More than 175 volunteers marked the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday by participating in United Way of Williamson County’s Day of Service on January 20, 2014. Volunteers of all ages joined together with hundreds of thousands of others across the country who participated in this National Day of Service. More than 450 volunteer hours were donated back to Williamson County during this annual event. “Each year, the MLK Day of Service seems to attract more and more volunteers,” said LeAnn Powers, Chief Professional Officer at United Way of Williamson County. “Many people have time off of work or school on MLK Day, and it’s encouraging and inspiring to see so many families or employee groups taking time on a day off to help others in Williamson County.” Families, individuals, student groups and corporate teams sorted donations, cleared and mulched trails, assisted with beautification projects and prepared the Hutto Library for an upcoming renovation project. Projects were held in Georgetown at Annunciation Maternity Home, The Caring Place, WBC Opportunities, and Berry Springs Park & Preserve. The Hutto Library hosted volunteers from ERCOT. Southwest Regional Park in Leander hosted 70 volunteers, many of whom were employees of Starbucks and TDIndustries. AGE of Central Texas and Hope Alliance hosted volunteers in Round Rock, and Shepherd’s Heart welcomed volunteers in Taylor.
Read MoreMentoring “can easily change lives with as a little as one hour per week”
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
In our work, we get to meet and talk with incredible donors and volunteers who are committed to our community – and one of the most remarkable among them is Julie Fisher. Not only is she on the YLS founding committee AND an Employee Campaign Leader for Samsung’s Employee Campaign, but for two-and-a-half years, she’s been giving her time every week to be a mentor. Since January is Mentoring Month, we thought we’d ask Julie a few questions about her experience: UWATX Question: What policies does Samsung have to allow their employees to do this kind of work? Julie’s Answer: One of Samsung’s core values is co-prosperity. We are dedicated to being socially and environmentally responsible corporate citizens in every community we operate in. Specifically at our local level, employees are allowed to volunteer on a workload and manager permitting basis. We offer volunteer opportunities at several different times to accommodate the schedules and shifts that our employees work. We encourage our employees to find their passion and connect with our nonprofit partners to ignite inspiring volunteer opportunities. How much time do you spend mentoring each week? What kinds of activities are involved? We meet for at least 1 hour each week . I visit Da’shyra during her lunch period and we usually do arts and crafts and talk about different things going on in her life. At the beginning of our mentoring relationship, we created a scrapbook that I bring every time to sketch, write and put pictures in. It is […]
Read MorePartner Profile: Central Texas Afterschool Network (CTAN)
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
Name: Central Texas Afterschool Network (CTAN) Partner for: 7 years Partner with: Target Graduation Our Relationship: Assessing youth programs UWATX facilitates Youth Program Quality assessments in our community to help providers isolate the exact areas where their program could improve. CTAN has been a valuable partner in these efforts by providing trained staff and volunteers to conduct individual assessments. These annual assessments allow programs to evaluate how they’re doing and put in place a plan to improve – studies show that this type of measurement leads to better programs. Training professionals to provide high-quality programs Once areas of improvement are defined, UWATX and CTAN work together to schedule, plan and conduct topic-specific training classes for programs staff. Topics include building community, quality coaching and cooperative learning. Through this professional development program, CTAN and UWATX improve students’ out-of-school time (OST) experiences by making sure programs are enriching, educational, safe and supportive. Conducting a first-of-its-kind survey of Austin afterschool and summer programs This summer, UWATX was joined by AmeriCorps VISTA summer associates to conduct a first-of-its-kind survey of out-of-school time programs in the Greater Austin area. Previously, there was no comprehensive data on the availability or quality of programs for students outside of school. This research project was be a first step to get a sense of the landscape of services. We continue to work with CTAN staff to analyze the results and take the next vital steps to improve the OST network. What we’ve accomplished together Together, we’ve conducted […]
Read MoreWhat scarcity means for families we serve & each of us as well
Posted on by Ricky Deakyne
