Mission
The United Way of Story County is a strategic leader in building countywide partnerships to identify needs and to develop, support and evaluate effective human services, especially in the areas of health, education, and financial stability, for our diverse community.
Ruling year
1972
President and CEO
Jean Kresse
Main address
315 Clark Ave
Ames, IA 50010 USA
EIN
42-0947489
NTEE code
Fund Raising Organizations That Cross Categories includes Community Funds/Trusts and Federated Giving Programs) e.g. United Way (T70)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Community issues cannot be addressed in vacuums; problems facing our neighbors are interconnected and compound on one another. United Way of Story County is in a position to face these challenges head-on with the team of partner agencies, strong coalitions, subject matter experts, business support, and volunteers. We lead the fight in the areas of health, education, and financial stability for everyone in the community.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
United Way of Story County Education Initiatives
UWSC knows that a strong education is paramount for a great quality of life. By investing in this issue area, kids have the early advantages needed for success once they reach school, school-aged youth have resources to help them stay on track or catch up and adults across the county have support and the prevention strategies to assist them in succeeding.
United Way of Story County Health Initiatives
Health is a central tenant of a great quality of life. Good health keeps kids in school, keeps adults employed, which helps keep households stable. By investing in the health of 4,500 more residents in Story County, we can chip away at the inequities that keep people from succeeding. Health services can range from in-home hospice to mental health, substance abuse counseling to healthy food.
United Way of Story County Financial Stability Initiatives
Thousands of Story County families aren’t in the financial position to weather even a small storm, struggling paycheck to paycheck. The COVID-19 pandemic has been no small storm. The numbers of people looking for help with basic needs is staggering. The work to build financially stable families can range from emergency support to helping families stay in school or maintain employment to strengthening their financial literacy. The final result of this is improved financial capacity and the ability to save for future emergencies.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of individuals served who participated in healthy food access/nutrition programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
United Way of Story County Health Initiatives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, some of our healthy food access/nutrition programs had to close temporarily. This, combined with other income supports led the numbers to be lower short-term.
Number of individuals who were provided with mental health services through UWSC programs and services, including evaluations, medication management, counseling, or other therapeutic services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
United Way of Story County Health Initiatives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
One reason for this decrease had to do with a change in client management systems with a large partner. We had increases within other mental health metrics, and this continues to be a priority area .
Number of individuals who participated in mental health awareness programming
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
United Way of Story County Health Initiatives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This dramatic increase was attributable to ongoing creativity in delivery formats, as well as well as to a new, wide-spread Human Trafficking Awareness Program that reached 4,039 youth.
Number of individuals surveyed who reported improved quality of life
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
United Way of Story County Health Initiatives
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Due to pandemic-related program closures and/or limited offerings, only 127 total surveys were conducted by our partners. 104 respondents (82%) noted our programs improved their quality of life.
Number of children from underserved populations who were enrolled in high-quality early childhood programs supported by United Way
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers
Related Program
United Way of Story County Education Initiatives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
One childcare center had reduced enrollment due to social-distancing requirements/staffing, impacting our overall total. Yet, 3 of 4 programs had increases in underserved children enrolled.
Number of youth from underserved populations who were provided with summer enrichment (access to quality, engaging out-of-school opportunities, that reinforce and enhance academic and social learning)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
United Way of Story County Education Initiatives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
In summer 2021 many programs were able to resume, and we saw a 17% increase in underserved youth served over our baseline year.
Number of surveyed families who reported an increase in their parenting knowledge and skills
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Parents
Related Program
United Way of Story County Education Initiatives
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of children who participated in early childhood and out-of-school programming improved or maintained their reading level
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
United Way of Story County Education Initiatives
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of surveyed participants in community-based education programs reported having a better understanding than before
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
United Way of Story County Education Initiatives
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The decrease in numbers from FY19 to FY20 has two primary causes 1)The coronavirus pandemic resulted in canceled programs 2) one large program lost grant funding thus had a decline of numbers served
Number of individuals who were served through emergency food programs (all Story County pantries, adult/family shelter food programs, and Healthy Food Vouchers)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
United Way of Story County Financial Stability Initiatives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The decrease in individuals served at food pantries was directly related to an increase in their financial stability due to temporary pandemic support programs. We anticipate this to be short term.
