COMMUNITY OUTREACH SUCCESS

smiling woman with a headset on

Mission

Heart of Missouri United Way fights to improve lives in the community.

Our Vision

Our community wins by Living United: By responding to changing community needs. By forging strategic partnerships and fostering effective solutions to tackle local issues. By harnessing the best resources and inspiring others to join the fight in defeating barriers to basic needs, health, education, and financial stability.

A WORD FROM OUR LEADERS

2020 was a year full of challenges. However, thanks to your generosity and support, we remained strong in pursuit of our mission to fight to improve lives in our community. For 75 years, we have had the privilege of serving mid-Missouri and this was the most unconventional year we have ever seen. Yet, in the midst of all the uncertainty of the last year, our community came together in support of Heart of Missouri United Way. In a true display of selflessness and compassion our community lived UNITED in the face of adversity. We are grateful for all the support from individual donors, volunteers, and community partners.

Last year was all about adapting, changing and growing. In March of 2020, we announced our commitment to help our neighbors impacted by the pandemic.  We honored our commitment to fight to improve lives in our community by investing $365,030.50 to local non-profits providing emergency relief and long-term recovery assistance to the most vulnerable within our community.

Despite the additional challenges associated with the pandemic, we remained dedicated to our three Impact areas, Health, Education and Financial Stability.  Grant awards and reporting were extended by six months, allowing partner agencies to focus on what they do best: serve the needs of their program participants. For some organizations, this meant completely re-thinking how they deliver services and even shifting services based on emergent needs.

Health: In November of 2020, we announced a $1,000,000 commitment to invest in the health and basic needs of those most vulnerable in our community for the next three years. 

Education: We remained committed to fund programs increasing school readiness, literacy, and academic success for the most vulnerable children in our community.

Financial Stability: We continued to support programs improving financial stability and economic mobility of individuals and families who are financially vulnerable.  

Equity: In 2020, we also launched the Equity Challenge a 7-week email series designed to raise awareness of racism and how it manifests in our day to day lives. More than 1,100 people, including members of our community, the state and across the nation have completed the Equity Challenge receiving the tools needed to be leaders in the fight for equity.

United Way staff also began hosting community Equity Dialogues.

Recognizing our Community Impact investments are not able to meet all the needs in our community, we established the Equity Fund and began laying the groundwork to form an BIPOC led Equity Advisory Council.   The Equity Fund and Equity Advisory Council will actively work to remove systemic barriers and promote inclusivity.

As we celebrate 75 years of serving Boone, Cooper, and Howard counties, we can’t thank you enough for your support of our mission to improve lives in our community. Join the fight against inequity. We live better when we LIVE UNITED.

Sincerely,

Mike and Rockie Alden
2021 Community Campaign Chairs

Andrew Grabau
President & CEO
Heart of Missouri United Way

 

african american man in a denim jacket smiling

Andrew Grabau – President & CEO
Heart of Missouri United Way

2021Financial Snapshot

Your Dollars Your Impact

July 2019-December 2021 Impact Investment total

$2,448,844: United Way Impact Investments

Total Outputs:

63,318: Number of people served by United Way funded programs

530,801: Number of service hours funded by United Way

Who We Reached

Program Participants by Age

  • Under 5 years
    10%
  • 5-19 years
    43%
  • 20-59 years
    40%
  • 60 years and over
    7%
Program Participants by Ethnicity*
  • White
    54%
  • Black or African-American
    33%
  • Multiple Races
    5%
  • Asian
    4%
  • Native American Indian or Alaskan Native
    1%
  • Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
    0%
  • Some Other Race
    3%

*Includes 5% Hispanic/Latino in combination or alone with other ethnicities listed

Participants by Poverty Status*
  • At or below 200% Federal Poverty Level
    94%
  • Over 200% Federal Poverty Level
    6%

*Federal Poverty Limit = $26,500 for family of 4
200% of Federal Poverty Limit = $53,000 for a family of 4

YOUR DOLLARS YOUR IMPACT

July 2019-December 2020 Impact Investment total

$2,448,844: United Way Impact Investments

Total Outputs:

63,318: Number of people served by United Way funded programs

530,801: Number of service hours funded by United Way

Who We Reached

Program Participants by Age

  • Under 5 years
    10%
  • 5-19 years
    43%
  • 20-59 years
    40%
  • 60 years and over
    7%

