Newsroom

Volunteer Project Leaders celebrate 8th grade graduation at school dance

As the 2012-2013 school year winded down, Volunteer Project Leaders (VPL) at Webb Middle School coordinated their 8th dance and celebration and closed out the year with a bang. The gymnasium overflowed with cheery family, friends, and educators as their special 8th grader was commemorated for graduating middle school. Among those in support of the hardworking school kids were the bigger kids from United Way for Greater Austin’s (UWATX) Young Leaders Society (YLS). The YLS founding committee was excited to help celebrate students’ hard work and achievements. Members set tables in preparation for the fun evening, decorated the gym with balloons, and manned the taco buffet and cupcake line. After tacos and cupcakes, the real fun began as the dance was underway. YLS member, Luke Martinez, had a memorable moment when called upon by a Webb 8th grader to learn the complex and choreographed movements of the Dougie. After Luke’s life transformed before his very eyes, other members engaged in the ever famous Cupid Shuffle, the Wobble and even had the distinct honor of dancing Tribal, a dance that has ignited a cultural revolution in parts of Mexico. By the end of the night everyone had new dance moves to add to their repertoire. [AFG_gallery id=’8′] YLS members had tons of fun – here’s what they had to say about the celebratory night: “Having had to achieve certain goals in order to have the dance, it was evident that the 8th grade students cherished being there. The dance was much better behaved […]

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HOW TO: Highlight your philanthropy on LinkedIn

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30A7D0u1Tx0&feature=youtube_gdata[/youtube] LinkedIn now has 200M users, with 2 new users added every second. To help our donors, volunteers and partners showcase their good work on the professional social network, we put together this recorded webinar. Giving back and professional development Volunteers are 27% more likely to find a job after being out of work. Individuals can grow their networks, learn new skills and gain key connections by giving back. Volunteering could mean hands-on work for an organization or professional volunteering, like serving on a board or being engaged with a nonprofit group like Women’s Leadership Council or Employee Campaign Leaders.   LinkedIn background Started in 2003, LinkedIn is one of the oldest social networks still being used. LinkedIn turned 10 on May 5, 2013. There are currently more than 200M users on LinkedIn. LinkedIn users tend to be affluent, educated and influential. LinkedIn launched the ability to list volunteer experiences in 2011. Only 1M members include their volunteer experience on their profiles, so this is an untapped opportunity. Of those who list their volunteer experience, 62 percent are millenials.   HOW TO: List your experience on your LinkedIn profile To add your volunteer experience, go to this edit page (you may be asked to sign in to LinkedIn). You can list three types of volunteer and cause information: Causes you care about – This is an opportunity to list topics or issues that you care about. LinkedIn has created the list of options. Click to check the box next to those causes you […]

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Giving back by lending your voice

Each year, decisions that elected officials make at the local, state and federal level impact millions of lives – particularly, those of vulnerable populations. At UWATX, we’ve worked to inspire our supporters to make sure their voices heard on issues like local funding for early childhood education, tax incentives for giving back and state employee’s ability to give back. Advocacy can mean anything from signing an online petition to putting your name down as a supporter for a bill at the Capitol, but we know that what matters most are individual conversations with law makers to help them understand how their choices affect their constituents. Robyn Eckermann, a member of the UWATX Women’s Leadership Council Executive Committee and Vice President, Strategic Planning at St. David’s HealthCare, shares her experience of joining UWATX to meet face-to-face with local officials during this year’s budget cycle to advocate for increased funding for early childhood. What advocacy visits did you attend this budget cycle? How was it different or similar to your expectations? For my first advocacy visit, we met with Sherri Fleming and Brook Son with the Travis County Health and Human Services Department.  I expected a rather formal, almost-debate structured format whereas the visit was actually quite informal.  Both were extremely gracious listeners – allowing Sue Carpenter to really hit her stride as she ran through our dashboard. Expecting a more formal environment, I equipped myself to be able to testify on behalf of childhood education.  I memorized all of our key asking points, […]

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Kathleen 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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Volunteer Project Leaders celebrate a year of success!

Just a few days ago, we celebrated the achievements of our Volunteer Project Leaders – 30 middle school students from Decker, Mendez and Webb Middle Schools who have become community advocates in just a few short months. Across three campuses and two school districts, students: completed 10 volunteer projects; gave 479 hours of volunteer work; and contributed the equivalent of $10,811 in volunteer time to the community! Projects included campus clean-ups, painting healthy and educational activities for outside play, creating campus motivational walls with letters from supportive adults, distributing food at a local food pantry and hosting a Community Cultual Celebration for families – just to name a few! To say Thank You and recognize their efforts, we gathered at UWATX offices – check out the pictures. Here’s what some of these amazing volunteer leaders – all 7th graders who participated in VPL – had to say about it all: Q: Why are you participating in United Way for Greater Austin’s VPL training? Valerie: I participated because I want to help other people and the experience I get from it. Breonna: I participated for fun! Jaritza: I saw it as an opportunity to do something in our community. Breon: I participated to join in on the VPL events and attend meetings.   Q: What projects have you enjoyed the most? Valerie: I enjoyed Community Cultural Celebration the most because a lot of people were involved and I helped out my community in a good way. Breonna: The Community Cultural Celebration! Jaritza: The Community […]

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Introducing Kathleen Farlow as new Campaign Co-Chair, celebrating a year of giving