Number of households who received financial assistance (rent and/or utilities) though GNEA and MICA to help with housing cost burdens and prevent homelessness
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
United Way of Story County Financial Stability Initiatives
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of adults who were served through child care sliding fees and transitional living programs were able to remain in school or at their job
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
United Way of Story County Financial Stability Initiatives
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
In 2020, COVID-19 impacted to the employment landscape in Story County, with close to 8,000 individuals becoming unemployed from late February to July 2020 (source: Ames Chamber).
Number of surveyed clients who reported a general improvement in their financial situation
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
United Way of Story County Financial Stability Initiatives
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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?
Setting measurements for success will raise awareness of key issues, increase accountability for change, and highlight the need for action. These are not the only key issues for Story County, but they are a start of moving the needle for common good. Many of our funded programs feed into these goals, while other funded programs continue to support families even though they aren’t being included as highlights.
By 2025, we are committed to achieving the following community impact goals:
• Health: Improve community health by serving 4,500 more people
• Education: Decrease the achievement gap by reaching 30% more underserved learners
• Financial Stability: Strengthen financial stability by increasing the number of people served by 25%
Our promise to Story County is to work tirelessly on connecting partners and creating positive change within these goals. Together; we create a Story County that is stronger for everyone. And we can make sure there’s a seat at the table for every community member.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
• Health Goal: Improve community health by serving 4,500 more people
HEALTHY FOOD - We will increase access to healthy food and nutrition programming.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES - We will provide awareness programming and therapeutic services.
SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS - We will increase community inclusion and provide social/emotional support.
• Education Goal: Decrease the achievement gap by reaching 30% more underserved learners
HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION - We will increase access to underserved children by providing sliding fee scales and encouraging a focus on equity.
PARENTING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS - We will support parents in their role of being their kids’ first teachers.
GRADE LEVEL READING SUPPORTS - We will increase access for out-of-school learning and proven intervention strategies.
COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATION AND AWARENESS - We will educate community members on issues of impact and empower them with tools to take action.
• Financial Stability Goal: Strengthen financial stability by increasing the number of people served by 25%
EMERGENCY FOOD AND HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION - We will provide for basic needs.
EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT - We will help individuals remain in school and/or maintain employment.
FINANCIAL EDUCATION - We will provide basic personal finance education and other financial programs.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
United Way of Story County adopted Results Based Accountability for funded programs in 2015, providing all agencies with ClearImpact Scorecard software where they report data annually, at a minimum. Results Based Accountability asks three questions that form the basis of our framework:
• How much did we do? Quantity measures describe the number of clients and the depth of program engagement.
• How well did we do it? Quality measures describe program effectiveness. Quality measures are used to hold a program accountable for adhering to the expected service delivery model.
• Is anyone better off? Results measures demonstrate improved performance or other calculated change among service recipients. They can be used to determine if people are benefiting from the services that are delivered through this investment process.
Results Based Accountability is the backbone of collective impact. As we boldly define goals for Story County, we know our partners and a Results Based Accountability model will be the only way to succeed.
Data-driven decisions can be coupled with the extensive knowledge throughout the United Way Worldwide network to inform our work and ensure positive change for Story County.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Moving to a true collective impact strategy that utilizes Results Based Accountability has been imperative to the foundation of five-year goals. With our targets in place now, we can continue our work on funding programs that make a difference, building cross-functional collaborations, and bringing along partners to give, advocate, and volunteer. We'll continually assess our progress using indicators and data and look for further ways to deepen our relationship with the communities we serve.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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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
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UNITED WAY OF STORY COUNTY INC
Board of directorsas of 02/09/2022
Jonathan Wickert
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? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
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