Title: Focusing for RESULTS
1Focusing for RESULTS
- Who Did What, How Long it Took, and Lessons
Learned in Four United Ways
2Topics
- Getting focused What means what it looks like
- Examples from the field
- United Way of Santa Fe County Santa Fe, NM
- United Way of the Midlands Omaha, NE
- United Way of Rock River Valley Rockford, IL
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County San
Antonio, TX - Resources
3What Does Getting Focused Mean?
Selecting a limited number of issues and
strategies in which to invest time,
relationships, technology, expertise, money, and
other resources to improve peoples lives
Getting focused is essential for delivering
meaningful results with limited resources
4What Does Getting Focused Look Like?
Investments of time, relationships, technology,
expertise, money, other resources
5What Does Getting Focused Look Like?
Investments of time, relationships, technology,
expertise, money, other resources
6What Does Getting Focused Look Like?
Investments of time, relationships, technology,
expertise, money, other resources
7Topics
- Getting focused What means what it looks like
- Examples from the field
- United Way of Santa Fe County Santa Fe, NM
- United Way of the Midlands Omaha, NE
- United Way of Rock River Valley Rockford, IL
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County San
Antonio, TX - Resources
8United Way of Santa Fe CountySanta Fe, New Mexico
- Presenter
- Ron Stevens
- Former President and CEO
9United Way of Santa Fe CountyWhy We Focused
- To have a more strategic effect on important
problems - To break free of historical patterns as the
framework for investing funds - To differentiate ourselves provide clearer
identify for UWSFC based on creating lasting
change in chronic community conditions - To improve market share among donors
- To position UWSFC as a leader rather than
middleman for passing through funds - To embody good business practice
10United Way of Santa Fe CountyBenefits of Focusing
- Contributed to recognition as community leader
around 2-1-1 and Early Childhood - Broke out of historical funding patterns box
- Framed a 5-year investment strategy based on
creating lasting change in chronic community
conditions - Created the ability to identify strategies in
addition to direct service funding to achieve
results - Created alignment of mission, board, staff,
resources - Attracted new people with fresh ideas
11United Way of Santa Fe CountyBenefits of Focusing
- Energized board and staff, allowed us to create a
very strong team - Resulted in creation of a focused, energized
marketing strategy - Increased board involvement in resource
development - We say no to work not in alignment
12United Way of Santa Fe County Levels of Focus
Investments of time, relationships, technology,
expertise, money, other resources
13United Way of Santa Fe CountyHow and How Long
Level 1 Priority Areas
- Who Did What
- Staff researched provided options. Included
research into other UWs, survey of donors,
discussion of options, selection of draft - Community Investment Committee (CIC) proposed
- Staff CIC identified recruited experts for
Work Groups (agency nonprofit staff and other
community members with expertise in each priority
area). - Work Groups Board approved proposed priority
areas
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 5 months (not including board
approval)
14United Way of Santa Fe County Four Priority Areas
- Helping Kids Succeed
- Improving Health Healing
- Increasing Self-sufficiency
- Unifying Our Diverse Community
15United Way of Santa Fe CountyHow and How Long
Level 2 Goals
- Who Did What
- Staff provided options
- CIC recommended
- Work Groups reviewed, approved
- Board approved
- How Long It Took
- Once priority areas determined, draft in about 1
month - Finalized in 2 more months (not including board
approval)
16United Way of Santa Fe County A Goal for One
Priority Area
Priority Area Increasing Self-sufficiency
Goal Individuals and families have opportunities
to maintain independence and improve their
quality of life
17United Way of Santa Fe CountyHow and How Long
Level 3 Objectives
- Who Did What
- Staff synthesized Work Group input, drafted
objectives - CIC recommended
- Work Groups vetted
- Board approved
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 3 months, not including board
approval (1 month overlap with finalizing goals)
18United Way of Santa Fe County An Objective for
One Goal
Priority Area Increasing Self-sufficiency
Goal Individuals and families have opportunities
to maintain independence and improve their
quality of life
- Objective
- Increase economic opportunities and financial
security for families and individuals by focusing
on financial skills, housing options, employment
and job opportunities, and functional literacy
19United Way of Santa Fe CountyHow and How Long
Level 4 Strategies
- Who Did What
- Staff synthesized Work Group input, drafted
strategies - CIC recommended
- Work Groups vetted
- Board approved
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 2 months
20United Way of Santa Fe County Direct-service and
Community-change Strategies for One Objective
