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2018 in The Rearview Mirror

Impact. “I am a single mother with two children who participate in the Summer Slide and after school programs at Blacks Harbour School. After my kids’ father died, I wouldn’t have had much of a chance to stay afloat let alone get ahead without these programs. While my kids are busy at these programs, I am able to work and do my homework for a continuing education course I have been working to complete. My kids have had trouble keeping up in school and they require a lot of patience and persistence to keep them on track. My 9 year old struggled with reading and math and now enjoys age appropriate books and is beginning to catch up in math. My 8 year old son has social difficulties and trouble focusing. The afterschool and Summer Slide programs have helped him develop better social habits and though he is still struggling to read he will now try and is improving. We are all getting on track to where we need to be, thanks to these programs.” Behind Jen’s story are hundreds others. Another woman fled violence in her country only to face it at home. With the help of our community she found safety, attained academic excellence, secured a great job, purchased a car and is saving for a down payment on a home for her and her daughter…all of this in a year!

 

In 2012, we set out to make a measurable difference in our community. In 2016, 81% of the targets set by our funded partners were achieved or exceeded. In 2018, we reached 91%. This means that Jen’s story is not an exception but there are many many ‘Jens’.

 

Our relevance. We have seen exceptional success in the past five years and we need to better tell our story. This blog is one example of how we’re trying to tell our story. For years the United Way has been synonymous with payroll deduction, and while that is still a big part of what we do, we are so much more. Because of our demonstrated results and privileged relationship with dozens of charities, we are best positioned to connect caring people and companies with the causes most likely to produce improved outcomes and more stories like Jen’s.  If you care about making your local community a better place for the people who live here, we want to be your first call.

 

Revenue. Frankly, if we get the first two parts of our strategy right, we’ll see revenue grow. In fact, in the last 5 years we have grown by 30%.  We will grow revenue into the future by forging partnerships with like-minded  local small and medium companies, foundations, and government departments to align our efforts and optimize our impact. We are lending our expertise to local companies, foundations and caring people to help them be intentional and strategic about their charitable giving and community support.

 

In 2019, we’re looking ahead to scaling the great work we’ve begun and lessons we’ve learned to continue to grow our impact, relevance, and of course, revenue. Thanks for joining us along the way!!