![[VIDEO] Bobby Jenkins on the value of philanthropy](https://www.unitedwayaustin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Video_BobbyPhil-02-1.png)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h9bKDe5JJc[/youtube] “Austin is on a trajectory to grow, and it’s up to all of us to decide how we’re going to manage that growth in a way that’s positive.” – Bobby Jenkins, President of ABC Home & Commercial Services Our mission at United Way for Greater Austin is to build philanthropy and to invest those gifts of time, dollars and talent to help our community thrive. We believe that when we give back, we are all made richer, and that everyone in our community who earns a paycheck should have the opportunity to give back. Since last year, Bobby Jenkins, President of ABC Home & Commercial Services, has served as our Employee Giving Campaign Co-Chair, spreading our shared message about the importance of philanthropy to companies and individuals throughout Greater Austin. For us, it’s been an inspiring journey to see his commitment to philanthropy. We hope his words will move you too.
Read MoreAn ambitious challenge: doubling the number of low-income children in high-quality care
We are proud to announce our new United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX) Success By 6 Center Project – an ambitious initiative to help 14 child care centers serving low-income populations meet and keep high-quality ratings. Our goal is to double the number of low-income children in the kind of care that changes lives. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu_uTm5SeIM[/youtube] Center were selected based different criteria, including the number of low-income children they serve, and ratings from our Women”s Leadership Council. Our partners are: For a child to thrive, they need quality support in their life. That’s why UWATX is focusing on providing child care centers the key benefits that will truly make a difference in children’s lives. From a strong relationship with parents to supportive teachers and well-prepared child care directors, children depend on adults to help them thrive in the critical early years and our research shows that teachers are interested in increasing their education. UWATX is supporting continuing professional development for teachers and funding a mentorship program for center directors. We are also recruiting and training individuals to act as substitutes so that staff members can attend professional development opportunities while maintaining a high standard of care for children. Children also need safe facilities, engaging toys and books and educational materials. To fit these needs, UWATX is leveraging in-kind support through our networks to collect materials. We are also casino online providing tools like the High Scope math curriculum to build a strong foundation in math and kickstart children’s STEM education. […]
Read MorePhilanthropic women make Austin greater
One of the most committed groups supporting UWATX is the UWATX Women’s Leadership Council, co-chaired by Jennifer Foster, Dell (who voices the presentation below), and Lauren Hammonds, Blackbaud. Their commitment to early childhood brought in $400K last year for our youngest and most vulnerable children. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD0Nnowtfn8[/youtube] The WLC is a committed, diverse group of women who donate $1,200 annually, volunteer their time and spread the word about UWATX Success By 6, our work in early childhood. At UWATX, we focus on early childhood because the first few years are critical and, in our community, children are not getting off to the best start. Across Central Texas, only 50 percent of children are ready for school when they get there – and in low-income communities, that drops to 13 percent. UWATX makes a difference – 90 percent of children in our Success By 6 program are on-track to be ready for school. WLC members support Austin’s future, our youngest children, by giving back in flexible ways. At the same time, they can network with peers and connect to women in different industries and from different backgrounds. Last year, the WLC included 200 women representing 55 businesses. Besides giving $400,000 to support young children, advocacy spearheaded by UWATX Success By 6 and the WLC restored half a million dollars in City of Austin funding for young children. Learn more about these philanthropic women and check out photos from their latest event.
Read MoreOur own UWATX Employee Campaign reaches 98 percent participation
At UWATX, we work with more than 400 companies locally helping them run Employee Giving Campaigns – giving employees the opportunity to invest a portion of every paycheck in the community. Each August, we put our money where our mouth is and run our very own campaign. The UWATX Employee Campaign is different every year, but we work to model the best practices that we encourage in our business partners: Recruit a cross-functional team: Our team included 4 staff members representing our fundraising, finance, IT and strategic programs teams Define your timeline: Our campaign ran for a week from Aug. 12 through the 16. Since our staff is ramping up for our busiest season, a short campaign works best for our needs. Plan volunteer events: We kicked off our campaign with a volunteer project at Webb Middle School! Have fun with activities that fit your culture: At the start of campaign, each employee was greeted with a hand-written note welcoming them and half-way through, we held a UWATX Spirit Day where employees wore UWATX colors to show off their spirit. Engage different teams in the way that works for them: Our Employee Campaign team coordinate a rally or meeting for each department, including five for our Navigation Center staff who have less flexibility because they stay on the phones all day connecting callers to community resources. We also incorporated both an electronic and paper pledge system to accommodate more ways to give. Consider your wrap up: On Friday, gift cards, […]
Read MoreParents – tips on getting your kids back to school
This week, school is starting back up after the long summer break. Whether it’s going to Kindergarten for the first time or that final year of school, the transition from the lazy days of summer back into a strict routine can be a challenge for parents and children – so our experts are sharing their top tips for making the process as smooth as possible. Talk to your child about going back to school: Tell them what a typical day might look like starting with getting up in the morning and ending with going to bed at night. Ask them if they have any questions and ask them how it makes them feel to be going back to school (Ex: excited to see/meet friends, nervous about the new teacher, etc). Make the transition easier – start the bedtime and mealtime routine at least a week before school starts. Structure, structure, structure: Write out an evening and a morning routine with your children, including a checklist to make things less hectic. Be consistent and do things in the same order (Ex: Homework, then dinner, then chore, then free time, then shower, then reading, then bed.) If your children are out the door on time, with everything they need for the day, they will feel less stressed and ready for success. And don’t wait till the last minute: re-establish bedtime and mealtime routines at least a week before school starts – this will make the transition back to school smoother. […]
Read MoreThank You Austin!