The 2012 Employee Campaign season has just wrapped up, marking a successful year of giving from Austin businesses and their employees. To say thank you, UWATX is recognizing the companies that truly stood out in their giving, including three recipients for the 2012 Excellence in Corporate Philanthropy Award:   3M: 3M is a powerful supporter of UWATX- they came in second in raising dollars directly for UWATX programs and community impact. On top of that, 3M also touts the largest number of leadership givers and supported UWATX’s new brand with a generous donation of bus wraps that toured the city for months. 3M also matches every gift, stocks a large portion of our supply closet, gave in-kind donations to support UWATX’s rebranding efforts and consistently gives the largest corporate gift to UWATX in Austin! H-E-B: In the Greater Austin area, H-E-B employees make up the single largest source of employee giving support.  They run a fun, educational, and competitive UWATX campaign in each of their stores, and truly embody the best in corporate philanthropy. Their success grows from strong leadership:  From Charles Butt’s support of philanthropy, to Jeff Thomas’ personal investment of time and guidance, to store leaders championing the UWATX campaign across the region and individual employees who lead fellow Partners in giving back. Enterprise: Enterprise was the success story UWATX couldn’t stop talking about this year. Their campaign saw huge increases in total giving, giving to UWATX and a very high participation rate.  Enterprise stressed the value of […]

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Introducing: UWATX Young Leaders Society

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsdV9X8bhUs[/youtube] United Way for Greater Austin is introducing a new iteration of our Young Leaders Society – a giving society for young professionals. This version has a few exciting changes: Rather than giving $1,000 to UWATX themselves, young leaders will have the option to raise a portion of their contribution. That means individuals can leverage their networks to get support. YLS will focus on UWATX’s Target Graduation program – helping students stay on the path to graduation and being successful in school, work and life. YLS members will participate in volunteer projects with middle school students, changing lives not just with their dollars but with their time also. On top of on-going volunteer events, YLS members will also have the opportunity to participate in networking and professional development events, taking advantage of UWATX’s more than 400 business partners and connecting to other new and emerging Austin leaders “We’re relaunching this group to reflect the amazing city that we are part of – a city filled with young, vibrant talent,” said Debbie Bresette, President of UWATX. “We are here for this city, and YLS is another step towards better serving our community and growing philanthropy.” Get to know the YLS Founding Committee, learn more about the exciting projects they’ve participated in so far or sign-up for a volunteer project.

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Meet the friendly faces behind the new Young Leaders Society

Today, United Way for Greater Austin (UWATX) introduces the new and improved Young Leaders Society (YLS), a diverse group of young professionals under the age of 40 who give or raise $1,000 annually to support UWATX. YLS unites the professional and social aspects of being a young professional with the intrinsic need to shape our community. – Brendan Day, Baker Botts For a few months, the Founding Committee and I have been getting a jump start by  volunteering our time with students in UWATX Target Graduation – a program focused on keeping middle school students on the path to graduation. Moving forward, YLS members will also raise money and spread the word about the critical middle school years. The Founding Committee of YLS is made up of 15 dynamic professionals from a cross-section of industries in the corporate, civic and nonprofit sectors.  All accomplished and passionate individuals in their own right, they  are joining together  to extend their talents, time and money to help prepare Austin students for success in college, work and life. YLS members engage with students at Webb, Decker and Mendez Middle Schools learning to be volunteer leaders and are encouraged to leverage their networks to mobilize more supporters for the Target Graduation program. Whether it is a campus clean-up, a tutoring session, or a mentoring opportunity, YLS members seek to inspire and shape new leaders in Greater Austin. Through various professional development and fun networking opportunities, the Founding Committee is working to expand YLS and work with other young leaders […]

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The power of female philanthropy: 500 givers, $1.2M, nearly 10K lives

This week, our Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) celebrated another successful year of female philanthropy at the home of long-time supporter Anne Smalling. Here are a few highlights from the event: This year’s WLC co-chairs, Jennifer Foster (Dell) and Lauren Hammonds (Blackbaud), welcomed our guests and thanked them for their gifts of time, resource and advocacy. We recognized Betsy Abell and the generosity of the Buena Vista Foundation. We announced the collective impact of our WLC members: $592,000. Thanks to a matching gift from the Buena Vista Foundation, that means a total of $1.2M is being invested in UWATX’s Success By 6 (SB6) program, changing the lives of Austin’s youngest and most vulnerable children. Sue Carpenter, Senior Director of SB6, provided an inside look into this year’s successes – including impacting 9,900 lives and other results listed above – and next year’s exciting initiatives. At the end of the evening, members left with cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes and a renewed passion for Central Texas philanthropy. Get involved: make a gift today, get informed about WLC or  learn more about how your company can benefit from sponsoring this inspiring group of dedicated women and reach out to get involved.  

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Volunteer Project Leaders show grown-ups how it’s done

In the early spring days of March and April, classes of Volunteer Project Leaders (VPL) at Decker and Mendez Middle Schools – 30 middle school students making a difference in their community – directed staff, administrators and founding members of the UWATX Young Leaders Society (YLS) in their first campus clean-up projects. The Decker VPL students, using the skills they’d obtained through their VPL training, instructed us through a detailed gardening project to beautify their campus: we raked old flowerbeds, planted fresh seeds and mulched the school garden. Volunteers worked tirelessly on that sunny day and there was never a dull moment as one of our esteemed young leaders, Mr. Juan Wah, hummed and sang his rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe. The project ended with a student-facilitated recap – allowing us the opportunity to discuss everyone’s favorite part of the day.  The VPL class at Mendez Middle School achieved their big milestone just a few days later: organizing and participating in their own campus clean-up project. The VPL class, along with volunteers from YLS, covered a ton of ground as we trekked across campus in search of unwanted, miscellaneous trash. The Mendez VPL students set an incentive for the person who found the most bizarre piece of trash – a gift certificate. Among the many items found the contenders were: a “Will you go out with me?” note a car floor mat a mouse pad a smoke alarm several carpet squares  a dismembered sock monkey. The dismembered […]

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