A few months ago, economists and researchers Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir published Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much – a fresh perspective on the causes of poverty that suggests scarcity, a lack of resources like time or money, drastically changes the way people think. Since January is Poverty Awareness Month, this seems like a perfect time to reflect on the psychology of scarcity. Basically, the authors found that scarcity taxes the mind reducing cognitive capacity (IQ) and executive control (willpower). They call this the “bandwidth tax” and it could be experienced in a momentary situation, such as after a long day at the office, or daily and with no end in sight, as is typical when living in poverty. Scarcity also contributes to “tunneling,” an effect where individuals focus exclusively on immediate deadlines, like that the rent is due today or the car needs a repair. That happens because families don’t have a cushion, so there is no slack to cover unexpected financial shocks we all inevitably face and putting out financial fires becomes you primary focus. This explains why a payday loan can look attractive today when a car repair has captured your absolute attention. While putting out the fire, there is no bandwidth to foresee the additional problems that could arise in two weeks when the loan is due. Unfortunately, this creates a cycle – borrowing creates a deeper hole in the future. The psychology of scarcity is true for people who lack financial resources AND those who lack time resources. The same […]
Read MoreTax prep tips: 7 things to know when claiming your charitable giving
Posted on by Cheryl Black
As a CPA working with nonprofits for just over 30 years, I’ve often been asked about the proper documentation and processes to claim your charitable giving when filing taxes. To help you get ready for tax season as the year draws to a close, here are the top things to keep in mind: 1. Before anything else, check to make sure an organization is qualified. You can always ask any organization whether it is a qualified organization, and most will be able to tell you. You can also go to IRS.gov and search for qualified organizations, or call the IRS at 1-877-829-5500. 2. You’ll need documentation that you gave to a nonprofit. For gifts of more than $250, that must directly come from the organization. Donors cannot claim a tax deduction without a record of the gift [PDF]. This could be a bank record (like a cancelled check) or a written communication from the organization (such as a receipt or letter). These have to show the name of the organization, the date of the gift and the amount. For a gift of more than $250, you MUST obtain a “contemporaneous, written acknowledgement of the contribution” from the organization. Keep in mind: the organization doesn’t incur a penalty for not sending you a notification, so the burden is on you as the donor to get this acknowledgement. Despite that, many organizations assist donors by providing a timely, written statement. How does this all work for payroll deductions? You can use a pledge card prepared by […]
Read MoreInspiration for year’s end
Posted on by Christa Berry
If you’ve met our president, Debbie Bresette, you know how inspirational she can be with both words and actions. And she knows no stranger. And only sees the best in all situations. I think every organization deserves a leader like ours – one that’s full of big ideas and passionate for what they do. Her personality shapes this United Way – making this a positive, ambitious, motivating and ever-moving-forward place to work. So with 2013 coming to a close and our 90th anniversary just around the corner (2014!), we decided to sit down with our President, Debbie Bresette, to get just a little bit more inspiration until the new year. Why have you dedicated your life to this work? I’ve always thought that with the right people in the right setting, we could really move people to a place where we could have honest conversations about poverty. Before I worked at United Way I could see that the organization brought these people together – in the right place and at the right time – and that excited me. I don’t want to be involved with changing one person – I want our systems themselves to change to support more people – and doing this kind of work gives me great satisfaction. Why does the work matter? I never wanted to work in a job that had no meaning – I was born into this life to make a difference – or at least try. I’ve also seen many injustices in […]
Read MoreResearch shows UWATX Play To Learn makes parents happy, helps children be school-ready
Posted on by Christa Berry
