 18-29, and developing professional capacity of workforce development leaders; Hartford Working Cities Challenge, connecting and preparing young adults in the South End of Hartford to local anchor institution employers; and North Hartford Triple Aim Collaborative – the health and wellbeing work group for the North Hartford Promise Zone.

United Way also mobilized nearly 6,000 volunteers around (as examples): Literacy Kit projects – building children's libraries at home/classroom; United Way Readers – matching volunteer readers with students behind in reading; one-time read aloud activities; and VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) – providing free tax preparation services by IRS certified volunteers.