Program Participants by Ethnicity*

  • White
    54%
  • Black or African-American
    33%
  • Multiple Races
    5%
  • Asian
    4%
  • Native American Indian or Alaskan Native
    1%
  • Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
    0%
  • Some Other Race
    3%
*Includes 5% Hispanic/Latino in combination or alone with other ethnicities listed

Participants by Poverty Status*

  • At or below 200% Federal Poverty Level
    96%
  • Over 200% Federal Poverty Level
    4%
*Federal Poverty Limit = $26,500 for family of 4
200% of Federal Poverty Limit = $53,000 for a family of 4

Impact

Of those served and assessed:

%

of children entered school ready to succeed

%

avoided or reduced risky behaviors

%

increased healthy behaviors

%

graduated HS on-time

%

of youth developed soft skills

%

gained employment

Community Impact

Heart of Missouri United Way has three impact areas: Health, Education, and Financial Stability.

HEALTH

United Way funds services that strengthen the health and well-being of individuals and families who are most vulnerable. The organization recognizes four programmatic areas necessary to achieve health and well-being: Basic Needs; Safe, Healthy, Affordable Housing; Mental Health care; and Medical and Dental care.

In November of 2020, Heart of Missouri United Way announced a $1,000,000 investment in health annually over the next three years. The investment commitment to Health and Basic Needs started in January of 2021 and will continue through December of 2023.

The Health Impact Investment Portfolio includes funding for programs at 19 local organizations: The Boys and Girls Club of Columbia, Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoptive Association, City of Refuge, Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, Compass Health Network, Defense Against Diabetes, Easterseals Midwest, First Chance for Children, Great Circle, Heart of Missouri CASA, Love Columbia, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services, Mid-Missouri Legal Services, Services for Independent Living, The Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri, The Salvation Army, True North of Columbia, Turning Point at Wilkes Blvd, and Voluntary Action Center.

“Some of our neighbors have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. Investing more in programs that we know improve lives in our community just makes sense,” said Executive Director of Heart of Missouri United Way Andrew Grabau about the Health Impact Awards.

People unloading food from the back of a car
People unloading food from the back of a car

EDUCATION

-United Way funds services that support school readiness, literacy, and academic success for children in the community. Every year, Heart of Missouri United Way addresses the community’s education needs by targeting programs that demonstrate the following childhood outcomes: entering school ready to succeed, reading proficiently by third grade, and making a successful transition in and out of middle school. Heart of Missouri United Way’s investments in Education started in July of 2022 and will continue through December 2025.

The Education Impact Investment Portfolio includes programs at 12 local organizations:

Harrisburg Early Learning Center, First Chance for Children, Mary Lee Johnston Community Learning Center, Community Playground of Columbia AKA Fun City, United Community Builders, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri, Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, Grade A Plus, Inc., Jabberwocky Studios, Central Missouri Community Action, Columbia Housing Authority Low Income Services (CHALIS), United Cerebral Palsy Heartland 

Financial Stability

In 2023, Heart of Missouri United Way continued funding services strengthening the financial stability and economic mobility of financially vulnerable individuals and families. United Way addresses the community’s financial stability needs by investing in programs demonstrating the following client and/or community outcomes: gains in skills and/or credentials needed for employment and/or increased wages, gain and sustain employment and/or increase income, increase disposable income by increasing financial literacy and/or reducing costs and/or accessing benefits. United Way’s current investment in Financial Stability began in July of 2023 and will continue through December of 2026.

The Financial Stability Impact Investment Portfolio includes programs at 8 organizations:

City of Refuge, Job Point, Love Columbia, Mid-Missouri Legal Services, Rock the Community, Services for Independent Living, United Community Builders, Central Missouri Community Action

african american man in a denim jacket smiling
People unloading food from the back of a car

Community Engagement

Heart of Missouri United Way believes in community engagement. We engage the community through the following community events: Day of Caring, Day of Action, LIVE UNITED Day, Give 5 Graduation, Campaign Kic-off and more. 

Volunteers for the Day of Caring operated in small, safely-distanced groups to compile LIVE UNITED Care Kits for Adults, which included an assortment of self-care and hygiene items, and Read Across Columbia Literacy Kits for Children, which contained five inclusive book titles and a free book coupon from Daniel Boone Regional Library, an application for a library card, bookmarks to encourage reading, and a pencil. The Care Kits for Adults were distributed through United Way Partner Agencies to individuals in need. The Literacy Kits were delivered to more than 600 children in five elementary schools with the highest poverty rates and lowest levels of third grade reading proficiency.