After an 18-month evaluation, we have firm numbers behind something we’ve been hearing for years: UWATX’s innovative Play To Learn initiative is changing lives – read the summary of results [PDF]. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhsCzogMYL4[/youtube] Play To Learn is a new, scalable early intervention program designed to bridge the critical gaps in learning among children. Like all our work, the project targets low-income from low-income neighborhoods in Austin and surrounding areas. The project is a result of an extensive child assessment process and data mapping initiative in Austin’s low-income neighborhoods. Play To Learn: A course that teaches parents how to help their children become school ready while incorporating local resources and tablet technology. The Play To Learn project falls under UWATX’s Success By 6 program. Thanks to a $1-million grant from Samsung Austin Semiconductor, 212 families enrolled in Play To Learn from May 2012 to April 2013- and an astonishing 93 percent (198 families) completed the 8-week in-person sessions as well as the year-long library portion. The Samsung grant also funded an 18-month evaluation from a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin School of Human Ecology – the full research report shows astonishing results [PDF]. “Play To Learn was found to be an effective, short-term program for helping young children develop learning skills, including media use, as well as encouraging parental involvement in learning,” said Sue Carpenter, Sr. Director of Success By 6. “The program provides evidence that technology, local resources and a high-quality curriculum can make a significant difference in the […]
Read MoreUWATX kicks off service year with 5 new AmeriCorps VISTAs
Posted on by Ricky Deakyne
After wrapping up a banner year with two Success By 6 VISTAs, we are welcoming five new AmeriCorps VISTAs to the Strategic Programs team. As one of several high-performing projects across Texas, we gained the opportunity to bring on two additional VISTA members to support Financial Opportunity and the Navigation Center‘s outreach work, while continuing to support Success By 6. The addition of new VISTA members means that UWATX will have capacity to take on new projects and the staffing to support increased systems building. Continuing support for Success By 6: VISTAs have been crucial to building capacity in early care and family support systems. In order to continue and expand this work the Success By 6 VISTAs, Jeffrey King and Rebecca Nawls-Walker, will support data collection and analysis for the School Readiness Action Plan 2-year update, create and facilitate processes to incorporate parent input into the SRAP, coordinate programs for the Success By 6 Center Project, and manage our digital outreach programs, Text4Baby and Ready Rosie. New efforts in Financial Opportunity: Building upon the early care and education work, the Financial Opportunity VISTA, Willy Raedy, will play a pivotal role focusing on 2-Generation strategies: an approach to early interventions that combines workforce training with high quality child care. Building capacity around 2-Generation efforts improves outcomes for the whole family by focusing on improving parent’s job readiness while providing early interventions for their children. Additionally, Willy will facilitate the blending of financial literacy into workforce development services and manage the […]
Read MoreWhat impact could YOUR holiday gifts make? #GivingTuesday
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, 141 million people spent an average of $400 each during the first “official” weekend of the holiday shopping season. Over the course of the full season, shoppers will spend an average of $750 on holiday gifts for loved ones. Investing the same amount in our community could make a significant impact: As you check off your list, filled with family members, friends and other loved ones, consider adding one more to your holiday list: our community. For what you may spend one toy, a piece of clothing or a new gadget, you can make a lasting and meaningful impact for Austin’s future. If you’re curious what your shopping habits could mean if you invested in our community, check out our impact calculator to find out. After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, celebrate Giving Tuesday by buying a gift for our community: text UWATXHOLIDAY to 85944 to donate $10. Gifts are a way to recognize what’s important in our lives and show appreciation for the things that matter. We hope that Austin’s future ranks high on your list – make a gift today. Information compiled from the National Retail Foundation and UWATX Impact Calculator. With text-to-give, One-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill. Msg & data rates may apply. Available on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile. Must be 18 or older or have authorization of account holder. Donations benefit United Way of Austin, collected by Innogive Foundation. Subject to terms: igfn.org/t. Privacy policy: igfn.org/p. Text STOP to […]
Read MoreLooking for a warm meal this December?
Posted on by Aviva Pinchas
Each year, our Navigation Center sees a spike of calls during the holiday season – people looking to help by donating food, toys, gifts or their time and also calls from people looking for a warm meal for the holidays. We’ve compiled this calendar of resources that are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC to make it a little easier to find that warm meal: Click on the image above to see a larger version. Know someone looking for assistance? Tell them to give us a call at 2-1-1 to get connected to resources in our community.
Read More