UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY
The Power of Many. Working for All.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
For 100 years, United Way of Dane County has mobilized the caring power of our community to create lasting change for multiple generations. With a mission to unite the community to achieve measurable results that change lives, we are committed to being a catalyst for inclusion, systemic change and building a Dane County where everyone can succeed in school, work and life. We lead in mobilizing our community’s power to spark generational change – consistently collaborating around innovative responses to solve big, challenging problems in Dane County. With the support of our community, we have spent a century investing in our community’s most pressing needs – helping to support local families as they work to access the building blocks of well-being: a quality education, a family-supporting job and health supports.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Agenda for Change
Education: Students succeed academically and graduate high school, prepared for higher education, career, and community, and Children are cared for and have fun as they become prepared for school
Income: There is a decrease in family homelessness, and More people are on pathways out of poverty
Health: Seniors and people with disabilities are able to stay in their homes, and Health issues identified and treated early
Born Learning
Education is a cornerstone for success in school, work and life. Ensuring the babies of Dane County are cared for and have fun as they become prepared for school benefits the whole community. The most formative years in a child’s development are from birth to age five and United Way is there from the beginning, with Born Learning – an initiative that helps parents, grandparents and caregivers turn everyday moments into fun, educational opportunities for young kids.
Academic Success
Education is one of the key building blocks to a stable life. It also benefits the whole community: high school graduates have higher earning potential, contribute more to their local economies, are more engaged in their communities, and are more likely to raise kids who also graduate on time.
United Way of Dane County adopts a comprehensive approach to education with programs that make sure children and youth become proficient readers at a young age, stay on track in middle school and earn their high school diploma to ultimately give back to their families and the community.
Housing in Action
Safe and affordable housing creates a home base from which all other things are possible. It is clear that separate even from extreme poverty, homelessness and lack of stable housing presents a formidable set of challenges to an already extremely vulnerable group of children. In Dane County, Families make up nearly half of the homeless population, putting both children and their parents at risk. United Way believes that it is possible to end homelessness.
Though a set of research and data driven strategies designed to build on families’ strengths, we are focusing on Housing First, case management, landlord/tenant connections and financial counseling and access to food.
It’s all about housing. Housing First places families at risk of homelessness into permanent housing quickly, and then provides targeted services to address other issues and maintain a stable environment. This approach continues to meet national benchmarks of an 80% success rate in keeping families stably housed at half the cost of emergency shelter.
Pathways out of Poverty
More than 60,000 people in Dane County live in poverty, that’s more than 1 in 7 residents – 1 in 6 children. Lack of family-supporting wage jobs is the primary contributor to this community crisis. In addition, lack of access to education, skills, quality childcare and other community supports also present barriers to economic stability.
United Way is focused on tackling these issues at the root cause. Our multigenerational approach combines our work in job training and employment, housing, and early childhood support to break the cycle of poverty.
One key element of this work is our HIRE Education Employment Initiative – a United Way program that ensures families are linked to employment and career ladders. Another is our Journey Home initiative, aimed at successfully reintegrating ex-offenders into the community.
Health Issues are Identified Early
United Way of Dane County is committed to assuring that low-income and uninsured members of our community have access to affordable quality primary, dental, and behavioral health care. This agenda is based in the wide body of research that shows that when health issues are identified and treated early, people are likely to respond more quickly to treatment, avoid hospitalizations and greater pain, and have better outcomes. Children and families are our primary focus. This work supports our community’s goals of increasing kindergarten readiness and high school graduation rates by intervening early with developmental, behavioral/mental health or other health problems that interfere with a student’s ability to learn.
Seniors and people with disabilities are able to stay in their homes
The number of adults over age 65 in Dane County is growing. In 2010, people over age 65 were 10% of the population, by 2030 they will represent 20% of the population. Older adults are living longer and healthier lives than ever before, but still face certain challenges while aging. Over 80% of older adults suffer from at least one chronic condition, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or dementia.