21United Way of Santa Fe County Lessons Learned
- Challenges
- Creating Work Groups that were sufficiently broad
and inclusive of enough expertise while still
being manageable. - Creating an expedited process that would not feel
too rushed by those participating - Creating not only the reality of meaningful
input, but the feeling of meaningful input in an
expedited process - Strategies may evolve as community needs shift
22United Way of Santa Fe County Lessons Learned
- Things were glad we did
- Unifying decision making in one committee so that
investment decisions would be consistent and
integrated - Lots of communication with agencies and donors
along the way - Engagement of people with specific expertise
through Work Groups to provide input and vetting
at each level - Streamlined process
23United Way of Santa Fe County Lessons Learned
- Things were glad we did
- Staff provided recommendations to volunteers, who
actually made decisions - First phase of implementation revolutionized the
funding process. Second phase began shifting
resources toward initiatives, developed
investment strategy. Phase-in was a good thing
-- less resistance to change - Regular education of board members
24United Way of Santa Fe County Lessons Learned
- Things we would do differently
- Fewer objectives and strategies
- Use identification of community outcomes as way
to prioritize and reduce number of objectives and
strategies
25United Way of Santa Fe County Lessons Learned
- Best advice we can offer
- Expect the process to be dynamic, iterative,
particularly as focus becomes more specific. - Make use of UWA Community Impact materials
(Essential Attributes, Community Investment
Triangle, etc.). Provide a great conceptual
framework that can be used with all stakeholders. - Develop change management and community
development competencies within staff and
volunteers collaboration to identify and
implement priorities is new work.
26United Way of Santa Fe County Lessons Learned
- Best advice we can offer
- Expect and work with resistance.
- Make sure you have the right people staff,
volunteers and partners. - Have courage and take risks.
27Topics
- Getting focused What means what it looks like
- Examples from the field
- United Way of Santa Fe County Santa Fe, NM
- United Way of the Midlands Omaha, NE
- United Way of Rock River Valley Rockford, IL
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County San
Antonio, TX - Resources
28United Way of the MidlandsOmaha, Nebraska
- Presenters
- Virgil Keller
- Vice President
- Planning and Community Development
- Barbara Velinsky
- Director
- Allocations Agency Relations
29United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) Why We Focused
- To create lasting changes at community level,
avoid addressing only the symptoms - To develop coherent community understanding and
strategy to address priority needs of the
community - To create a more compelling case for donors
- To address declining market share increasing
designations - To attract new partners with financial resources
from outside annual campaign
30United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) Benefits of
Focusing
- Revitalized interest in United Way by donors,
staff, volunteers, partners - Increased positive exposure in local newspaper
- Clearer differentiation of United Way brand and
marketing materials - Increased undesignated contributions through
greater differentiation - Increased creative exchange for program
entrepreneurship opened the windows for renewed
discussion - Compels better integration of departments, and
projects and activities within departments,
removing the silo syndrome
31United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) Levels of
Focus
Investments of time, relationships, technology,
expertise, money, other resources
32United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) How and How
Long Level 1 - Focus Areas
- Who Did What
- Area provider experts including traditional UW
agency partners identified pressing issues of
specific populations, reported promising
approaches and potential partners - United Way staff summarized input, reviewed
annual Human Care Profile, drafted
recommendations - United Way fund distribution/planning volunteers
reviewed and amended staff report and
recommendations - Executive Committee reviewed report, recommended
engaging other parts of the organization - Board approved Focus Areas
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 8 months
33United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) Three Focus
Areas
- Economically Socially Disadvantaged Families
- Frail Impaired Older Adults
- Youth at Risk
34United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) How and How
Long Level 2 - Impact Initiative
- Who Did What
- Staff proposed 3 initiatives based on information
gathered during Focus Areas phase and existing
community initiative - Fund distribution/planning volunteers approved 1
initiative for implementation and learning
35United Way the Midlands (Omaha) An Impact
Initiative for One Focus Area
Focus Area Economically Socially Disadvantaged
Families
Impact Initiative Economic self-sufficiency by