At United Way for Greater Austin, our mission is to inspire, lead and unite an eclectic community of philanthropists including individuals, nonprofits, businesses and government to overcome barriers to economic opportunities and ensure Greater Austin continues to thrive. To help fulfill this mission, we offer our donors the opportunity to designate a portion or all of their donation to any nonprofit of their choice. Below is a TOP 50 list of local organizations our donors designated a portion or all of their donation to in our 2012 Campaign Year. In total, during the 2012 Campaign Year, we raised $16 MILLION for 1,712 nonprofit organizations! So, THANK YOU Austin! Because of each and every one of our donors and supporters, Central Texas is becoming a better place to live for ALL of us. For a complete list of the organizations that receive donations through UWATX, please visit uwatx.org/nonprofits AGE of Central Texas AIDS Services of Austin American Cancer Society Austin Metro Market American Red Cross of Central Texas American YouthWorks Animal Trustees of Austin Any Baby Can* Austin Children’s Shelter Austin Community College Foundation Austin Habitat for Humanity Austin Parks Foundation Austin Pets Alive Austin Recovery* Bannockburn Baptist Church Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas* Bookspring* Boy Scouts of America Capital Area Council Boys and Girls Clubs of Austin and Travis County* Breakthrough* Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin Capital Area Food Bank Caritas of Austin CASA of Central Texas CASA of Travis County Catholic Charities […]
Read More[VIDEO] Bringing people together
![[VIDEO] Bringing people together](https://www.unitedwayaustin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Screen-Shot-2013-08-17-at-2.40.22-PM-1.png)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y86FgWxXTPU[/youtube] At United Way for Greater Austin(UWATX), our mission is to inspire, lead and unite an eclectic community of philanthropists including individuals, nonprofits, business, and government to overcome barriers to economic opportunities and ensure Greater Austin continues to thrive. In this video, leaders from across our community come together to discuss the importance of working collaboratively and how UWATX plays a pivotal role in bringing different entities together. Thanks to Don Baylor (Center for Public Policy Priorities) and Andrew Kim (Comal ISD) for participating in this video and to Sneaky Giants for putting this video together.
Read MoreNelson Mandela: a true inspiration
From his statements about poverty to his resilient spirit and drive to create positive change, Nelson Mandela has long been an inspiration for us at UWATX. This Mandela Day, we hope you’ll reflect on some of the wise words shared by this great man and be inspired too. < Nelson Mandela: a true inspiration from United Way for Greater Austin Inspirational quotes from Nelson Mandela: It always seems impossible until it’s done. – Nelson Mandela Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. – Nelson Mandela There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. – Nelson Mandela Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future. – Nelson Mandela The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. – Nelson Mandela No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated. – Nelson Mandela We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. – Nelson Mandela For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. – Nelson Mandela A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. – Nelson Mandela Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is […]
Read MoreH-E-B Partners celebrate philanthropy
Each year we host the H-E-B In-Store Coordinator Training here at UWATX – an afternoon where roughly 60-70 H-E-B Partners come together to energized and informed for the upcoming United Way Employee Campaign. A being a part of this training, which took place Friday, is not only exciting for H-E-B Partners, but also for the UWATX staff involved – everyone present has such an infectious, positive energy. Jeff Thomas, Senior Vice President & General Manager for the Central Texas region of H-E-B, and Kathleen Farlow, Managing Partner at Deloitte and incoming UWATX Campaign co-chair, kicked off the training with highlights from last year. Afterwards, coordinators introduced themselves – revealing a lot of first-timers – shared experiences from past campaigns and offered up tips to other stores about how to engage team members. “I think H-E-B is so successful at raising money because everyday their employees see struggling community members in their stores,” said Sherry Klein, the UWATX Development Officer that manages the HEB Campaign. “Some have even experienced those struggles themselves and the United Way Employee Campaign makes it easy for them to give back – even if it’s only a dollar or two a paycheck.” In 2012, H-E-B reported having 90 percent participation at some stores – a true testament that the company and its employees are committed to the Greater Austin community. [AFG_gallery id=’7′]
Read MoreKathleen Farlow on “leading from the front”
As we wrap up one campaign season, we are proud to welcome Kathleen Farlow, managing partner for Deloitte LLP’s Central Texas practice, as our Campaign Co-Chair for the 2013 Employee Campaign season! How long have you been involved with United Way and in what way(s)? I have been involved with the United Way for more than 20 years. Initially, my participation was through the traditional payroll deduction, but after I learned more about United Way and all the good things it brings to the community, I began volunteering on various United Way-related projects with Deloitte and on committees at the chapter level. Prior to my October 2012 appointment as Deloitte LLP’s Central Texas managing partner and my move to Austin, I served as a member of the United Way of Greater Houston Audit and Finance Committees. As my hands-on participation with United Way increased, I committed more of my time and financial resources. Today I’m proud to be a member of the Tocqueville Society and have encouraged colleagues and friends to do likewise. “There is nothing like the feeling of giving back to the community. It also reminds me of how fortunate I am to live in a place where there is opportunity for success and where caring for one another is still a core belief.” – Kathleen Farlow What inspires you personally to give back? How does United Way fit into that? There is nothing like the feeling of giving back to the community. It also reminds me of […]
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