United Way is leading a remarkable cross-sector partnership among organizations and coalitions that serve older adults, professional associations, pharmacies, hospitals, academia, media, and United Way 2-1-1 to prevent or mitigate loss of independence for an older adult and help them live healthier and safer lives.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of students who exhibit kindergarten readiness
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers
Related Program
Born Learning
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
88% of kids graduated from our signature ParentChild+ Program, a two-year home visitation program that helps low-income children get ready for 4-K.
Number of participants who gain employment
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Pathways out of Poverty
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
365 individuals found jobs through our HIRE employment initiative in 2019
Hours of tutoring administered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Academic Success
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2,146 students received tutoring services in 2019-2020 school year. 708 students received tutoring in 2020-2021 due to COVID impact.
Total number of clients experiencing homelessness
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Related Program
Housing in Action
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
1,500 local families received housing case management, addressing root causes of their homelessness.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
United Way of Dane County's long term goal is to increase family well-being so that all families in Dane County lead healthy, thriving and secure lives that meet their own defined goals, and are not
impacted by experiences of systemic racism, discrimination and poverty.
Our community goals are:
-Build family well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with
children under five and the adults in their lives together.
-Increase the graduation rate for Dane County students of color and
students from low-income families.
-Increase the number of families, particularly families of color, that become
economically stable through strategies that integrate family sustaining jobs, secure housing, and
food.
-Decrease racial disparities in Dane County by providing equitable access to
affordable, accessible and culturally-safe health care.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
United Way of Dane County convenes partners from across the community to amplify our collective impact. From businesses to government agencies, volunteers, non-profit agencies, program participants and donors, United Way brings these partners to a neutral table and collaborate on innovative, efficient and effective solutions for the entire community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
United Way is a unique position to leverage multiple partners throughout the community to increase their impact exponentially. We are a neutral convener that can bring together disparate groups and find common ground. United Way is the intersection where the community meets.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2021:
• Education: 308 students tutored in literacy and math
• Income: 257 adults completed training with our HIRE Initiative and gained $15/hr jobs
• Income: 32,000 in housing programs, 74% stably housed for 12 months
• Health: Safe at Home falls rate of 17%, which is half of the national average of 33%
• Health: 3,300+ students were screened for trauma, 725 received mental health support
• 2-1-1 Call Center, received 26,743 calls with 43,204 referrals
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY
Board of directorsas of 03/23/2022
Bill Westrate
American Family Insurance
Jay Sekelsky
Zermatt Investors, LLC
Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings
University of Wisconsin, National Academy of Education
Mark Koehl
Chief Shon Barnes
City of Madison Police Department
Dave Beck-Engel
Jacquelyn Boggess
Center for Family Policy and Practice
Dave Branson
Labor Representative
Bryan Chan
Supranet Communications, Inc.
Lau Christensen
Bea Christensen
Christine Dahlhauser
Baker Tilly US, LLP
Robert Durian
Alliant Energy
Dave Florin
Hiebing
Dan Frazier
U.S. Bank
Roberta Gassman
UW-Madison, School of Social Work
Lynn Green
Fabiola Hamdan
Dane County Department of Human Services
Dr. Carlton Jenkins
Madison Metropolitan School District
Jeff Keebler
Madison Gas and Electric Company
Paul Kundert
UW Credit Union
Sonia Kurhajetz
County of Dane/AFSCME Local 720
Michelle Michalak
Madison Teachers Inc./IBEW Local 2304
Hon. Everett Mitchell
Dane County Circuit Court
Renee Moe
United Way of Dane County
Deirdre Morgan
Ramona Natera
State of Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance Division
Rachel Neill
Carex Consulting
Josie Ronk
UW-Madison
Tim Ryan
Monona State Bank
Ananth Seshedri
UW-Madison, Dept of Economics
Dr. Martha Stacker
Dane County Department of Human Services
Gisèle Sutherland
BMO Wealth Management
Dave Sweitzer
CUNA Mutual Group
Dulce Danel Uribe
Madison College
Jesi Wang
MetaStar, Inc.
Jim Wheeler
Lucius Woodson
TASC
Jane (Ginger) F. Zimmerman
Murphy Desmond SC
Lisa Peyton-Caire
The Foundation for Black Women's Wellness
Scott Strong
RISE Wisconsin
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data