connecting unbanked working families including
immigrants with traditional financial institutions
36United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) How and How
Long Level 3 - Strategies
- Who Did What
- Staff person with relevant expertise consulted
with community experts, drafted recommendations - Community experts reviewed and amended
recommendations - Fund distribution/planning volunteers approved
strategies
- How Long It Took
- 2 months
37United Way the Midlands (Omaha) A Strategy for
One Impact Initiative
Focus Area Economically Socially Disadvantaged
Families
Impact Initiative Economic self-sufficiency by
connecting unbanked working families including
immigrants with traditional financial institutions
Strategy Financial literacy. Help poor avoid
costs of non-traditional financial operations
38United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) How and How
Long Level 4 - Projects
- Who Did What
- Staff person continued consultation with
community experts, drafted project outlines - Community experts reviewed and amended proposals
- Fund distribution/planning volunteers approved
proposed projects
- How Long It Took
- 2 months to draft project plans refinement is
ongoing
39United Way the Midlands (Omaha) A Project within
One Strategy
Focus Area Economically Socially Disadvantaged
Families
Impact Initiative Economic self-sufficiency by
connecting unbanked working families including
immigrants with traditional financial institutions
Strategy Financial literacy. Help poor avoid
costs of non-traditional financial operations
Project Work with employers to offer financial
literacy training and Individual Development
Accounts (IDAs) as benefits
40United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) Lessons
Learned
- Challenges
- Resistance to change and agency fear of losing
funding - Temptation to engage in multiple areas, thereby
lessening impact in all of them - Communication we human beings require continued
communication in multiple forms to meet their
individual perspectives - Managing different levels of development for each
focus area while maintaining consistency
41United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) Lessons
Learned
- Things were glad we did
- Selecting an initiative where we already had some
successes, visibility, and reputation - Starting with experts and research and engaging
volunteers with specific recommendations - Staff took a much more proactive role, proposing
content for volunteer review - Not holding out for consensus on every decision
42United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) Lessons
Learned
- Things we would do differently
- When making references to engaging
non-traditional partners, always emphasize
pursuit of additional resources - Better communicate agency engagement as effort
progresses - Better alert volunteer leadership of potential
resistance and reasons for it
43United Way of the Midlands (Omaha) Lessons
Learned
- Best advice we can offer
- Perseverance unless you are ready for a
long-term commitment, do not start - Adaptability be ready to change based on valid
input while maintaining a core of your original
plan this is a true balancing act
44Topics
- Getting focused What means what it looks like
- Examples from the field
- United Way of Santa Fe County Santa Fe, NM
- United Way of the Midlands Omaha, NE
- United Way of Rock River Valley Rockford, IL
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County San
Antonio, TX - Resources
45United Way of Rock River ValleyRockford, IL
- Presenters
- Brent BernardiBoard member
- Martha CoatsVice President, Community Building
46United Way of Rock River ValleyWhy We Focused
- Our traditional role as fundraiser was no longer
compelling - Change in local business environment
- While we had been funding services for over 80
years, our community problems continued to worsen
- With declining revenue, we realized that we
couldnt be all things to all people we werent
having a great impact
47United Way of Rock River ValleyBenefits of
Focusing
- Achieving measurable results
- Seen as more than a fundraiser
- Able to attract/retain qualified staff
- Increased ability to recruit the right volunteers
- Heightened awareness of community issues
- Ownership of community issues by board members,
donors and the community as a whole
48United Way of Rock River Valley Levels of Focus
Investments of time, relationships, technology,
expertise, money, other resources
49United Way of Rock River Valley How and How Long
- Level 1 Priority Areas
- Who Did What
- Contracted with University of Illinois Health
Systems Research for community assessment
including empirical data, focus groups, key
informant interviews - Board studied assessment data
- UW hosted Community Issues forum 250 community
representatives were presented with assessment
data, created vision statements in 14 topics - Board reviewed vision statements, sought
additional input from UW volunteers, funded
partners - continued
50United Way of Rock River Valley How and How Long
- Level 1 Priority Areas
- Who Did What (continued)
- Board drafted potential areas of focus
- Staff conducted additional research, studied
