Introducing Our New Strategic Plan

For 100 years, United Way for Greater Austin has championed the collective power of gathering and giving to strengthen our community. Our new strategic plan lays the foundation for an even more profound impact as we enter our next 100 years.

It emphasizes our core strengths, opportunities for increased alignment, and harnesses the power of a collaborative community to break the cycle of economic inequality in Central Texas.

Our Mission

United Way for Greater Austin brings our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all.

 

Our Vision

A Central Texas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Our Goals

We aim to accelerate individuals and families’ ability to thrive by providing high-quality early care and education and equitable access to pivotal resources.

When present, individuals can…

  • Be prepared for school and read on grade level
  • Graduate high school and earn degrees and certificates
  • Access well-paying jobs that allow them to provide for their family

When individuals lack access to quality education and care, they can experience outcomes including…

  • Starting school without sufficient foundational skills and vocabulary
  • Not reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade
  • Not graduating and earning degrees
  • Lack of access to well-paying jobs

Accelerators of thriving communities:

  • Access to social capital
  • Aid in times of crisis
  • Support for mental health
  • Creating equity to get to a place of equality

When present, individuals can…

  • Easily access healthcare, food, housing, safety, financial services, and workforce training
  • Focus on thriving versus trying to make ends meet

When individuals lack access to quality education and care, they can experience outcomes including…

  • Lack of resources which allow them to connect with the support they need to thrive
  • Not having what they need to support themselves, their children, their families, and their communities

Accelerators of thriving communities:

  • Access to social capital
  • Aid in times of crisis
  • Support for mental health
  • Creating equity to get to a place of equality

High Quality Early Care & Education

When present, individuals can…

  • Be prepared for school and read on grade level
  • Graduate high school and earn degrees and certificates
  • Access well-paying jobs that allow them to provide for their family

When individuals lack access to quality education and care, they can experience outcomes including…

  • Starting school without sufficient foundational skills and vocabulary
  • Not reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade
  • Not graduating and earning degrees
  • Lack of access to well-paying jobs

Equitable Access to Sufficient Resources

When present, individuals can…

  • Easily access healthcare, food, housing, safety, financial services, and workforce training
  • Focus on thriving versus trying to make ends meet

When individuals lack access to quality education and care, they can experience outcomes including…

  • Lack of resources which allow them to connect with the support they need to thrive
  • Not having what they need to support themselves, their children, their families, and their communities

Our Strategies

We are allocating our resources across four key strategies.

Data

Establish trusted source of research-based insights for the community, cultivate subject matter expertise on state of poverty in Greater Austin

Coalitions

Guide collective impact in collaboration with community members and partners and empowered by United Way’s thought leadership

Services

Provide direct services when United Way is uniquely positioned to do so, otherwise support partner organizations to drive impact

Advocacy

Working with coalitions, coordinate efforts to influence public policy at the district, city, county, and state level

Our Strategies in Action

More than numbers: Using our data strategy to inform decisions and effect change

More than numbers: Using our data strategy to inform decisions and effect change

United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is data. United Way envisions a Central Texas where everyone ha...

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Our New Strategic Framework: Coalitions that confront economic inequality

Our New Strategic Framework: Coalitions that confront economic inequality

Model Community meets quarterly to increase knowledge and collaboration among members, explore emerging topics through workgroups, provide participatory learning opportunities, and gather feedback for evaluation. United Way for Greater Austin adva...

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Our New Strategic Framework: A look at our services & support strategy

Our New Strategic Framework: A look at our services & support strategy

United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is services and support. United Way envisions a Central Texas w...

Read More
Our New Strategic Framework: Advocacy and its profound community impact

Our New Strategic Framework: Advocacy and its profound community impact

United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is advocacy. United Way envisions a Central Texas where everyon...

Read More

FAQ

Strategic planning is a cornerstone of any successful organization. Through the strategic planning process, which lasted eight weeks, United Way discovered our core strengths and opportunities for increased alignment and impact.

United Way’s new strategic plan will guide our future operations, structure, programs, and services.

United Way is not making any huge pivots in program, services, and coalition offerings. Generally, the input we received from community members strongly affirms the work we do and the way we’re doing it.

Our new strategic framework makes it easier to see how each program, services, and coalition is rooted in United Way’s mission and utilizes one or more of four key strategies: data, coalitions, services and support, and advocacy.

United Way developed this strategic plan in partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a leading global consulting firm. (BCG also guided United Way’s previous strategic planning process in 2017.) We’re grateful to BCG for donating their expert services in-kind!

Through this process, we engaged more than 150 community members in interviews, focus groups, and workshops – complemented by more than 150 survey responses. Input was gathered from Board and team members, nonprofit partners, people with lived experience relevant to our mission, donors, corporate partners, civic leaders, media outlets, and more representing both Travis and Williamson counties.

Thank you to Boston Consulting Group, a leading global consulting firm, who we partnered with to develop this new strategic plan.

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