Return-Path: <nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.3/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id KAA13289; Fri, 2 Jun 2000 10:51:31 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 10:51:31 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3937C95A.3A75A510@earthlink.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Alec Levenson <aleclevenson@earthlink.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WORKPLACE:3556] Re: Possible new alternative funding X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.73 [en] (WinNT; U) Status: O Content-Length: 10226 Lines: 250 I think some misperceptions about United Way need to be cleared up here. I am not a United Way representative, but am quite familiar with their structure. The key misunderstanding in this discussion thread is that United Way is a collection of independently run local nonprofits. There is an umbrella organization -- United Way of America. However it is really much more like a trade association, not a governing body. Each local United Way agency is its own 501(c)3, with its own board of directors, executive director, etc. Each agency pays dues to United Way of America to do things like coordinate national advertising (e.g. with the NFL) and conduct trainings. But the national organization has no say as to how the local organizations set their funding priorities; all monies are raised and dispersed locally. So the number of different approaches to funding decisions is as varied as the number of different local United Ways. Case in point: the Associated Press story cites my local UW in Los Angeles. They have indeed refocused on issues affecting the poor, a point that I hope leads to more funds going to literacy organizations, including the Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles (of which I am a board member). If the LA UW efforts are successful at addressing poverty and literacy issues, then other local UWs may similarly refocus their efforts (if they haven't done so already). But their decision to do so rests entirely with their local governing bodies. More broadly, don't assume that just because the LA UW has shifted so much money that the other 399 local chapters mentioned in the story have shifted the same proportion of money in the same direction. -- Alec Levenson aleclevenson@earthlink.net -- Ozarks Literacy Council wrote: > I'm in Springfield, Missouri. This Council has been a United Way Agency > since 1990. There are many small, local service agencies that are UW > agencies. And a few nationals, like Boy Scouts, and YMCA. This UW is very > focused on children, the homeless, the aging, the low-literate. It misses > the boat on minorities, but the minority population is small. Still, there > are needs. I don't know that they've turned away agencies working with > minorities. I'm the new kid on the block. > > Karen Carlisle > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Tommy B. McDonell <tbr202@is.nyu.edu> > To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov> > Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2000 7:09 PM > Subject: [NIFL-WORKPLACE:3553] Re: Possible new alternative funding > > > This is a multi-part message in MIME format. > > --------------A556EED75E71494D0658F003 > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > > > I would really like to believe this but don't exactly. I and several > > other non profits in NYC have written to United Way in the last few > > months (we wrote only two weeks ago) to see if we could get 'help' and > > received a two sentence letter, which said that they fund larger > > projects and aren't interested in those of us who aren't nationwide or > > bigger. > > > > I do hope that this is a new change from then, but I think that I will > > need to see real evidence. > > > > Still hoping for help. > > > > Tommy McDonell > > > > Litrcynow@aol.com wrote: > > > > > > Just saw this Associated Press article, and it certainly could open some > > > doors. > > > Let us know if you agree. > > > United Way Shifts to Local Projects > > > > > > .c The Associated Press > > > > > > By MICHAEL WHITE > > > > > > LOS ANGELES (AP) - The United Way is changing the way it does business, > > > putting more money into communities and small projects that are calculated > to > > > improve people's day-to-day lives. > > > > > > Once satisfied with channeling billions of dollars each year into big > > > mainstream charities such as the American Cancer Society, United Way > chapters > > > across the nation are shifting their focus to local organizations that are > > > > working to reduce crime and improve health and education in poor, ethnic > > > neighborhoods. > > > > > > The changes reflect a revolution of sorts in the way Americans donate to > > > charity. A new generation of pragmatic donors want their money put to work > in > > > their own communities, and they expect to see tangible results. > > > > > > To keep up with the changes, United Way is attempting to transform itself > > > from an organization that collects and redistributes donations to one that > > > > collaborates with local communities to attack social problems. > > > > > > Betty Beene, president of United Way of America, one of America's oldest > and > > > best-known charities, said the idea is to invest in communities ``in ways > > > that brought about change in the quality of life that was beyond the > capacity > > > of any single agency to achieve.'' > > > > > > More than 400 of United Way's 1,400 local chapters are expected to shift > at > > > least some money to new projects this year. Others are expected to follow. > > > > > > > In Los Angeles, that has meant taking about $4 million away from > traditional > > > recipients and giving the money to new, community-based nonprofit > > > organizations that focus on needs in minority neighborhoods. > > > > > > Other cities, including Atlanta, San Francisco and Indianapolis, are > > > reallocating money to focus on projects that will help ease crime and > improve > > > life for the poor. > > > > > > ``What we realized was we weren't able to be responsive to the changing > > > issues in our communities because we were locked into (giving money) to > > > certain agencies,'' said Sheila Hill-Fajors, president of United Way of > the > > > Bay Area in San Francisco. ``We needed to be focused on neighborhoods and > the > > > people who were most fragile in our communities.'' > > > > > > The new approach has created a windfall for some small activist > organizations > > > operating in poor and minority neighborhoods. > > > > > > For those who are losing United Way funding, the shift is creating a > crisis. > > > The Los Angeles chapter of the American Cancer Society will lose about > > > $700,000, one-tenth of its 2000-01 budget. Children's Hospital of Los > Angeles > > > will lose $620,000. > > > > > > ``You don't lose that amount of money without it being a blow and since > all > > > of our money is raised from private donations, we are going to have a > > > challenge to make up what amounts to about $700,000,'' said Jane Cohen, > > > director of marketing at the Cancer Society's regional office. > > > > > > Typical of the new recipients is Success by 6, a program for preschoolers > and > > > their parents that is taking hold in Los Angeles and other cities. In Los > > > Angeles, Success by 6 this year will receive $250,000 from the United Way > to > > > improve family literacy, day care and prenatal care for mothers in two > > > minority neighborhoods. > > > > > > ``We're going to start programs that we were thinking about but didn't > have > > > the money to do,'' said Lila Gurgis, Success by Six coordinator in > Highland > > > Park, a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. > > > > > > Americans, enriched by the long economic expansion, are giving away more > > > money than ever. Americans contributed $174.5 billion last year to > charity, > > > an 11 percent increase over 1997, according to Giving USA, an annual > report > > > on philanthropy. Numbers for 1999 donations are not complete, but the > total > > > is expected to exceed that of 1998. > > > > > > United Way also is collecting more money, with contributions reaching $3.5 > > > > billion in 1998, up 4.7 percent from the year before. > > > > > > The changes at United Way began in the early 1990s. Fund raising had been > > > damaged by a financial scandal that ended with the ouster in 1992 of > United > > > Way President William Aramony. He was convicted in 1995 of defrauding > United > > > Way of about $600,000 so that he and his girlfriends could live in style. > > > > > > For decades, United Way had thrived by working with big corporations to > > > gather money from their employees. That also was changing by the early > 1990s. > > > More corporations were giving their employees alternatives to United Way. > The > > > agency, in turn, was collecting more money from smaller, minority-run > > > businesses that wanted to see money spent in their neighborhoods. > > > > > > In 1998, United Way began encouraging local chapters to direct more money > and > > > attention to local needs. Chapters began developing their own plans, many > of > > > which are being implemented in the fiscal year starting June 30. > > > > > > On the Net: > > > > > > United Way: http://www.unitedway.org > > > > > > United Way of Greater Los Angeles: http://www.unitedwayla.org > > > > > > American Association for Fundraising Counsel: http://www.aafrc.org > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > _J > > > ack Fenimore > > > Literacy NOW, Inc. > > > Offering the only way adults can learn to read by themselves in the > privacy > > > of their own home. > > > http://www.literacy-now.org > > > > -- > > Tommy B. McDonell > > Executive Director and Co-Founder > > tbr202@is.nyu.edu > > Learning English Adult Program, Inc.(LEAP) > > 254 West 29th Street,3rd Fl. > > New York, NY 10001 USA > > O: 212-967-0149 > > F: 212-239-3934 > > H: 212-358-1233 before 9 > > --------------A556EED75E71494D0658F003 > > Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; > > name="tbr202.vcf" > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > Content-Description: Card for Tommy B. McDonell > > Content-Disposition: attachment; > > filename="tbr202.vcf" > > > > begin:vcard > > n:McDonell;Tommy > > tel;fax:212-239-3934 > > tel;home:212-358-1233 before 9 > > tel;work:212-967-0149 > > x-mozilla-html:FALSE > > url:http://www.weleap4esl.org > > org:Learning English Adult Program, Inc. > > adr:;;254 West 29th Street,3rd Floor;New York;New York;10001;USA > > version:2.1 > > email;internet:tbr202@is.nyu.edu > > title:Executive Director and Co-Founder > > fn:Tommy B. McDonell > > end:vcard > > > > --------------A556EED75E71494D0658F003-- > >
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