efforts elsewhere and presented additional
information to board - Board approved priority areas
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 14 months (community assessment
conducted December - March, board approved
priority areas in December)
51United Way of Rock River Valley Three Priority
Areas
- Improving Education
- Supporting Families
- Increasing Efficiencies in the Human Service
System
52United Way of Rock River ValleyHow and How Long
- Level 2 Goals
- Who Did What
- Staff researched components of priority areas
- Staff provided options for the goals
- Board reviewed
- Board approved
- How Long It Took
- Once priority areas determined, staff presented
draft in about one month - Finalized with board approval in two months
53United Way of Rock River Valley A Goal for One
Priority Area
Priority Area Improving educational attainment
Goal All students graduate from high school
54United Way of Rock River ValleyHow and How Long
- Level 3 Objectives
- Who Did What
- Talked to those people we are trying to help
asked about barriers - Crafted objectives to minimize obstacles
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 2 months
55United Way of Rock River Valley An Objective for
One Goal
Priority Area Improving educational attainment
Goal All students graduate from high school
- Objective
- Increase parental involvement in childrens
education
56United Way of Rock River ValleyHow and How Long
- Level 4 Strategies
- Who Did What
- Staff with input from volunteers and stakeholders
developed strategies - Staff formalized partnerships
- Staff and partners defined and agreed upon roles
and responsibilities
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 6 weeks
57United Way of Rock River ValleyDirect-service
and Community-change Strategies for One Objective
58United Way of Rock River ValleyDirect-service
and Community-change Strategies for One Objective
59United Way of Rock River ValleyLessons Learned
- Challenges
- Educating community partners and stakeholders on
the concept of community-wide impact - Ensuring that all objectives and strategies were
driven by real data and based on proven models - Keeping strategies flexible and responsive to
changing community conditions - Not making assumptions (getting the right
information from the right people) - Maintaining focus on addressing causal issues,
not doing what we are familiar or comfortable
with
60United Way of Rock River Valley Lessons Learned
- Things were glad we did
- Research empirical data, key informant
interviews, focus groups - Got broad input community issues forum, impact
council input, agency input - Engaged non-traditional partners such as
government, court system, juvenile justice system - Talked to target population
- Encouraged board to take ownership of this
- continued
61United Way of Rock River Valley Lessons Learned
- Things were glad we did (continued)
- Communicated consistently with donors and
agencies - Phase in of funding changes
- Regular education of board members through
monthly progress reports at board meetings
62United Way of Rock River Valley Lessons Learned
- Things we would do differently
- Spend the same amount of time doing research and
planning, but phase in implementation of funding
changes more quickly - Recruit several agency ambassadors to share
information with their colleagues - Remove staff barriers more quickly
63United Way of Rock River Valley Lessons Learned
- Best advice we can offer
- Make sure your decisions are data driven and that
your objectives are clear and specific - Use tools from UWA and other United Ways share
your own best practices - Anticipate changes and adjustments to your
strategies as you gain results - Make sure you have staff and volunteers talents
aligned with the new business of community impact - continued
64United Way of Rock River Valley Lessons Learned
- Best advice we can offer (continued)
- Use every opportunity as one to share the new
work of United Way - Expect and work with resistance
- Make sure you have the right people staff,
volunteers and partners - Persevere you will see results
65Topics
- Getting focused What means what it looks like
- Examples from the field
- United Way of Santa Fe County Santa Fe, NM
- United Way of the Midlands Omaha, NE
- United Way of Rock River Valley Rockford, IL
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County San
Antonio, TX - Resources
66United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountySan
Antonio, Texas
- Presenters
- Philip J. Pfeiffer
- Partner, Fulbright Jaworski
- Jose Antonio Contreras
- Senior Vice President
- United Way of San Antonio Bexar County
67United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyWhy We
Focused
- Initial trigger Increase in donor-restricted
growth - Disturbing trends in the nonprofit, philanthropic
and work environments - Explosion in number of non-profits
- Changing workplace and impact of global economy
- Changing workforce
- Competition in workplace giving public and
private - Loss of share nationally and locally
- Declining participation nationally and locally
- Growing scope and complexity of problems in the
community - Implications?
- Cannot ignore signals, must explore further
68United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyBenefits
of Focusing
- Re-energized board, staff, new volunteers
- Differentiated United Way as strategically
focusing on issues our community is most
concerned about - Created long-needed opportunity for new
investment areas outside of existing framework - Gave us a focus for our community initiatives
- Began alignment of board, staff, resources
69United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyLevels
of Focus
Investments of time, relationships, technology,
expertise, money, other resources
70United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyHow and
How Long Issue Areas
- Who did what
- Defining Tomorrow Committee
- Commissioned market research firm
- Opinion Poll
- Focus Groups
- The COMMUNITY IMPACT Question
- Directed staff to develop supporting data book
- Recommended 3 Issue Areas, preliminary priority
concerns - Task Force on Strengthening UW and subsequently
Executive Committee approved recommendation
71United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyThree
Issue Areas
- Developing Individual Capacity for Success
- Strengthening Families
- Developing Successful Children
72United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyHow and
How Long Priorities, Stage I
- Who did what
- Defining Tomorrow Committee
- Established three Issue Councils
- Recruited Council Leadership (Council Chairs and
Co-Chairs) - Issue Council Leadership
- Recruited Council membership with focus on
specific skill sets - Held orientation/Council kickoff
- How long it took
- 6 months
73United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyHow and
How Long Priorities, Stage II
- Who did what
- Issue Councils
- Recommended priorities and sequencing
- Defining Tomorrow Committee and subsequently
Executive Committee approved recommendation
- How long it took
- 3 months (one 4-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour meeting
respectively)
74United Way of San Antonio Bexar
CountyPriorities for the Issue Areas
- Issue Area Developing Individual Capacity for
Success - Priorities 1. Insufficient educational
outcomes - 2. Issues of personal well-being
- 3. Deficiencies in sense of personal
competence - Issue Area Strengthening Families
- Priorities 1. Family Financial Insecurity and
Instability - 2. Family Parenting
- 3. Fragile Neighborhoods
- Issue Area Developing Successful Children
- Priorities 1. Early Care and Education
- 2. Protection of/for children
- 3. Healthcare for children
75United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyHow
How Long - Level 3 Target Population
- Who Did What
- Issue Councils answered these key questions
- What criteria will we use in determining target
population? - What are the demographic, geographic and/or
conditional characteristics of the population
with whom we will target our action plan
addressing priority concern? - Issue Councils developed recommendation
- Each Issue Council selected the target population
for its first priority concern.
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 1 month (one 4-hour meeting)
76United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyTarget
Population for One Priority
Issue Area Developing Successful Children
Priority Early Care and Education
Target Population Children ages 0 5 from
low-income ( 150 of Federal Poverty Guidelines)
households located in ZIP codes 78207 and 78237
- The details Children experiencing multiple risk
factors for failure, such as - - Inadequate supervision - Teen parents
- - CPS involvement - Homelessness
- Limited English - Disabilities
- Parents with substance abuse issues
77United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyHow
How Long - Level 4 Vision Barriers
- Who Did What
- Issue Council answered two key questions
- Vision What exactly do we want to achieve?
- What specific results?
- Barriers Why is vision not true?
- What are the root causes, underlying conditions?
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 2 months (two 4-hour meetings)
78United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyVision
for One Target Population
Issue Area Developing Successful Children
Priority Early Care and Education
Target Population Children ages 0 5 from
low-income ( 150 of Federal Poverty Guidelines)
households located in ZIP codes 78207 and 78237
Vision School Readiness producing children
who are prepared to succeed in school
79United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyBarriers
to One Vision
Issue Area Developing Successful Children
Priority Early Care and Education
Target Population Children ages 0 5 from
low-income ( 150 of Federal Poverty Guidelines)
households located in ZIP codes 78207 and 78237
Vision School Readiness producing children
who are prepared to succeed in school
Barriers Familial attitudes Mistrust
Family instability Debilitating influences of
risky behaviors Parents limited educational
level Lack of parenting skills and support
systems Families are overwhelmed
80United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyHow and
How Long - Level 5 Lasting Change
- Who Did What
- Issue Council answered these questions
- What moves past barriers to vision?
- What strategic changes in condition?
- Issue Council recommended the lasting change that
they would first work toward in the community
condition to address the priority
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 1 month (one 4-hour meeting)
81United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyLasting
Change Sought for a Set of Barriers
Issue Area Developing Successful Children
Priority Early Care and Education
Target Population Children ages 0 5 from
low-income ( 150 of Federal Poverty Guidelines)
households located in ZIP codes 78207 and 78237
Vision School Readiness producing children
who are prepared to succeed in school
Barriers Familial attitudes, family
instability, mistrust, debilitating influences of
risky behaviors, parents limited educational
level, lack of parenting skills support
systems, families are overwhelmed
Lasting Change All children (0-5) are prepared
to succeed when they enter school
82United Way of San Antonio Bexar CountyAction
Plan Specific Direct-service and
Community-change StrategiesFirst-year Aims
- Facilitate alignment of local coalitions to
support quality Early Childhood education and
develop a public policy agenda
System and Policy Changes
- Meet and engage with neighbors in all council
initiatives - Enhance quality of care by informal caregivers
- Equip parents to be better prepared their
children to succeed in school
Community Neighborhood Initiatives
- Provide mentoring for informal caregivers
- Improve the quality of formal early childhood
education
Issue-Directed Programs
- How Long It Took
- Approximately 2 months (five to six 4-hour
meetings)
83United Way of San Antonio Bexar County Lessons
Learned
- Challenges
- Two tiers of council participation
- Corporate/civic vs content experts
- Perception of staff-driven agenda
- Target population input/participation
- Ability to demonstrate results will take time
84United Way of San Antonio Bexar County Lessons
Learned
- Things were glad we did
- Strong community leader with impeccable
credibility - UWA resources Case for Action series and UWA
staff consultations, insights, system perspective - Issue Council membership composition
- Target population input/participation
- Dedication of staff and financial resources
made planning possible and commitment to change
real - Faster if we can, slower if we have to approach
- Ongoing updates to Executive Committee/Board
85United Way of San Antonio Bexar County Lessons
Learned
- Things we would do differently
- Modify two-tier process
- Agency communications
- Timeline clarification and management
- Conduct ITP later in the process
86United Way of San Antonio Bexar County Lessons
Learned
- Best advice we can offer
- Get a strong leader
- Confirm the will to go down this path and end
up where the community directs you - Be clear about your agenda
- Brief community leaders (bell cows) early and
often - Expect the process to be dynamic, iterative,
particularly as focus becomes more specific - Start with community (opinion poll, focus groups)
- Employ participatory process to engage, own
- Agency input where and when
87Topics
- Getting focused What means what it looks like
- Examples from the field
- United Way of Santa Fe County Santa Fe, NM
- United Way of the Midlands Omaha, NE
- United Way of Rock River Valley Rockford, IL
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County San
Antonio, TX - Resources
88Related Resources
on United Way Online
- The Community Investment Triangle Targeting Our
Resources (keyword CITriangle) - Connecting Program Outcome Measurement to
Community Impact (keyword POM-CI) - Getting Focused to Make Tough Choices (keyword
GetFocused) - Redefining Agency Relationships for Community
Impact (keyword RedefineAgency) - Small Cities Getting Focused for Greater
Results webinar replay (http//uwa.breezecentral.
com/p84658172/)
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